Feeding in Older Adults / The elderly is constantly growing because life expectancy is increasing. We live more years, mainly due to technological advances and pharmacology. It is good news that generates many expectations but, for some it is a concern. The dilemma is that at a certain age, you have to retire, and this leads to a lower income from a retirement or pension. The needs of the body were changing and with a lower income, it is difficult to adjust to the new requirements.
In this note I will try to tell you on the one hand the new demands of the organism, to which nutrients we must pay attention to incorporate and which better to put aside. One of the changes that occurs is at the level of fat and muscle. On the one hand, we are losing muscle and that, we notice when we feel that we no longer have the strength we used to have. And on the other hand, more fat is going to accumulate for the moments that we need an extra energy maybe, when there is a low intake or we go through an illness.
For this, it is important that you continue doing some physical activity. It can be yoga, pilates, walking, etc. According to the evaluation of the attending physician, it will be possible to determine what is the activity that can be performed. On the one hand, this is going to be that fat does not accumulate in large levels and on the other, that the muscles are not lost in a large proportion. The increase in fat at the abdominal level can cause a certain risk of complications that can lead to high cholesterol and triglycerides, hypertension and diabetes, and with this an increase in heart disease.
It is necessary to reduce the consumption of red meat and increase the consumption of fish. It is not necessary to buy tuna cans that do not yield as much and have a large amount of salt. You can go to the fish market and buy cheaper fish. Also avoid or reduce fat intake: butter, mayonnaise, sausages, cold cuts, copet products such as chips, sticks and chizitos. Try to omit as many times as possible, the consumption of bakery products such as bills, biscuits, cakes, sweet cookies.
Steamed, boiled, sauteed with water, baked, grilled but, skip the fritters and butter. The decrease in muscle mass will not only cause the decrease in strength. We will feel in many cases that our intestine that has a muscular layer is also lazy. And maybe we started to constipate, something that didn't happen to us. For this reason, the consumption of vegetables and fruits is essential. Because in addition to vitamins and minerals, they have a large proportion of water and fiber that are two of the pillars to prevent constipation. In addition, if you are on the move and avoid sedentary lifestyle, the chances of being able to go to the bathroom are increased.
It can also be observed at this age that osteoporosis begins to appear. Hip fractures occur on the one hand because the bone is weaker and is more likely to break. But, also having less strength due to muscle weakness, it is harder to stumble when standing up.
It is important to have adequate consumption of dairy products for the incorporation of calcium. Therefore, we need 4 servings per day . If the milk, by itself, is not well tolerated, you can make milk dessert or make jelly with milk. There is also yogurt and spreads or soft cheeses. The hardest, in addition to being more expensive, have a lot of fat and salt, things that we need to reduce.
On the other hand, the senses begin to diminish. We no longer feel so much food taste, smells become less noticeable the same as sounds. With regard to the sense of taste, we must be careful with the use of salt because, perhaps we are using more than we can incorporate. To control salt, one of the tips is to salt foods once they are on the plate. Do not put salt in boiling water. Also always prefer fresh foods because the packaged ones have preservatives, and these mostly have sodium (salt). A canned, olives, and other products in brine, can be rinsed with water, so part of the salt leaves. There are mineral waters that have a greater contribution. We have to lean towards the least amount they have reading the label well.
Another factor we have to pay attention to is thirst. The reflection descended and much. Therefore, even if we are not thirsty, we must force ourselves to drink water.
Dehydration is very common at this time in life. So, always have a glass of water on hand. And if we get up to the bathroom at dawn, have a glass of water on the bedside table to be able to drink later. All these tips are general, and do not fit specific pathologies that may exist. First of all, we must take into account what the attending physician tells us .
EDITION: Hugo Compagnoni
AUTHOR: Soledad Cerasulo. Bachelor of Nutrition. Note Published in Holistic Family Magazine Edition May / June 2016
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