By Teresa Carr
Adams County Senior Council
Information from nidirect.gov.uk – Healthy Eating for Older Adults
As one gets older, it’s important to continue to eat a nutrient rich diet choosing foods high in protein, vitamin D, B12 and folic acid.
The Eatwell guide is used to show the different types of foods commonly eaten and the proportions that are recommended to achieve a healthy balanced diet. No single food provides all the nutrients you need, so it’s important to include a wide variety of foods in the diet.
The Eatwell guide is split into five main food groups:
· Fruits and vegetables
· Potatoes, bread, rice, pasta and other starchy foods
· Dairy and alternatives
· Beans, pulses, fish, eggs and other proteins
· Oils and spreads
Further information on the Eatwell guide is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-eatwell-guide-and-resources
What to drink and how much is also very important. Your body needs plenty of fluid to work properly, such as helping to stop you from getting constipated or confused. Aim to drink about six to eight glasses of water, or other fluids, every day to stop you from getting dehydrated. Remember, when the weather is warm or when you get active, your body is likely to need more than this.
How to tell if you’re drinking enough. As you get older, your sense of thirst reduces which means you might not always feel thirsty when your body is already dehydrated.
Look out for the following symptoms of dehydration:
· urine has a dark color and you don’t pass much when you go to the toilet
· headaches
· confusion and irritability
· lack of concentration
As you get older, these signs of dehydration could also be signs of other issues so check with your GP if you’re concerned about any symptoms.
Eating less. As you get older it’s natural to start eating less because you will become less physically active and so your body will adapt and adjust your overall food intake. You may find it difficult to tolerate the meals you used to eat. Try having smaller meals more often and with nutritious snacks in between. It’s important to eat regularly, at least three times a day.
You might not always feel like cooking so you could increase your intake of tinned, chilled and frozen ready-prepared meals. Always make sure you heat chilled and frozen food until it’s steaming hot all the way through.
You might eat less because you’re finding it more difficult to buy or prepare food or you’re finding it harder to get around if you have conditions such as arthritis.
You may be able to get help with these sorts of problems through your GP.
Just A Thought: “Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson