Wellness
Healthy eating options for seniors
COURIER LIFE, MARCH 20-26, 2020 31
“Let food be thy medicine”
is a quote attributed
to Hippocrates, the
ancient scholar considered
to be the father of
modern medicine. The
saying relates to the notion
that what people put
in their bodies can heal
and/or prevent certain
conditions.
For seniors with medicine
cabinets full of overthe
counter and prescription
medications, the
idea of relying predominantly
on food to promote
optimal health may
be tempting, and various
foods can be particularly
useful to the 50-and-over
demographic.
According to the
World Health Organization,
poor diet is a major
contributor to many of
the diseases that affect
older people. Poor diet
has been connected to
the development of diabetes,
and degenerative
diseases such as osteoporosis
also may be linked
to the foods ones eat. The
National Council for Aging
Care says micronutrient
defi ciency is often
a problem among the aging
due to factors like
lack of variety in diet and
reduced food intake. Eating
a variety of foods can
provide all of the nutrients
people need to stay
healthy as they get older.
Certain foods may be
particularly helpful.
• Brain-friendly foods:
Foods such as avocado,
leafy vegetables, sunfl
ower seeds, blueberries,
and salmon are good
sources of vitamin E, antioxidants,
omega-3 fatty
acids, and other nutrients
that may help ward off dementias
like Alzheimer’s
disease, advises Sonas
Home Health Care.
• Anti-infl ammatory
foods: Foods rich in
omega-3 fatty acids may
help prevent infl ammation
that can cause cancer
and rheumatoid arthritis.
Aging.com says
foods that are high in
omega-3 fatty acids, like
salmon, should be consumed
at least twice per
week.
• Fruits and vegetables:
Fresh, canned or
frozen produce tend to
be high in micronutrients,
including a variety
of important vitamins
that are essential for all
components of health.
The Academy of Nutrition
and Dietetics advises
eating dark green vegetables,
such as leafy greens
or broccoli, and orange
vegetables, such as carrots
and sweet potatoes.
• Energy-boosters:
Choose whole grains that
can provide sustained
energy by way of healthy
carbohydrates over processed
grains.
• Bone-friendly foods:
Calcium-rich foods, such
as milk, yogurt and
cheese, can prevent calcium
from being leached
from the bones, which
contributes to conditions
like osteoporosis.
• Digestive systemfriendly
foods: The digestive
system slows down
as the body ages, as the
walls of the gastrointestinal
tract thicken and
digestive contractions
that push waste along
may slow down and become
fewer. Foods rich in
fi ber can promote proper
digestion by moving food
through the digestive
tract mor easily. High-fi -
ber foods also may help
naturally reduce blood
cholesterol levels.
• High-iron foods:
Without enough iron in
the body, a person may
feel tired and lethargic
from a reduced production
of hemoglobin,
which carries oxygen
in the blood from the
lungs to the rest of the
body. A lack of oxygen
in body tissues from
anemia can be serious,
says the National Council
for Aging Care. Tofu,
spinach, lentils, pumpkin
seeds, and fortifi ed
breads and cereals are
high in iron.
Smart food choices
can help seniors live long
and healthy lives.
Men and women may begin
to feel less fl exible as they
get older. According to the University
of Maryland Medical
Center, that loss of fl exibility
is because muscles lose both
strength and elasticity as the
body ages.
A lack of fl exibility can make
men and women more vulnerable
to certain types of injuries,
including muscle strains and
tears. While people might not
be able to maintain the fl exibility
they enjoyed in their twenties,
there are ways for them to
combat age-related loss of fl exibility.
• Stretch frequently. Stretching
is a great way to combat
age-related loss of fl exibility.
Stretch major muscle groups,
such as hamstrings and shoulder
muscles, several times per
week. When practicing static
stretching, the goal is to gradually
elongate the muscle being
stretched before holding the
elongated position, and ultimately
allowing the muscle to
return to resting position. As
fl exibility improves, elongated
stretches can be held for 30 seconds.
Avoid stretching muscles
that are sore or injured, and
discontinue a stretch if you feel
pain or discomfort.
• Include yoga in your exercise
regimen. Practitioners
of yoga typically love how this
unique discipline that exercises
the body while relaxing
the mind improves their fl exibility.
Many yoga poses are designed
to improve the strength
and fl exibility of muscles, and
some physicians may even recommend
yoga to aging patients.
Yoga DVDs or streaming sessions
can be great, but beginners
may want to visit yoga
studios or sign up for classes
at their gyms so instructors
can personally ensure they are
doing each pose correctly. As
their fl exibility improves, men
and women can try more diffi -
cult poses and classes if they so
desire.
• Get in the pool. Swimming
is another activity that can help
aging men and women improve
their fl exibility. Strength-training
exercises are an important
component of a well-balanced
exercise regimen, but
such workouts tend to focus on
one or two muscle groups at a
time. That means other muscle
groups may be inactive and
tighten up as a result. Swimming
works the entire body,
which helps all muscle groups
stay loose and fl exible. One or
two swimming sessions per
week can contribute to great
gains in overall fl exibility, especially
for men and women who
remember to stretch when they
get out of the pool.
Flexibility may decrease as
men and women age, but there
are various ways to combat the
natural loss of fl exibility.
How to stay fl exible
/Aging.com
