As you reach your 60s, it’s time for you to pay more attention to your diet. Your nutritional needs in 60s are much more different than from those when you were young.
Whereas people generally eat less food as they get older, but they need higher amounts of certain nutrients.
Many studies have found that majority of the people at the age of sixty do less physical activities & have unhealthy diet. This exposes them to lifestyle diseases, become sick and cut short their lifetime.
Health Eating Tips For Over 60
In 60s, we need to ensure that in spite of our reduced diet we are getting all of the required nutrients to keep our body functioning at its best. Let us see how we can do this:
# 1
Balancing Your Diet
As the people get older their lifestyles tend to become sedentary, which means less need for calories and eating lesser amounts of food. In a way, this is good because extra calories can lead to obesity & heart problems. However, this has a negative side too. This can lead to deficiencies of certain essential nutrients because the needs for vitamins and minerals remain the same. Moreover, the absorption of vitamins and minerals becomes less efficient in an older person’s body plus the medication taken by many after 60s further impedes the absorption of these nutrients. So at this age, eating adequate amounts of fresh vegetables & fruit becomes very important.
Nutrient Density
In your 60s, you should aim to get as many nutrients as possible from relatively fewer calories. As you age, the key nutrients you critically need include calcium for bone health, iron for energy, zinc for immunity, fiber for digestion & essential fats for their positive anti-inflammatory properties.
The good news is that the foods high in protein like milk; eggs, meat, seafood and nuts are all nutrient dense foods.
Eating Nutrient-Dense Protein Foods
Including nutrient dense protein foods in each of your meals every day will help you meet your key nutrient requirements easily. Snack on dairy-rich foods including yogurt, cheese & crackers, skim milk-based coffee or munch on a handful of nuts with a piece of fruit. Opt for lean red meat or a piece of fish for a quick dinner along with lots of brightly colored vegetables.
Getting Sufficient Antioxidants
Many research studies show that a diet rich in antioxidants such as green tea, fresh fruit, vegetables & wine are very beneficial for preventing many old age diseases like Alzheimer’s. Antioxidants are also beneficial for your lung & heart health.
Calcium For Bones
With age, you lose bone mass. This weakens your bones. To retain bone mass & strengthen your bones, you need to increase your calcium intake. You can do this by including plenty of milk & small fish in your diet. However, in case you are over-weight then you should opt for low-fat milk.
Getting your Vitamin D
Getting enough vitamin D is necessary for the bone health. Getting some sunlight on your skin regularly will make up for the vitamin D deficiency. Walk as much as you can in the sunlight to catch up some rays of sunshine while you walk. The best time to be in sunshine is before 9.30 am.
Zinc for Immunity
With age our immune system becomes vulnerable. Eating more zinc helps boost our immune system. Meat, dairy products, whole grain cereals and pulses are good sources of zinc.
Fiber and Water
Another effect of aging is weakening of the digestive system. To keep it functioning well without any interruptions, you should take extra amounts of fiber & water. This will help prevent constipation as well as gastritis.
Useful Related Post: High Fiber Foods
In addition to all the above dietary recommendations, the other very important aspect of looking after your health and fitness, as you get older, is to keep active. Exercises help not only burn out any extra calories to keep your weight under control, but also increases blood supply helping your organs to function properly.
