How is your older loved one doing? Lacking energy? Seems like we all could use more of it right now as the still uncontained virus continues to upend our lives. We are already exhausted by the consequences of this pandemic. But we need to continue to be mindful of our health and energy in order to carry on with our day to day lives.
This rings especially true for our older population.
So your senior is starting to be lackluster and you’re starting to think of ways to help.
Don’t cars run better with the right fuel in their tank?
While you cannot save the world from its war against the virus, what’s do-able right now is to make sure your senior is eating right.
The right food fuels them up. The right food has the protein, vitamins, minerals, fiber, and water necessary to keep them healthy.
But is getting the ideal octane to keep their “engine” humming always easy?
With age, people typically slow down and burn less calories. Their appetite also diminishes. Yet they still must take in the necessary nutrients to maintain good health.
And how much nutrients is ideal?
The Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA’s) categories for seniors are listed with different recommendations for older men and for older women. Moreover, experts say that the nutritional needs of people in their 50’s and 60’s differ from those 70 and older.
The varying information is cause for confusion. Your senior should work with a doctor or nutritionist they trust to develop a personal nutrition program for their specific situation. And they should not wait until they feel ill to do it.
Causes of Poor Nutrition Among Seniors
Before the aggravation of the pandemic, there are numerous reasons why seniors have difficulty maintaining a good nutritional regimen. Here are some contributing factors.
1. Loss of appetite.
2. Chewing issues & swallowing problems.
3. Decrease in the sense of taste & smell.
4. Lack of knowledge.
5. Loneliness.
6. Depression.
7. Illness & side effects of medications.
8. Less mobility.
9. Difficult to shop and/or cook.
10. Limited income or frugal spending habits.
Benefits of Good Nutrition Among Seniors
Eating remains to be one of the joys of life, albeit holding off on eating with a large group of friends or family for now.
It provides intimate social (when the pandemic is over) and personal benefits for anyone at any age.
For seniors, the advantages of nutritious meals go beyond taste and companionship.
Here’s a list of more benefits they can get from a healthy nutrition habit:
1. Raises the energy level.
2. Protects against illness.
3. Helps the body deal with an existing illness.
4. Quickens recovery.
5. Keeps medical costs down.
6. Keeps independence up.
Good Nutrition Habits for your Senior
1. Supply them with foods that are rich in nutrients but low in calories.
Have them eat more bright-colored fruits and vegetables, whole grains (oatmeal, whole wheat bread, brown rice).
Fat-free or low-fat milk/cheese, or maybe soy and rice milk if they have issues with dairy.
Occasional lean meats, poultry, eggs, and seafood.
Sprinkle their oatmeal with ground nuts like almond, pistachio, or flax seeds. They are rich in magnesium, fiber, Vitamin E, and B6 among others.
2. Avoid foods that are filled with empty calories.
These are soda, potato chips, cupcakes, cookies and brownies (baked sweets), soda, and of course – alcohol.
3. Fill up their kitchen pantry with foods that are low in fat and cholesterol.
These days, you can simply shop online and have the grocery food delivered to your senior’s doorstep. You’ll be able to better monitor what they eat if you help them make good choices in what they store in their kitchen.
The ones you want to especially avoid are foods loaded with saturated and trans fats. These come from animals.
Trans fats are processed fats in most kinds of margarine and in vegetable shortening. That’s why store-bought baked goods and fried foods at some fast-food restaurants aren’t always a good idea.
4. Give them plenty of water to drink.
Dehydration becomes frequent among older adults because they are starting to lose their sense of thirst. If your senior is taking a lot of medications, all the more you should monitor their fluid intake.
5. Encourage them to move around the house, maybe walk regularly around the block (with safety mask, please).
You can check out our blog post on How to Keep Your Senior Active at Home During Coronavirus.
It will give you good ideas and tips on the kind of physical and mental exercises they can do safely at home.
Tips to Help Your Senior Eat More Healthy Food
1. Add some healthy snacks throughout their day.
Chopped fruits, plain popcorn, sprouted grain bread (such as Ezekiel Food for Life), and low-fat string cheese is a list of good examples.
2. Vary their fluid intake between water and healthy broths or soup.
Always check for any difficulty in swallowing. Consult with their primary care physician for any underlying health condition that could be causing this issue.
3. Remind them to chew their food well.
A visit to their dentist is always a good idea if you suspect that they are having a hard time chewing their food.
4. Add more color to their meal plate.
You can make it more interesting and inviting for your senior to eat more if the food on their plate has more color and texture. Mix up a lot of colorful veggies (cooked to a soft consistency), mashed orange sweet potatoes, boiled purple yam, or slices of avocado.
5. Try senior meal delivery services.
If you or your senior is tired or bored with cooking the same food too often, there are meal delivery companies that offer meals for older adults. They even specialty menu diets for seniors with diabetes and heart-related illnesses.
Good nutrition is an important key to your senior’s health. They may not be able to always make the right food choices, but with your attention and encouragement, you can help them keep unnecessary illness at bay.
There comes a point too that they may need companion care who could supervise their health and safety at home.
How do you know when your elderly loved one needs a professional caregiver? Here’s our post where we talked about when to know and the 7 changes you want to pay close attention to.
Thanks for reading. Take care and ’til next time!
