As you age, your need for nutrients changes, which can and should affect how you eat. Your diet may need to change a little to ensure you get enough of the best vitamins to help keep you healthy. The body’s ability to get enough of the right vitamins changes, and although you may have had no problems with vitamin deficiency when you were younger, it can become an issue in your later years.
Every part and process of your body needs a balance of vitamins and minerals to function. It is why a lack of some vitamins will sooner or later show up as a symptom of some kind – which can be serious. Healthy eating will usually provide you with the vitamins you need.
The benefit of getting the right amount of vitamins and minerals is that they will help you stay healthy. This balance can enable you to control your weight, type 2 diabetes, and high blood pressure and help prevent cardiovascular disease and some types of cancer. That is why balanced and nutritious meals are so important – they can help prevent these health problems and enable you to live longer.
As you get older, your body’s metabolism may also slow down, and your activity levels probably will, too. It means you are not apt to need as many calories as you once did. Your healthy diet should lower your daily intake of calories, or you will start gaining unwanted weight.
The nutrients you need most should be part of your daily diet. You want to ensure you get enough protein, vitamin D, calcium, potassium, fiber, and vitamin B12. In addition, you want to stay hydrated by drinking enough water each day.
Other necessary foods include fruits, veggies, whole grains, and brown rice. Drink low-fat or fat-free milk and cheese, all of which should be fortified with vitamin D and calcium. Any meats you eat should be mostly lean, including seafood, along with poultry and eggs.
Focus on foods that are low-fat and low-cholesterol. Avoid or reduce your intake of foods that have mostly calories in them, such as potato chips, baked goods, candy, sodas, fancy coffees, fruit juices, and alcohol. Watch out for sugary snacks, too. Focus on healthy snacks in between meals but limit them. Reduce your salt intake. A lot of salt is in processed foods, canned soups, and lunch meats.
Exercise is also needed to keep your body healthy. An increased blood flow rate can help get those nutrients where they are needed faster.
Read the labels on the food products you buy. Know how many calories are recommended for your lifestyle – whether active, moderately active, or inactive. An active woman should get between 2,000 to 2,200 calories daily, and an active man needs 2,400 to 2,600 calories daily. An inactive woman should get a maximum of 1,600 calories daily, and an inactive man should limit his calorie intake to 2,000 to 2,200 a day.
A balance of different foods, instead of only a limited variety, can help you stay healthy. Eat different vegetables, meats, and whole wheat products throughout the week to ensure a balanced nutrition intake.
If you need help preparing meals for yourself, you can contact places such as Meals-on-Wheels. You can get healthy meals delivered that enable you to get healthy meals for weight loss, heart-healthy foods, help you with a diabetes diet plan, and more.
Getting the right nutrients each day will affect your overall health – especially as you age. A doctor can show you if you have special nutritional needs and may help you with a recommended diet.
