Monday, February 25, 2013

Diet Tips For Seniors

by Valerie Kirk

Between ages 50 and 70, people generally start putting on weight in the form of visceral fat. Visceral fat is the fat that is found in the abdomen and surrounding vital organs and is often the reason why aging adults experience health difficulties like high cholesterol levels, cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. Around 70 years old, seniors begin losing weight due to decreasing bone density and muscle mass, but body fat doesn't automatically decline along with the weight. Older adults who wish to lose body fat must do so carefully by following proper nutrition and exercise guidelines.

Living a balanced lifestyle and sustaining a healthy body weight is going to hold the visceral fat and other chronic ailments at bay. Women over 50 should eat between 1600 and 2000 calories every day depending on their physical activity level. Men above 50 should eat between 2000 and 2400 calories every day. An ideal amount of weight loss for men and women is around 1 to 2 pounds a week.

Diet Tips for Seniors to Lose Weight

1. Drink 8 to 10 cups of water daily
Seniors are vulnerable to dehydration given that their bodies lose some of the ability to manage fluid levels and perception of thirst is diminished.

2. Get 5 assorted colors onto your dish
Vegetables and fruits full of color coincide with high vitamins and nutrients. Pick antioxidant rich green vegetables, like spinach, kale, and collards; as well as yellow and orange colored vegetables, like yams, carrots, and squash. Make an effort for two to two and a half servings of fresh vegetables daily. Aim for raw fruit (as opposed to fruit juices) to get more dietary fiber and natural vitamins and shoot for roughly one and a half to two cups daily.

3. Add more fiber to your diet
Steer clear of bowel problems, decrease the potential risk of persistent illnesses, and feel satisfied for a longer period of time simply by raising your fiber consumption. Your ideal fiber foods will be raw vegetables and fruits, whole grains, or legumes.

4. Incorporate more good fats
Acquire the benefits of avocados, nuts, flaxseed, salmon and other monounsaturated fats. Scientific tests show that the fat from these kinds of food items defends the human body against cardiovascular disease by curbing bad low density lipoproteins (LDL) cholesterol and elevating good high-density lipoproteins (HDL) cholesterol.

5. Lower your sodium intake
Protect yourself against water retention and high blood pressure by looking for “low sodium” ingredients on the nutrition labels and seasoning dishes with rough sea salt rather than cooking with table salt.

6. Steer clear of bad carbohydrates
Bad carbohydrate foods are also referred to as “simple carbohydrates”. Common bad carbohydrates are refined sugar, white rice, and white flour because they have already been stripped of all of their fiber, bran, and nutrients. Bad carbohydrates break down rapidly and induce surges in glucose levels and short lived energy levels. To have long lasting energy and consistent insulin levels opt for good carbohydrates like whole-grains, legumes, fresh vegetables, and fresh fruits.

7. Look out for added sugar
Added sugars may be concealed in common food items like pasta sauces, breads, frozen dinners, and canned soups. Examine nutrition labels for different words for sugar like fructose, dextrose, maltose, sucrose, corn syrup, and brown rice syrup. Choose fresh or frozen veggies rather than canned goods, and select low carbohydrate or sugar free options for your favorite foods.

No matter what age an individual starts out a healthy diet routine it can significantly enhance their well-being right away and having lasting affects as they age. As we grow older, our calorie needs decline because of a drop in muscle mass and bone density from getting less physical exercise. Nonetheless, vitamin and mineral demands will continue to be the same or perhaps even increase if the body absorbs them less effectively.

Source: bestdiettips

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