Health Eating Tips for Seniors

TIPS FOR SENIORS – HEALTHY EATING

A healthy lifestyle starts with nutrition which is all about choices. A healthy lifestyle will prolong life and quality of life. It may also reduce the need for some medications such as those treating high blood pressure and high cholesterol. It can be very difficult to change old habits, but if you make small changes and stick with them they will become new habits. Your body will no longer crave those foods that caused weight gain and unhealthy levels of intake of sugar, sodium and fats. Below are some tips to help our loved ones and ourselves develop a healthy lifestyle by changing our choices in foods:

 

• Color your meal. Fruits and vegetables that have deep color are rich in nutrients. Great examples of these foods are zucchini, tomatoes, yams, blackberries...

• Avoid carbohydrates that are bad for you. Unhealthy carbs include all foods that have been stripped of all bran, fiber and nutrients such as white flour, refined sugar and white rice. Choose good complex carbohydrates such as whole grains, beans, fruits and vegetables.

• Watch out for high sodium content. When cooking, substitute a few grains of course seal salt.

• Limit sugar. Always check out food labels. Sugar content (and sodium) will surprise you. Know the alternate terms for sugar which are corn syrup, molasses, brown rice syrup, cane juice, fructose, sucrose, dextrose or maltose. Choose fresh vegetables and fruits instead of those that are canned.

• Cook smart. Vegetables retain their nutrients best when steamed. Skip boiling as it drains nutrients.

• Eat fats that are good. Choose to use olive oil and eat avocados, salmon, walnuts, flaxseed and other monounsaturated fats. These choices will raise your HDL (good) cholesterol levels and lower LDL (bad) levels. 

Start with small changes and stick to them to develop new habits. When you feel a new habit has developed, add another small change to your lifestyle. A couple of things that will make a big difference and can be a great way to start is to give up fried foods, fast food or soft drinks. Don't deprive yourself of things you love – find ways to make the things you love more healthy!

 

Posted Wednesday, 11/09/11, 08:39 AM - Comments - Category: Eating Healthy

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