How To Develop Better Eating Habits In Your Senior Years – Eat Healthiest Foods
When you reach your senior years, there are many requirements that become more important to consider in order to live a healthy life. Among that criteria is the development of healthy eating habits which are essential for providing seniors with the proper nutrition to support good heart health, proper weight, and overall well-being.
So what are the best ways to improve better eating habits in your senior years? Take a look at these helpful hints for elder care asheville NC, see which ones you are currently following and those you may want to adopt so you are always getting the best nutrition from every meal.
Watch your Weight
What’s so important about proper eating for nutritional health? For starters, making the right choices about what you put inside your body can help you keep your weight in check. Weight gain can have a serious impact on your health, putting on even a few extra pounds can increase your risks for heart disease, arthritis, diabetes, and so on.
But when you eat healthy, you’re taking important steps towards boosting your immune system and giving your body the nourishment it craves. You’ll notice the difference in the way you feel almost immediately, giving you increased self-esteem, improved confidence, and more energy.
So if you’re going to keep the pounds off, you should familiarize yourself with some common sense methods for ensuring that every meal is as nutritious as possible.
Food Labels
Most of us ignore the nutritional facts that are printed on the packaging of the foods we purchase and eat on a routine basis. But for seniors who are trying to support their bodies with a proper diet, those labels are an essential ally for helping you fill your plate with success.
So the next time you hit the supermarket, watch what you’re placing in your cart by first reading the labels printed on your selections. Reading them will provide you with all of the data necessary for deciding on whether or not you should be eating that item. Those labels are your best bet for telling you how much good and bad ingredients exist in your food.
When you’re picking things off the shelves, avoid anything with high amounts of sugar, sodium, fats, and other ingredients that can prove all too detrimental to your eating habits.
The Produce Section
If there’s one area of the supermarket that is always full of heart-healthy options, it’s the produce aisle. There’s you’ll find a bounty of fresh fruits and vegetables, all of them low in calories and high in vitamins and nutrients.
You’ll notice there aren’t any nutritional labels on these food items and that’s because you can rest assured that these shelves and displays are filled with a wide array of healthy choices. You just need to know which colors are the best for promoting better eating habits.
So when in doubt, you can’t ever go wrong with greens, reds, and yellows as you stroll past all of those fruits and vegetables. While you’re there, be sure to stock up as these are all good for you and part of a well-rounded diet.
The Right Nutrients
There’s a veritable alphabet soup of vitamins from A to E and beyond. Seniors need some of these in greater amounts than others and your doctor can help recommend which are the most beneficial. But all seniors should be getting the daily recommended allowance of vitamin D and calcium. These nutrients can be found in a variety of foods and beverages and, what makes these two so important for older adults, is that they support bone density.
So load up on things like milk, fortified cereal, leafy greens, fruit juice, even certain types of canned fish. All of these foods can provide your body with the support it needs for strong bones. You may also turn to a multivitamin or a supplement that offers these vital nutrients.
Stay Hydrated
Among the most important components for healthy eating habits is to drink plenty of water. Getting the recommended daily allowance of fresh water helps flush out toxins from the system and keeps all of your organs and internal systems operatng at peak performance. When you are thirsty or you want to have a drink with a meal, water is the healthiest of all choices.
Sodas and juices can be high in sugars, salts, and colorings that are not good for you and should be avoided whenever possible. Water is the smarter choice with tea being a good second option.