Preparing meals is not just to appease hunger, but to serve a nobler purpose. The Food you prepare defines you over the long haul – either glum and sickly or bouncy and healthy.

In meals preparation, always think nourishment, not just to fill an empty stomach. Your health and well-being depend on it.

While this may seem a no-brainer, a lot of seniors fail to clear the bar.

Here’s why…

Old age induces some changes that not only affect your ability to prepare nourishing meals but also your body’s capacity to absorb them.

First, mobility problems and budgetary concerns may hamper you from getting the right foods and ingredients;

Second, because of slower metabolism, the food you eat may not be efficiently absorbed by your body.

For example, old age slows you down a little bit. This change in pace needs adjustment in your daily calorie intake. On top of this, you may also have appetite problems due to oral health issues, or other illnesses that affect your eating habits.

In effect, you may either become undernourished or overnourished.

Either way, a case of malnutrition could set in –   a condition of having a less, excessive or imbalanced intake of energy or nutrients.

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Malnutrition is bad for people of any age. More so for seniors, because it affects the immune system, making them susceptible to the flu or the common colds.

In addition to that, malnutrition also affects:

–   Body organs such as the eyes, liver, kidneys, and the digestive system;
–   Brain functions like memory, cognitive ability;
–   Management of chronic illnesses like hypertension, diabetes, cancer, and dementia;
–   The immune system in promoting proper healing of injuries and illnesses;
–   Bone and muscle health for mobility, strength, posture, and flexibility.

It is a serious concern among government health workers and professionals because it is a huge and chronic problem. Of the millions of American seniors hospitalized each year, about 33% are malnourished.

Those affected may suffer a string of illnesses their entire life. And since it can have lasting physical and mental effects, it is imperative to recognize it early in order to avoid it.

How to avoid malnutrition:
Avoiding malnutrition is not as difficult as it seems. It does not require subscribing to expensive diet plans, either. In fact, you may go on eating the regular foods you have been used to all these years.

It does require recognizing that your stomach could no longer digest nuts and bolts like it used to, and you need to adjust your diet to compensate for this deterioration.

To do that, always have, in your regular meals, protein-rich foods such as lean meat, poultry, fish, eggs, nuts, and beans. Having a serving of low-fat dairy products like milk, yogurt or cheese will be of much help to promote healthy bones.

Don’t forget your vegetables and fruits. These are rich in dietary fibers which help keep cholesterol levels down. Fibers also help in preventing the formation of certain types of cancers like the colorectal, control blood sugar levels and prevent constipation.

Then, reinforce your diet with vitamins and minerals such as Calcium, Potassium, and vitamins D, and B12.

Potassium helps in maintaining blood pressure while Calcium and vitamin D, for bone health. Vitamin B12 helps keep your nerves and blood vessels healthy.

While all these are contained in the foods in your kitchen, in one way or the other, you may take them as food supplements to assure you get the right nutrients on a daily basis.  But take them the supervision of your physician.

The bottom line?

Nobody knows you better than you. You have reached this far and can reach a few more years provided you take care of yourself and be more conscious of the meals you prepare in your kitchen.

Please share so other seniors won’t take the food they eat for granted.

~oOo~

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