Why Is Nutrition Important?

By Juliette Crane


As your body ages, it undergoes a number of changes such as slowed metabolism and a greater tendency to gain weight. Your taste and smell deteriorate slightly, making it easier to eat foods you may once have disliked. Your ability to digest food is also affected because less stomach acid and saliva is produced as we age. This can affect your body's ability to absorb nutrients and vitamin and mineral deficiency can result. The body's ability to produce enzymes and coenzymes also declines as we age. Fortunately, there are some simple things you can do to improve or maintain your good health.

Firstly, if you want the stamina to live well, it is important to eat a good breakfast. Many people are fully aware of the importance of breakfast and have in the past made sure their families ate properly before they started their day. You may not do the same thing for yourself once the children have grown up and left home. Breakfast can be easy and healthy. The combination of fruit, oatmeal, toast and juice or a hot drink, can provide an excellent and balanced start to the day.

For a mid-morning snack, enjoy more fruit perhaps alongside some cheese. If you want to get creative you can create a kebab made of strawberries, cheese and grapes. As you get older, your digestion will thank you if you eat smaller meals more frequently. This not only increases metabolism and helps the absorption of nutrition, it also evens out blood sugar and stops you from getting hungry.

A good, healthy lunch can include salads, healthy wraps, or soups. However, it might be a good idea to avoid creamy soups since milk products can cause flatulence as we age. The reason for this is likely to be because of a reduction in the production of lactase as we age so we are less able to digest milk sugar. Undigested lactose can cause diarrhea as well as flatulence. When cheese is aged more than sixty days, it contains very little lactose, so you may be able to tolerate it and obtain needed calcium if you otherwise cannot consume dairy products.

Our ability to process different foods in general can change over time. If you begin to experience symptoms which you interpret as a food allergy, you may be experiencing a digestive problem. For example, many people become gluten intolerant as they age. Gluten is found in many grains including wheat. If you bloat or have stomach cramps or nausea after eating anything containing grains, it would be helpful to get tested for gluten intolerance.

Supplement your diet with additional vitamins and minerals. Several companies produce vitamins created specifically for seniors. Try capsule forms for easier absorption. There are abundant amounts of coenzymes and enzymes that are available for purchase. One particularly interesting coenzyme is CoQ10. The Co stands for coenzyme. This is normally produced by the body but the production diminishes as you age. Many studies found this beneficial to those on cholesterol lowering drugs and people with beginning Alzheimer's or heart damage. Even though there has been no harmful side effects reported, it is always best to consult your doctor, particularly if taking other medications.

Youth can often provide a grace period during which we don't suffer the full consequences of bad eating. However, as we age, our bodies can seem to turn on us and we don't get away with nearly as much. Processed sugar is a serious health hazard which you need to minimize increasingly as you age. Sugar should only be eaten in the form of fruit. Along with some daily exercise, a healthy diet will leave you feeling healthier and more energetic.

Finally, enjoy your life, be positive and stay active. If you feel you are in a rut, be willing to make a change, even if it is only a small one. Make healthy eating interesting and exciting. Learn to cook new meals and develop healthy yet tasty menus. The baby boomers changed the world, isn't it time to change the way we age?




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