NUTRITION AND health are closely linked at all stages of life. Nutrition contributes to our mental and physical growth, our immune response and our risk of chronic disease development. Society places great emphasis on the nutritional health of infants, children and adolescents and adults, but how much attention do we give to nutrition in later life?
Weight control becomes more difficult as we age. To maintain a desirable body weight certain general dietary changes should be made. For example, instead of large meals, it is healthier to eat small portions regularly. Skipping meals can result in snacking which often results in overeating. Choose low-fat milk, lean cuts of beef, pork and other meats; remove the skin from the chicken; bake rather than fry foods and use as little butter, margarine and oil as possible.
As we age our bones lose minerals and puts us at risk for osteoporosis; calcium and vitamin D are therefore necessary to strengthen the bone. Good sources of calcium are dairy products, tinned fish such as sardines, dark green leafy vegetables (callaloo, pakchoi and spinach) and calcium-fortified foods.
Older people should also drink at least eight glasses of fluid every day (unless their doctors have place them on restricted fluid intake diet). The fluid may be pure, undiluted water or it may take the form of alternatives such as juice, soup, milk or decaffeinated tea or coffee. Coffee, black tea and soft drinks are not good alternatives to water because caffeine actually causes dehydration through frequent urination.
As we grow older, our taste buds become less sensitive and the tendency is to add more salt. High salt intake can lead to high blood pressure and then to heart disease and stroke. It is better to use other herbs and spices such as lemon grass (fever grass), ginger, mint, onion, garlic and escallion.
Constipation is common among older people. Eating lots of fibre (found in whole grain breads and cereals, peas and beans, ground provisions, leafy vegetables, fruits and nuts), drinking lots of fluids and exercising regularly are excellent ways to remain regular and avoid constipation.
Source: Nyam News, Caribbean Food and Nutrition Institute.
