Growing older is a natural part of life. No one thing in this world can stay the same forever. Change is the only constant. As we go through the changes that come with growing older, we should also look into how the way we take care of ourselves changes over time. The food we eat and our daily physical activities evolve over time. As we grow old and mature, it’s important to remember that we can still make healthier choices and maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Here are some factors that you should be knowledgeable of to have a healthy lifestyle even as you get older:
Slower Metabolism
As we grow older, our metabolism slows down, and this can result in unwanted weight gain. It can be a problem for some as the types of physical activity we can do to manage our weight decreases over time. It’s essential to make sure that we maintain a healthy and balanced diet to manage our weight effectively. We should strive to eat the food groups in correct portions and stay away from food high in fat and sugar.
One of the reasons we may develop unhealthy eating habits as we grow older is that our sense of taste and smell actually deteriorates over time. It can cause us to crave foods that are high in salt and flavor additives. Processed foods that fall under this category can result in undernutrition as well as we age. Staying away from empty calories and sticking to a diet incorporating fiber, vegetables, and healthy fats will help keep us adequately nourished.
Restricted Diets
The composition of a healthy diet changes as we age. Whether this is due to the physical inability to chew due to dental concerns or poor digestion, we must understand what food we should regularly incorporate. Whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and proteins such as lean meat, fish, and poultry are just some examples of what we should be eating as we grow older.
These types of restricted diets are prescribed because of medical factors such as diabetes, high cholesterol, and other health conditions. Due to this, some people may also develop certain vitamin deficiencies caused by their diet or just the natural aging process.
Developing Deficiencies
Developing calcium, fiber, protein, and vitamin deficiencies as we age is perfectly normal. The recommended calcium intake for women above the age of 50 jumps from 1000 to 1200 milligrams. Due to poor digestion, we require a higher intake of fibrous foods to help with our digestion. Protein sources high in fat are no longer optimal; lean meats, fish, and poultry are better options to get our protein needs. Vitamin B12 deficits are common in 20% of older adults due to the body having a more challenging time processing it, leading to weakened nervous system response.
While nutritional deficiencies can definitely be targeted by properly planning your diet around your needs, there are also supplements on the market specifically targeted to aid you in getting the nutrition you need. Protein-rich drinks that can help get you your protein requirements and supplements that cater to your specific deficits will get you one step closer to better health. Like those you can buy from trustworthy online such as RizeUp Nutrition, multivitamins taken regularly also help the body get proper nutrients when dietary changes are hard to accomplish.
Psychological Factors
Our health isn’t just limited to our physical health. It also means taking care of our mental health. As we grow older, we may find it harder to make time for what we love doing. Retirement and so much free time on our hands can cause heightened anxiety. Our mobility may also be limited. Seeing family and friends may not be as easy as before, or we may even be going through periods of grief. Keeping a good mindset and finding new hobbies that we can engage in will help put us in a better mindset as we age.
Our mental health is also incredibly intertwined with our physical health. Making mealtimes a social activity and ensuring proper emotional support can help ward off signs of depression and malnutrition when we’re older.
We want to be able to enjoy the later stages of our life. We want to look back at our milestones and happy memories with pride. Although staying healthy gets a little more difficult as we age, it’s by no means impossible. With the proper guidance and diligence, we can maintain a healthy lifestyle well into our 80s. The factors we’ve mentioned above are just some of the most common ones we should consider. Everybody experiences aging differently, but we can all strive to prioritize our health better.
