Suzy Eats

As we age, do we need to change what we eat? YES!!! There are a few rules that are important to follow in order to age gracefully. Many people think that “older people” are stuck in there ways, but that is far from true. With the right education, most take pride in improving their health.

1. Eat less as you get older.  Energy requirements decrease with each decade; therefore, what you needed at 20 is going to be different than at 40 or 50 years old. As we age, we move around less, have less muscle, and our metabolic rates decrease. The key though is that although we eat less, we must still eat more nutrient rich foods (no more whole milk, try low-fat which calorie for calorie will give more nutritional value).

2. You still need the same amound of nutrients. People think that since we need less calories as we age that we will need less nutrients. This is not true. Our bodies still require the same amount of protein, vitamins and minerals. Sometimes we may even need more nutrients as we age. For example, after the age of 50 our body has difficulty absorbing certain B vitamins and vitamin D. That’s why vitamins are sometimes a great idea!!

3. You need to drink the same amount of fluid. As we age our bodies are not as thirsty, but it does not mean that we should not be drinking. Since our regulatory processes are not as sharp, we may not respond to dehydration the same way we did in our younger years. So even if you are not thirsty water is still important.

Have you done anything different in terms of eating as you age???