
Nutrition For The Elderly
Healthy eating and nutrition for the elderly is greatly impacted by several factors, one of them being a change in body composition. During the later years in life, the body will lose bone and muscle and gain fat because the hormones aren’t very active anymore.
There are many factors which hinder an elderly person’s health. The information below will help you to lead a healthy life – no matter how old you may be.
Water
Water in the body decreases with age, so many older folks will become dehydrated very easily. Sometimes they won’t feel thirsty, while other times it’s too much work to pour a glass a water. With this in mind, it’s recommended that they drink at least 1 ounce of water for every 2.2 pounds of weight.
Protein
At this stage in life, protein is very important. Protein is needed to support a healthy immune system and prevent the wasting of muscle. Since energy needs are less, older folks should eat high quality protein such as eggs, lean meats, poulty, and fish.
Carbs and fiber
Carbohydrates are the main source of energy for the entire body. You can find carbs in bread, cereals, pasta, and other grain products. A diet that’s high in fiber and water will help to prevent constipation as well.
Fat
Fat intake for the elderly should be limited, not eliminated. You can limit fat by choosing lean meats, low fat dairy products, and food preperation methods that don’t include frying.
Iron
For the elderly, iron deficiency can be seen with those who aren’t eating much. Good sources for iron include lean red meats or breakfast cereals.
Zinc
Zinc intake is normally with the elderly, and to make matters worse, it’s not absorbed very well either. Meat, poultry, and fish should be a part of your diet to help you meet the requirements for zinc.
Calcium
Calcium is one ingredient that most elderly folks simply aren’t getting enough of. Most believe that milk upsets their stomach, and therefore they will avoid it. They should be getting around 1,500 mg of calcium a day, and nonfat powdered milk can be used in recipes as a substitute for milk. Other foods such as yogurt, low fat cheese, and broccoli can also help you meet the requirements for calcium.
Vitamin B12
In order to absorb the benefits of B12, the intrinsic facotr must be produced by the stomach. Most elderly people suffer from a deficiency in B12 because they have a condition known as atrophic gastritis. This condition causes inflammation of the stomach, bacterial overgrowth, and the intrinsic factor. Without the intrinsic factor, this vitamin can be absorbed.
Each one of the above nutrients are needed to keep an aged body in good health. Elderly individuals should try to stay active and strive for a well balanced diet. Even though the aged body isn’t the same as it used to be, proper care and the right nutrients can help the elderly enjoy a healthy and long life.
Tags: Atkins, Body Composition, Breakfast Cereals, Carbs, dairy products;, Eating Habits, Elderly Folks, Elderly Person, Food Preperation, grain products;, Healthy Diet, Healthy Eating, Healthy Immune System, Iron Deficiency, Lean Meats, Losing Weight, Main Source, Meat Poultry, Poulty, Quality Protein, Several Factors, Source Of Energy, Stage In Life, Water Water —

Eating Healthy For Vegetarians
The vegetarian way of eating can be a very healthy style of eating. The rules still apply with healthy eating, although you should add variety, balance, and moderation.
A vegetarian is someone who avoids all types of meat, whether it be hamburgers, hotdogs, chicken, or even fish. Vegetarians are also sometimes classified by the type of food they are or aren’t willing to eat. For example, Lacto-ovo vegetarians will avoid animal flesh yet they will eat eggs and most dairy products. A Vegan on the
other hand, will avoid all food that has any trace of animal origin.
Because they don’t eat meet, vegetarians will often wonder how they’ll get enough protein. Although you may not realize it, the average American actually consumes more protein than he actually needs. For the lacto-ovo vegetarian, dairy products are an excellent source of protein. Vegans on the other hand, get their protein from nuts, seeds, and soy products.
Along the lines of beans, there are several to choose from, including green or red lentils, peanuts, split peas, pinto, soy, kidney, and many more. Some of them you are already familiar, such as kidney beans in chili, refried beans in Mexican dishes, red beans and rice, and pinto beans. Although some beans taste good as they are, others are available with different flavors to help enhance their taste. Nuts are hihg in protein, although they deliver a lot more fat than beans, which means you should enjoy them in moderation. By having one cup of cooked beans, you’ll get the same amount of
protein as eating two ounces of meat!
The nutrients of concern for vegans, who avoid all types of animal food, are vitamin B12, calcium, and vitamin D. In the average North American diet, the primary source for B12 is animals. To have an adequate intake of B12, vegans should reguarly consume vitamin B12 supplements or foods, which contain vitamin B12, such as soy products or milk.
For calcium, vegans can rely on orange juice or soy milk, as they are fortified with calcium. Beans and leafy green vegetables will also contain some calcium as well.
Although all types of vegetarians rely on simple food groups, controlling your vitamins and calcium intake is something you should always do. This is very important for eating healthy, as well as staying healthy. If you control what you eat, you’ll have many years of healthy eating ahead of you.
Tags: Adequate Intake, American Diet, Animal Flesh, Animal Food, Animal Origin, Atkins, Beans And Rice, dairy products;, Eating Habits, Flavors, Fruits And Vegetables, Healthy Diet, Hotdogs, Kidney Beans, Mexican Dishes, Ovo Vegetarians, Pinto Beans, Red Beans And Rice, Red Lentils, Split Peas, Type Of Food, Variety Balance And Moderation, Vegans, Vitamin B12, Vitamins And Minerals —

The Wonder Of Diet In Lowering Cholesterol
Today, more and more people suffer from high cholesterol and obesity due to improper food intake, unbalanced diet, and unhealthy lifestyle. Whatever the reasons behind the certain condition such as having high blood cholesterol level, the first treatment any physician will recommend is a low cholesterol diet.
A Guide to Low Cholesterol and Cholesterol Diets
As defined, cholesterol is a complex alcohol constituent of all animals fats and oils. It is a sterol that is related to other sterols and is contained in many foods such as dairy products and meat fats. Other sources of cholesterol include eggs, poultry, fish, and shellfish.
Studies show that that people with high levels of cholesterol are more likely to develop heart attacks more specifically, atherosclerosis which is a disease involving blockage of certain arteries compared to those with lower levels.
Diet is indeed very significant in treating high blood cholesterol level. If you would want to lower your cholesterol levels, try eating foods that are less high-fat foodespecially those high in saturated fat while replacing part of the saturated fat in your diet with unsaturated fat. You should also eat less high-cholesterol foods.
Aside from veering away in eating high-fat foods, you should also learn how to choose foods that are high in complex carbohydrates like starches and fibers. By lowering your carbohydrate intake, you can also reduce your weight especially if you are overweight.
Although the basics of low cholesterol diet may seem easy to follow, more people who have high cholesterol are having a hard time sticking to a specific low cholesterol diet.
But, if the person is really determined to lower his/her cholesterol levels, a low cholesterol diet can be easy to follow given the wide variety of foods available. In fact, more and more food manufacturers come up with foods that have low cholesterol content so if you are out shopping grocery items, take the time off to look at the labels. Here are additional tips to make a low cholesterol diet successful:
1. Load on lots of fruits and vegetables because these are low in calories, cholesterol, and fat.
2. Lower your intake of saturated fatsor the foods that contain theseto lower the possibility of developing heart diseases.
3. Take note of trans-fatty elements that are usually found in partially hydrogenated vegetable oils like margarines and shortenings because they increases blood cholesterol levels the way saturated fat does.
4. Consume foods that use whole grain foods instead of those that contain white flour.
5. Compared regular, full-fat dairy products, opt for low fat or skimmed ones. These are not only good for your cholesterol level but also for your weight as well.
6. Choose lean meats like turkey and chicken meats instead of red meat because it is closely-associated with decreasing cholesterol levels.
7. Use olive and canola oils when cooking instead of using cooking oils because these are lower in monounsaturated fats that help lower cholesterol levels.
Tags: atherosclerosis, Blood Cholesterol Level, Carbohydrate Intake, Cholesterol Content, Cholesterol Diets, Cholesterol Levels, Complex Carbohydrates, dairy products;, disease, Fats And Oils, Fish And Shellfish, food intake;, Food Manufacturers, Heart Attacks, Heart Diseases, High Blood Cholesterol, High Cholesterol, High Cholesterol Foods, Improper Food, improper food intake, Low Cholesterol Diet, Lowering Cholesterol, obesity;, physician, Sterol, Sterols, Unbalanced Diet, Unhealthy Lifestyle —

The Cholesterol Diet
The body needs cholesterol in order to build cell walls, digest dietary fats, produce hormones, and other important processes. Unfortunately, too much can give anyone high blood pressure and heart disease.
This means the individual has to be careful about the kind of food being taken in that has this chemical. One way will be to reduce eating items that are high in saturated fat such as those found in dairy products, poultry, egg yolks and red meat.
Another will be avoiding the kind of food being offered in fast food joints. The ingredients and oil used in the cooking have also been known to contain high levels of cholesterol that are not safe for the body.
The ideal way to maintain a low cholesterol diet is to eat products that are fat free like those made in dairy products. The person should also consume lean meat, fish, skinless poultry and whole grain foods.
The individual should also not forget to get some vitamins and nutrients from fresh fruits and green vegetables. These are better when combined with large quantities of monostaturates and olive oil.
The way to cook these products is also important. Instead of frying, the best way to reduce the cholesterol is to grill or roast the meat, boil or steam those vegetables or fish. The cooking time will surely be much slower than before so another way will be to use the microwave.
If ever the person needs to use cooking oil, it is best to use low fat oils that are available at the supermarket.
Another thing the individual should avoid is consuming products such as beer, wine and soda. It is okay to have a drink on occasion but living a healthier lifestyle will be achieved by only taking water and fresh juice from fruits.
A low cholesterol diet should also be combined with some form of exercise. This can be as simple as going for a morning stroll, jogging or running. The person can also hit the water if there is a pool nearby but if not, there is surely a gym so one can sweat it out.
The one in control of the persons well being is no other than that individual. This means it is matter of choice what food or drinks to buy in the grocery which is also the same when ordering a meal in the restaurant.
Tags: Beer Wine, Cell Walls, chemical;, Cooking Oil, dairy products;, Dietary Fats, Egg Yolks, Food Joints, food;, Fresh Fruits, Fresh Juice, Green Vegetables, Healthy Diet, heart disease;, high blood pressure;, High Cholesterol, Lean Meat, Low Cholesterol Diet, microwave;, Morning Stroll, oil;, olive oil;, Red Meat, Reduce Cholesterol, Whole Grain Foods —