Page 34 - Seniors Today -Volume no1
P. 34
Diet for Seniors
What should be on our
plates when we are 60?
The right dietary choices can pep up a senior’s
health and prevent a host of serious conditions,
writes Aafiya Khot
While we could happily indulge in pizzas, Here are 10 super glorious food items that you
pastas and parathas as an adolescent, what we need to stock up at home all the time for a fitter
eat needs to change considerably with advanc- you.
ing age. The food that we bring to the table has 1.Green leafy vegetables - Eat more dark green
to be more age-appropriate. vegetables, such as broccoli, spinach, kale,
As we enter our sixties and seventies, a slow- microgreens, methi. A study recently published
er, more relaxed rhythm sets in. The energy finds that seniors who had daily helpings of
that helped us bound around as a teenager leafy green vegetables had a slower rate of cogni-
and chomp the pizza in seconds reduces sig- tive decline. Also helps in avoiding constipation.
nificantly. Our physical activity, levels of most 2.Fruits - Fruits are always fruitful. Love it or
hormones, haemoglobin decrease gradually hate it. It boosts your energy and improves your
with age resulting in a host of changes in our stamina. Bananas, mangoes, custard apple, chi-
digestive system, rate of metabolism, enzyme koos, grapes are high calorie-dense fruits so can
production and chewing and swallowing. Our be taken in moderation whereas papaya, orang-
overall body muscles become weaker, less es, kiwi, lychees and plums, pomegranate are
elastic and efficient, impacting every sphere of available in monsoons. Most of these are easily
our functioning. Our metabolism or BMR (basal chewable and are counted among some of the
metabolic rate) becomes sluggish. People have anti-ageing fruits.
insomnia which also affects the appetite. The 3.Cereals - Cereals such as oats, jowar, ragi,
side effects of medicines can be severe for some. lapsee can be consumed in the form of porridge,
But there is lots that can be done to be healthy uttapam, pancakes, upma filled with mixed
and happy, maintain an active and independent vegetables. These can be a great breakfast choic-
life, accomplish our dreams, and keep visits to es and easy to cook. They are filling and a super
the doctor at the minimum. Pack in the required healthy option when it comes to breakfast. They
nutrients like proteins, vitamins, carbohydrates, are rich in iron, protein and a great source of
fibre and fluids judiciously in your diet to keep fibre.
degenerative forces and diseases at bay. 4.Eggs - Eggs contain 13 essential vitamins and
minerals, including Vitamin D, which is import-
SENIORS TODAY | Volume 1 | Issue 1
