What Is a Healthy Calorie?
Pure fat is a high-calorie content of around nine calories per gram. Body fat consists of fat cells called adipocytes, and they also contain fluid and protein; these cells have about 4100 calories per pound of pure fat. Calories are energy in food. They are the fuel that an individual requires to do his day-to-day activities. The source of calories is fat, protein, carbs, and even alcohol. A normal body requires around 2000 calories in women and 2500 calories in men. The requirement in elderly women is around 1600 to 2200 calories, and in males, 2000 to 2800 calories. This depends on the individual's activity level.
What Is Nutrition, and Why Is It Essential for Elderly People?
Nutrition is about having a healthy and balanced diet so the body gets nutrients. Nutrients are substances in foods that our bodies can grow and function. They include fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, proteins, and water. A good healthy diet and nutrition are important as we age. This provides energy and can help to control weight and prevent diseases like high blood pressure, osteoporosis, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancer. As individuals age, their lifestyle and body changes, and the requirement to stay healthy increases. Elderly individuals require more nutrients to compensate for their needs with growing age.
What Makes It Harder for an Elderly Individual to Eat Healthily in Old Age?
Changes happen as individuals age, making it harder for an individual to eat. These changes include:
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Sense of smell and taste.
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Home life, having trouble getting around, or living alone.
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Medications can change how food tastes, make the mouth dry, and take away appetite.
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Income, an individual who cannot afford healthy food.
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Problems with swallowing and chewing food at a certain age.
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Overall, health can make it harder to cook and feed oneself.
How to Maintain Healthy Calorie Intake in Elderly Individuals?
As an individual gets older, it is important to eat well. Changes in the body can result in energy requirements. It is essential to reduce portion sizes if the activity is low. An Eatwell guide can help maintain a healthy and balanced diet for elderly people. The guide mainly splits food into five main groups:
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Dairy and alternatives.
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Potatoes, rice, pasta, bread, and other starchy foods.
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Fruit and vegetables.
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Oils and spread.
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Beans, fish, pulses, eggs, and other proteins.
Minerals and vitamins in the right amount are best for having a healthy body. The following minerals and vitamins should be consumed in adequate amounts in the later years of life.
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Iron: Eating iron-rich foods helps in keeping the body healthy. The best sources are red meat, pulses, eggs, bread, green vegetables, and oily fish like sardines.
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Calcium: Elderly people face a major health issue in old age, osteoporosis. This is where bone density reduces and the risk of fracture increases. Good sources of calcium are dairy products like cheese, milk, and yogurt. It is also found in canned fish with bones as sardines. Other calcium products are soybeans, tofu, and green leafy vegetables.
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Vitamin C: Food and drinks rich in vitamin C can help in absorbing iron, and vegetables and fruits, especially citrus fruit, tomatoes, pepper, and potatoes, are good sources of vitamin C.
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Vitamin A: Too much vitamin A might increase the risk of bone fracture. The liver is the primary source of vitamin A, so one should avoid eating liver or liver products and consume it in smaller portions.
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Vitamin D: Vitamin D is an essential vitamin for everyone that helps maintain and develop healthy bones, teeth, and muscles. This vitamin is provided from three main sources, food, sunlight, and vitamin D supplements. In the elderly, vitamin D is added with calcium to protect bone health against osteoporosis.
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Folic Acid: Foods containing folic acid help maintain good health in older individuals. Food, brown rice, green vegetables, and breakfast cereals are good sources.
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Potassium: As an individual ages, the kidneys become less capable of removing potassium from the blood. This should avoid taking potassium supplements unless on medical advice.
How Does Nutrition Need Change Over the Progressing Age?
As an individual ages, the daily nutritional requirements of calories, vitamins, and minerals also change. Individuals often need fewer calories as they get older. Several factors do influence the requirement, like changes in appetite, overall body composition, metabolic changes, and nutritional needs. Most individuals lose muscle weight at the early age of 30s. Individuals with more muscles burn more calories compared to individuals with fewer muscles. As the muscle mass diminishes, the basal metabolic rate also decreases. Ensuring adequate vitamins, hydration, and minerals at the right age is the tool to ensure vitality.
Why Is Maintaining a Healthy Calorie Intake and Weight Important for Elderly People?
Maintaining a healthy weight in the normal range is an important part of aging healthy. This can reduce the risk of developing many other health problems. The increased weight can lead to high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, and stroke. Losing weight can decrease these risks. Being underweight can also increase the chance of developing health issues. A low BMI can make you more likely to develop medical problems like anemia and osteoporosis and makes it harder to recover from infection and illness.
How Are Exercise, Food, and Calories Connected?
Choosing a healthy diet and being active can help maintain and achieve a healthy weight, decrease the chance of having health problems, and feel more energetic. It is essential to choose food rich in nutrients and aim for at least an hour of physical activity per week. Energy for the body is absorbed from the drinks and food consumed. It is important to determine the calories required per day and how active an individual is to maintain a healthy calorie intake and healthy body health.
Conclusion:
Besides healthy food and calorie intake, mindful water intake is also important in elderly people. It is imperative to emphasize to the elderly the importance of drinking liquids, as individuals tend to drink very little for various reasons. Low blood pressure, constipation, and impaired kidney function can be caused by insufficient drinking. Skipping meals has been found to be a risk factor for malnutrition among the elderly. So one should not skip breakfast and consume at least three meals daily.
