Foods for Wellness
Learning to eat healthfully as your needs change
Eating healthfully is important at any age, but as you get older, your health and nutrition requirements change. Metabolism slows with age, so you also need fewer calories than you did in your twenties. But finding healthy foods that fit your tastes and lifestyle can be challenging. You may need to consult your healthcare team about what’s right in your case. The National Council on Aging offers tips for older adults to help
you pick the best foods for your body.
1.Know what a healthy plate looks like. Forget the food pyramid. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) now uses a much simpler visual to help people understand the five food groups (and how much you should have of each) that make up the building blocks of a healthy diet. Visit
www.Choosemyplate.gov to see illustrations and detailed information about each food group, including how to divide your plate into quarters for fruits, grains, proteins and vegetables and the best ways to add low-fat or fat-free dairy products to your meals. 2.Look for important nutrients. This task is made easier if you remember that bright, colorful foods typically contain the most nutritional value. A healthy meal includes lean proteins (meat, sea- food, eggs, beans); fruits and vegetables (the brighter in color, the better); whole grains (brown rice and whole-wheat pasta are good staples); and low-fat dairy products. It’s important to look for foods that are high in fiber and low in sodium. Older adults also need a lot of vitamin D to aid calcium absorption, which is important for good bone health. This is especially true for women. Not getting proper nutrition can lead to deficiencies in important vitamins and minerals, such as the B vitamins. B12, B6 and folate (an- other B vitamin) deficiencies are more common in older adults. Taking heartburn medicines or antacids over a long period of time
may cause a B12 deficiency. The fact that you might not notice any symptoms at first doesn’t mean the deficiency isn’t doing you harm. A lack of B12 can cause nerve damage and anemia. The good news is that the lack is easy to treat, with either medication or an injection. B6 deficiency is also common in older adults and, likewise, can affect
the nervous system. People who are malnourished or whose bodies have difficulty absorbing nutrients can become deficient in B6.
mattersofhealth.org | 7
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