Nutritional habits are essential at every stage of life, from childhood to our retirement years. As our body changes and evolves, it’s important to ensure you’re providing it with the nutrients it needs to live the most active life possible.
When life becomes too busy, it’s easy to forgo healthy eating, but that doesn’t mean it’s too late. In fact, there’s never a wrong time to change the way we fuel our bodies. For today’s older adults, it’s a key step to helping our bodies and minds operate at their highest levels so that we can enjoy every moment with our loved ones and in our communities.
Tailor Your Meals to Your Appetite
As we age, it’s common for our tastes and our appetites to change. We may not be able to eat the same amount of food that we used to, which is why ensuring your meals are packed efficiently with nutrients is crucial.
Including more nutrient-dense foods into your meals is a sustainable step forward. Incorporating whole grains, Omega-3-rich foods like fish and eggs, and dark green vegetables are easy ways to keep your body energized even if you’re eating less than you used to.
If you’re enjoying living in one of the independent and assisted senior living homes in Ottawa, reach out to your community leaders and let them help you find better ways to fuel your body and your mind.
Stay Hydrated
We don’t always think of it this way, but water is just as important of a nutrient as the foods we consume. Drinking water regularly helps regulate blood pressure, protects your joints, aids in digestion, and helps carry nutrients and oxygen to your cells.
If you’re prone to forgetting to refill your glass of water throughout the day, consider keeping a reusable water bottle with you, whether you’re at home or enjoying your retirement community.
When we put in the time and effort to keep our bodies healthy, we’re often rewarded with more time to enjoy doing the things we love.
Supplement with Vitamins
While it’s always best to consume vitamins and minerals through food whenever possible, sometimes our appetites change as we age. If that’s the case, incorporating supplements into your dietary needs can be a helpful solution. Vitamins and minerals can easily be taken throughout the day, depending on the particular supplement and offer older adults in Canada the opportunity to fuel their body with whatever they are not able to consume through their daily meals.
Practice Moderation
When it comes to the foods we consume, we always want to be sure we’re enjoying our meals and our post-meal treats. What’s important to keep in mind is how moderation affects our dietary needs. There’s nothing wrong with enjoying your favourite chocolate if you’re able, but having it every day is not ideal. Be sure to make moderation a key part of your daily food habits so that you can continue to build healthy relationships with food.