Making healthy dietary choices can make a positive impact on your life regardless of your age. However, as you get older, it’s more important than ever that you nourish your body with plenty of healthy meals. For one, your metabolism starts to get more sluggish as you age, and as such, you may hang on to calories more than you did in your younger years.
The foods you eat can also have an enormous impact on your brain health. So, the more you can feed your brain full of plenty of healthful choices, the more your body will thank you for it. Here are some of the best tips for senior citizens when it comes to making healthy food choices.
Plan Ahead
One of the most common reasons for making less than healthy choices in the kitchen is being in a rush. However, if you do just a little bit of planning, and think ahead when it comes to what you’re eating, then you can avoid eating unhealthy choices out of pure convenience. Before you go shopping, try to create a menu. If you have a menu in mind, then you have more foresight and intention with your food choices. If you’re really feeling motivated, you could batch prepare your meals. Many people find great success cooking everything they plan on eating for the week on a Sunday, and either storing it in the fridge or freezer to be consumed later.
Drink Plenty of Water
One of the most practical and straightforward ways to stay healthy is to drink plenty of water. When you drink water, you keep your body hydrated, which is particularly important during the warmer months of the year. Water also helps you to regulate your appetite. In many cases, we’re convinced that we’re hungry, when in fact our bodies are actually telling us we need hydration. Try to keep a glass of water near to you throughout the day, and sip as needed.
Eat a Variety of Vegetables and Meats
While it’s ok to eat some carbohydrates in your diet, the main focus of a healthy diet should be a wide variety of meats and vegetables. Rather than eating one type of vegetable every day, or one type of meat every day, a varied diet is the best way to go.
Go Easy on Salt
Believe it or not, even though you think your food needs to be salted, chances are it doesn’t. As we get older, our sensitivity to salt increases. Unfortunately, at the same time, our ability to taste salt also decreases. The problem with too much salt is that it can increase your blood pressure, which in turn can lead to serious issues like heart disease. Keep your sodium levels down as much as possible, and if you feel like your food lacks flavor, don’t automatically assume that it needs salt. There is a whole world of spices out there that don’t have sodium!
