Healthy eating is one of the most vital components to healthy aging. It is important to develop healthy eating habits early in life that you can carry with you throughout the years, a balanced diet along with exercise is proven to prolong your life and vastly improve your quality of life.
Following a strict diet and trying to monitor everything that you put in your body can be overwhelming and virtually impossible. It is best to start small, try focusing on a few key vitamins and nutrients. The following are some important nutrients that may be in short supply, especially as you get older.
Vitamin B12
B12 is important for creating red blood cells and DNA, and for maintaining healthy nerve function. Getting adequate B12 is especially challenging for older people as they can’t absorb it from foods as well as younger people. Maximize your B12 intake by eating foods that contain high quantities, such as fish, meat, poultry and eggs.
Homestyle Direct meal suggestion: Turkey Breast Dinner (not only is turkey a great source of B12, but the vegetables are an added benefit containing folate and fiber!)
Folic Acid
Too little of this essential B vitamin is known for contributing to anemia. Older people whose diets don’t include a lot of fruits and vegetables or fortified breakfast cereals may be falling short.
Homestyle Direct meal suggestion: The majority of our dinner entrée’s contain a healthy portion of colorful vegetables that add folate to your diet, but if you are looking for something other than dinner then try our Strawberry and Mango Yogurt Parfait! Not only are tropical fruits a great source of folate but the almonds are a bonus by being rich in vitamins, minerals, protein, healthy fats and antioxidants.
Calcium
Calcium plays many roles in the body, but it is most important for building and maintaining strong bones, coming up short on calcium has been shown to increase the risk of brittle bones and fractures. Help yourself to three servings a day of low-fat milk and other dairy products. Other good dietary sources of calcium include kale and broccoli, as well as juices fortified with calcium.
Homestyle Direct meal suggestion: Cheese Enchiladas – not only are the cheese enchiladas the most calcium dense item on our menu, but they are absolutely delicious! The beans in the entrée give an extra boost of folate, which as we saw earlier can be hard to come by!
Sources
http://www.webmd.com/healthy-aging/nutrition-world-2/missing-nutrients
http://www.livestrong.com/
http://www.dietandfitnesstoday.com/
Libby Griffith
libby@homestyledirect.com
1(866) 735-0921 Ext 108