Senior women- should you change your diet?

Senior women – should you change your diet?

Aging is visible through hair, skin teeth, eyes, etc. We should not forget that as our age progresses, apart from what we see outwardly on our body, the inside of our body is also aging. There are changes in the body from the inside of senior women. Organs work and behave differently. Vital systems become sluggish. Arteries are hardened. Hearing is impacted. Immunity is weekend, Muscle loss is taking place, joints and bones have changes in them; kidneys and lungs have reduced working, and the nervous system is working in an altered way. There are changes at the cellular and tissue levels.

Thus there are many changes throughout the body. We have to have dietary changes as well to keep pace with the changes in our bodies. Especially the women over 50 have certain special requirements in view of their body’s composition.

They have to take special care of certain nutrients and lifestyles:

1. Take enough calcium As you age (women over 50) you have a higher risk of osteoporosis. Bones become fragile due to a lack of minerals. Bone health is of utmost importance during this phase of life. You see it is not only the bones that require calcium; our blood cells nerves, muscles, and other organs of the body also need calcium for their proper functioning.

Therefore, calcium and vitamin D shall be included in the diet to prevent osteoporosis and for other functions of the body. Though calcium is essential for people of all ages when we are particularly discussing its role in respect of senior women we have to understand that menopause lowers estrogen in the body, which can cause rapid bone loss. With the onset of menopause and lowering of estrogen absorption of calcium is hindered. Sometime your doctor will advise estrogen replacement. This avoids complications related to the loss of calcium as the body absorbs calcium effectively in the presence of estrogen. A bone density scan can be helpful in ascertaining the extent of calcium needed to be supplemented. It has to be noted that stomach acid is also responsible for the proper absorption of calcium. We produce less stomach acid with growing age.

Generally, women over 50 should have 1000 to 1200 milligrams of calcium along with 1000IU of vitamin D3.

2. Have optimum fiber. You should eat more of such foods which are high in fiber. The importance of fiber in food is well known and lack of fiber is linked to several conditions which are preventable with taking it in the right amount. It helps lower cholesterol, regulates bowel movement, prevents constipation, keeps the gut healthy, is helpful with diabetes, is looked upon as a means to prevent colorectal cancers, and helps in managing weight. You can find a good amount of fiber in fruits and vegetables, legumes, pulses nuts, seeds, whole grain food products, etc.

3. Protein Loss of muscles is also a threat for women over 50 or older women in general. Muscle wasting shall be controlled and managed. As you grow old you lose skeletal muscles Therefore, eating sufficient protein is essential to address such problems which arise due to inadequacy of proteins. The requirement of protein is computed on the basis of your weight. It is recommended to have the appropriate amount of protein which is around 1 to 1.5 grams for each kilogram of body weight. Of course, medical advice in this regard is also absolutely important. Careful selection of the source of protein is equally important. Healthy protein shall be regularly taken as the body cannot store protein. Healthy protein is available through plant sources. Foods such as Nuts and seeds, beans, soy lentils, etc contain a good amount of protein. Those who want to take non-vegetarian foods, they shall prefer lean meats, different types of fish, eggs without the yellow portion, and dairy products having low fats.

There are other dietary and lifestyle changes which all, particularly the women over 50 shall try to incorporate into their daily life such as