Nutrition
Published on 25 July 2024 08:00 AM
One in ten of us aged 65 years+ are currently at risk of malnutrition in the UK*
Author: Mary Merheim, Nutrition Advisor for older people
This statistic is quite shocking, but I don’t mean to scare you. The main problem is that as we age, our digestive system gets less efficient at absorbing the 'good stuff' we eat. At the same time, we often feel less hungry, and sometimes can lose our appetite altogether. Interestingly, our calorie requirements don't reduce as much as you might think. Men still need 2,200 calories on average after 65 years, and women need 1,800 from age 50+.
We also need more protein to help with tissue repair and to maintain muscle mass as these become more fragile and can easily damage. For instance, someone experiencing poor circulation, may also experience a leg ulcer because of a low protein intake.
Let's talk about Vitamin D: When we were young, we got our ‘sunshine’ Vitamin D as we tend to be exposed to more outdoor activities through school, work and our social lives. Whilst we may still undertake similar activities in later life, it is likely to be less often. Whilst the health experts encourage us to take Vitamin D supplements, there is nothing as good as the real thing! Vitamin D helps us to absorb calcium and can also be found in rich foods including oily fish, red meat, milk, eggs and bananas.
Let's talk about vegetables: We know that vegetables play an important role in keep our digestive systems working. However, because we can't store Vitamin C in our bodies, every day we need it to help our immune system fight off infection.
Nutrition Tips: Here are just a few simple tips as to how to improve your nutrition:
1. Go full fat! Full fat milk and yoghurts aren’t full of fat at all. Only rarely do some yoghurts go over 5% fat. If you eat low fat products you are denying yourself all the wonderful fat-soluble nutrients like vitamins A, D and E. Greater increase of full fat dairy produce can lower your risk of diabetes.
2. Eat little and often! Full plates can feel daunting and insurmountable. Smaller meals and snacking are the way to go. Apple slices with cheddar; nuts and dark chocolate; banana on toast…are all good nutrient-rich snacks.
3. Eat eggs! Cheap, easy to cook and available everywhere! Interestingly, there is no current medically-backed restriction on the number of eggs you eat, if you eat a reasonably balanced diet. Eggs are full of protein, vitamins and Omega 3.
4. Dried skimmed milk is great if you are trying to build yourself up. You can make it into a creamy consistency and add to yoghurt, custard, coffee, pasta sauce, cereal…. get creative! It provides protein and lots of healthy calories.
5. Moderation…everything in moderation... and please to be mindful of what you and your loved ones are eating.
Hopefully you will find these tips easy ways to keep yourselves stronger for longer. But here's my last tip: Dark chocolate is packed full of goodness…it’s a good source of fibre, helps lower your blood pressure, improves your cholesterol levels and brain function. Be aware that lower quality chocolate also has a high level of refined sugar and additives.
*according to BAPEN research
Mary Merheim is a Gloucestershire author and Nutrition Advisor to the Elderly. She has recently published a book titled “Navigating Nutrition in Later Life” which is available on Amazon.
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