Aging myths today cause many people to age more than necessary as when we can’t do things like we used to do in our early twenties, we think-Man, I’m Getting Old. did you ever consider that there is a possibility that you are still eating as if you were that age?
Perhaps one of the biggest fallacies of good health is that nutritional needs don’t change with age. Just as children and teens have different dietary requirements than adults, so do the elderly differ in their needs from younger individuals.
Experts are still arguing about what and if diet needs change with age. Because of this it’s estimated that anywhere between 0 and 40 percent of the independent elderly are nutritionally deficient. A number of factors feed into poor dietary intake. Chronic diseases, both physical and mental, can cause nutritional problems. Various medications can impair nutrient availability or discourage eating due to loss of appetite. If you wear ill-fitting dentures, pain can prevent you from eating. Elderly who live alone may feel isolated and uninterested in eating.
But even if you are older and healthy, the very process of Aging alters your metabolism and physiology. Stomach acid declines, thus affecting some nutrient absorption. Many older people feel full quicker because of an increased sensitivity to the satiety peptide, cholecystokinin octapeptide. Aging also dampens the body’s appetite center, and consequently eating. Finally, it’s suspected that an older palate doesn’t detect those tastes that drive us to the dinner table: salt and sweet (14).
Aging is inevitable. Poor health is not. Regular exercise, nutritious eating (appropriate for your age) and a lucky roll of the genetic dice can help you to age with grace and good health.
This is an excerpt from an article that I think we all need to get ideas from as life changes and the need for raw foods is still high, freshly squeezed juices, garden green salads with olive oil and organic apple cider vinegar are still important for all the nutritional needs of our bodies.
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