As people age, their diets may need to change, especially if their diets are not well-balanced. Generally, doctors will recommend a well-balanced diet for elders, meaning that they should eat a variety of fruits, vegetables, protein and whole grains to maintain and improve overall health. According to Ruth Frechman, registered dietitian and spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association, in addition to eating a healthful variety of foods, there are specific things a caregiver can incorporate into their parent's diet to boost his or her health.
Prepare meals rich in these nutrients
•Omega 3 fatty acids
The acids have been proven to reduce inflammation, which can cause heart disease, cancer and arthritis. They can be found in many different types of fish and in flaxseed oil. Your parent should have foods rich in this nutrient twice per week. If this is impossible, check with their doctor to see if an Omega 3 supplement would be beneficial.
•Calcium and Vitamin D
The need for calcium and vitamin D increases as people age. This is primarily to preserve bone health. One added benefit of calcium is that it helps to lower blood pressure. Adults over the age of 50 need at least 1200 milligrams per day of the nutrient – equal to about four cups of milk per day. Many people find it challenging to consume this much calcium per day by eating and drinking, so check with your parent's doctor to see if he or she should take a calcium supplement.
MEAT - elders need meat and it's protein. We as a "modern" society are recommending to them a diet for a healthy 30 y.o. As the body ages elders eat less, process protein less well and lose muscle. This needs to be compensated with more meat in the diet. This includes meat soup stock, meatballs, chicken, pork, beef.
The trend of getting elders to cut out fat, cut out chickenskin, eat only lean meats, reduce the amount of meat, lower salt, reduce oils, take supplements, drink smoothies -- is a prescription for a road to mal-nutrition in the elderly. They land up eating nothing of substance.
I challenge any "advisor" out there to show me any studies, that for an otherwise healthy elder, that meat and in ample qualities has any negative effects.
Our teeth are flat, made for grinding. Not ripping and tearing. And to be "accurate" The top of the food chain "Meat Eaters" first devour every drop of blood in the prey. That is what keeps them alive, not the actual "Meat".
Before you "challenge" anyone- I suggest you not only read the back of the book- but the entire book. You might be surprised what you could learn.
PROTEIN - Hi Nutritionist. Can we first agree that elderly people need protein? If we can agree to this, then the next issue to address is sarcopenia (malnutrition in the elderly). In the elderly, the body changes and its ability to process protein reduces, creating a tendency toward frailty. Therefore, adequate protein intake and reduced ability to process protein requires an INCREASE in protein intake to maintain what the body needs. There are several clinical studies on this on the internet. Please familiarize yourself with the elderly, then I'd be happy to discuss further.
TEETH - regarding your flat teeth theory, please explain to me our 8 incisors? Your argument is that they are there to rip into leaves? Meatloaf is highly processable by the elderly and my dad loved it. NO reason to eliminate that from his diet. He loved chicken, NO reason to eliminate it.
The elderly DO NOT need to go on a vegan/vegetarian/weightloss/slim figure/media-hyped/low-calorie/flavorless diet. Unless they are obese.
You are confusing "Protein" with any type of "Meat" a cup of legumes has the same amount of Protein as 3 steaks. As with anyone "Aging" The body year after year has a harder time breaking down certain foods. Our "Incisors" are just what they are, for chewing and mulching- If we tried to take a bite into a live cat or dog they would not break skin- unlike the teeth of a kitten that could easily bite through your finger. I am not saying anyone from 2-200 needs "Protein" and if the only way you think you can have a solid meal that has flavor is with "Meat" of some kind- I wonder what part of the world you live? 98% of the "Meat" anyone in America eats today has been "Modified" it is not "pure" How do you think it can stay on a supermarket shelf for more then 24 hours(the time it would take fresh meat to spoil and turn rotten is actually 8 hours) hence why only a carrion feeder will eat anything left in the wild for more then the above time, and other animals even if starving will not feed off it.
If you raised your own cow, pig, or chicken, and made sure the soil was pure and the feed was grown yourself- and they were fed and taken care of - then fine- But anything beside that is sadly "altered" The average age of Menstration has gone down from the age of 16 to 8 in "Meat" eating countries. In the past 70 years. That is not natural. I'm sure your father can eat meat for the rest of his day's and hopefully it is well into his late 90's to 100+ But Meatloaf is not highly processable- no meat is- the purest form of Protein that is highly processable is an egg-white. And 3 Egg white's a day- is triple the protein eating "Meat" 7 nights a week. Now Fish- Or seafood- That is a efficient form of protein, that the body can actually use and need's (Vit D - Omega 3 acids) something no "Meat" has.
PROTEIN - Okay, as my own teeth are pretty functional when eating a T-bone, I won't argue with you on the evolutionary possibilities.
Since you seem open to my father continuing to eat his meat, then I think we're much in agreement. He also loves his eggs, be they scrambled, sunny side up, or in soup. He does not like vegetables or beans. Nuts he loves.
The remaining argument I have is that there is no need to "alter" an elderly person's diet in this way when they are old! My father, if a plate of "legumes" was placed in front of him, would - in his old fashioned way - politely decline to eat it, while saying they "taste great." In this way, if only presented with these sorts of options, he would slowly starve himself to death, or seek out candy and nuts.
Why do I assert this? Because it is exactly what happened to my father. He lost over 20 pounds when his wife took away the milk, skin of chicken, eggs, meat, butter, etc., from their diet in an attempt to "eat healthy" and because of her fear of diabetes. When they went to Souplantation, my father had nothing to eat and would woof down bowls of clam chowder, rather than the big plate of greenery. He was literally being starved to death.
When I saw this happening, I "forced" him to return to his old diet, and he was scarfing down steaks, beef bowls, buttered toast!, scrambled eggs. He put back on the weight, to a healthy level (not anywhere near obese) and much of his strength, vitality and yes, cognitive function. It was no easy struggle to counter the wife's "good" intentions as she had a mountain of newletters, recommendations, etc., though mostly geared toward middle-aged obese persons: which my father was not.
In my original comment, I was not so much against the "healthy" recommendations you suggested, it's great for me (middle-aged) to consider and likely adjustments and such are a beneifit.
But for an elderly person, and the super-elderly (80+) it can be a prescription for rapid decline and sarcopenia. Do you have some agreement with me on this aspect?
Fascinating dialogue. Keep it coming. I do nutrition coaching, with training from a 27-year cancer survivor. While we encourage large amounts of vegetable protein (I love to use mung beans, anasazi beans, garbanzos, etc) we also include fish and chicken. The one missing link here, IMHO, is digestive enzymes. Vegetable proteins may have enough on their own, while animal proteins require additional digestive enzymes to be consumed. I'm bringing a bottle to a client today, as a matter of fact. And the one source of bioavailable protein most readily received and utilized by the most elderly or frail of those with whom I work is undenatured whey protein with digestive enzymes in it. We utilize what I've come to view as one of the best available; able to be consumed in place of a meal if weight IS an issue, or appetite is low. As a drink accompanying a meal, or on its own, hands down the ONLY protein source that has provided noticable improvement in the strength and mood of these precious people. As it is a fact I have observed, it's offered only by way of a story, not "proof" of anything. When you get a 90 year old to happily show you how she is now able to stand up from bed on her own, and she hasn't done that for MONTHS, you know something is good. Then she cheerfully says "Honey, will you make me a shake?" Rewarding. Yep.
Limit sodium content
Most elders have hypertension – high blood pressure. One of the most important things caregivers can do to help reduce a parent's hypertension is to prepare foods with low sodium. Most people are surprised to know that table salt accounts for only a small percent of sodium content in food. Avoid giving your parent frozen, processed or restaurant food, as these are extremely high in sodium. The foods with the lowest sodium content are fruits and vegetables, so try and incorporate them as much as possible in their diet.
Hydrate
As people age, they do not get thirsty very often, even though their bodies still need the same amount of liquids. If you notice that your parent is not drinking liquids very often, make sure that you provide them with it. If they do not feel thirsty, chances are they may not think about drinking a glass of water.
If you are concerned that your parent may not be properly hydrated, check his or her urine. Urine is the surest sign of hydration or lack of it. If the urine is clear and light, then your parent is most likely properly hydrated. If, however, urine is dark and/or cloudy, your parent will need to start drinking more liquids.
MEAT - elders need meat and it's protein. We as a "modern" society are recommending to them a diet for a healthy 30 y.o. As the body ages elders eat less, process protein less well and lose muscle. This needs to be compensated with more meat in the diet. This includes meat soup stock, meatballs, chicken, pork, beef.
The trend of getting elders to cut out fat, cut out chickenskin, eat only lean meats, reduce the amount of meat, lower salt, reduce oils, take supplements, drink smoothies -- is a prescription for a road to mal-nutrition in the elderly. They land up eating nothing of substance.
I challenge any "advisor" out there to show me any studies, that for an otherwise healthy elder, that meat and in ample qualities has any negative effects.
PROTEIN - Hi Nutritionist. Can we first agree that elderly people need protein? If we can agree to this, then the next issue to address is sarcopenia (malnutrition in the elderly). In the elderly, the body changes and its ability to process protein reduces, creating a tendency toward frailty. Therefore, adequate protein intake and reduced ability to process protein requires an INCREASE in protein intake to maintain what the body needs. There are several clinical studies on this on the internet. Please familiarize yourself with the elderly, then I'd be happy to discuss further.
TEETH - regarding your flat teeth theory, please explain to me our 8 incisors? Your argument is that they are there to rip into leaves? Meatloaf is highly processable by the elderly and my dad loved it. NO reason to eliminate that from his diet. He loved chicken, NO reason to eliminate it.
The elderly DO NOT need to go on a vegan/vegetarian/weightloss/slim figure/media-hyped/low-calorie/flavorless diet. Unless they are obese.
PROTEIN - Okay, as my own teeth are pretty functional when eating a T-bone, I won't argue with you on the evolutionary possibilities.
Since you seem open to my father continuing to eat his meat, then I think we're much in agreement. He also loves his eggs, be they scrambled, sunny side up, or in soup. He does not like vegetables or beans. Nuts he loves.
The remaining argument I have is that there is no need to "alter" an elderly person's diet in this way when they are old! My father, if a plate of "legumes" was placed in front of him, would - in his old fashioned way - politely decline to eat it, while saying they "taste great." In this way, if only presented with these sorts of options, he would slowly starve himself to death, or seek out candy and nuts.
Why do I assert this? Because it is exactly what happened to my father. He lost over 20 pounds when his wife took away the milk, skin of chicken, eggs, meat, butter, etc., from their diet in an attempt to "eat healthy" and because of her fear of diabetes. When they went to Souplantation, my father had nothing to eat and would woof down bowls of clam chowder, rather than the big plate of greenery. He was literally being starved to death.
When I saw this happening, I "forced" him to return to his old diet, and he was scarfing down steaks, beef bowls, buttered toast!, scrambled eggs. He put back on the weight, to a healthy level (not anywhere near obese) and much of his strength, vitality and yes, cognitive function. It was no easy struggle to counter the wife's "good" intentions as she had a mountain of newletters, recommendations, etc., though mostly geared toward middle-aged obese persons: which my father was not.
In my original comment, I was not so much against the "healthy" recommendations you suggested, it's great for me (middle-aged) to consider and likely adjustments and such are a beneifit.
But for an elderly person, and the super-elderly (80+) it can be a prescription for rapid decline and sarcopenia. Do you have some agreement with me on this aspect?
Fascinating dialogue. Keep it coming. I do nutrition coaching, with training from a 27-year cancer survivor. While we encourage large amounts of vegetable protein (I love to use mung beans, anasazi beans, garbanzos, etc) we also include fish and chicken. The one missing link here, IMHO, is digestive enzymes. Vegetable proteins may have enough on their own, while animal proteins require additional digestive enzymes to be consumed. I'm bringing a bottle to a client today, as a matter of fact. And the one source of bioavailable protein most readily received and utilized by the most elderly or frail of those with whom I work is undenatured whey protein with digestive enzymes in it. We utilize what I've come to view as one of the best available; able to be consumed in place of a meal if weight IS an issue, or appetite is low. As a drink accompanying a meal, or on its own, hands down the ONLY protein source that has provided noticable improvement in the strength and mood of these precious people. As it is a fact I have observed, it's offered only by way of a story, not "proof" of anything. When you get a 90 year old to happily show you how she is now able to stand up from bed on her own, and she hasn't done that for MONTHS, you know something is good. Then she cheerfully says "Honey, will you make me a shake?" Rewarding. Yep.
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6 Vital Nutrition Tips for Your Elderly Parents
Page 2: More Nutritional Guidelines for Elders
By Emilee Seltzer
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Limit sodium content
Most elders have hypertension – high blood pressure. One of the most important things caregivers can do to help reduce a parent's hypertension is to prepare foods with low sodium. Most people are surprised to know that table salt accounts for only a small percent of sodium content in food. Avoid giving your parent frozen, processed or restaurant food, as these are extremely high in sodium. The foods with the lowest sodium content are fruits and vegetables, so try and incorporate them as much as possible in their diet.
Hydrate
As people age, they do not get thirsty very often, even though their bodies still need the same amount of liquids. If you notice that your parent is not drinking liquids very often, make sure that you provide them with it. If they do not feel thirsty, chances are they may not think about drinking a glass of water.
If you are concerned that your parent may not be properly hydrated, check his or her urine. Urine is the surest sign of hydration or lack of it. If the urine is clear and light, then your parent is most likely properly hydrated. If, however, urine is dark and/or cloudy, your parent will need to start drinking more liquids.
Source: unknown. Pls report it to me if this is yours.
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