The best diets for older adults and seniors to stay fit and avoid health issues

Like our personalities, our bodies undergo gradual changes as we grow older. In addition to maturity, intelligence, and wisdom, we also receive a slower metabolism, aching joints, and hearing loss. This physical transformation impacts our energy levels, mobility, and communication with loved ones. It is inevitable for everyone, but not ideal for many people. Fortunately, adopting a healthy diet can decelerate aging’s negative anatomical effects. This article reveals the best healthy diets that older adults and seniors can follow to cut down their number of health complications.

The DASH Diet

Merriam-Webster defines “dash” as “moving with sudden speed.” To DASH dieters, dash is an acronym for “dietary approaches to stop hypertension,” because stopping hypertension, or extremely high blood pressure, is this eating plan’s purpose.

Seventy percent of senior citizens in America have the condition known as hypertension, which causes a plethora of cardiovascular problems. It’s associated with aneurysms, blood clots, and internal organ failure.

Older and elderly adults can stop their hypertension before it starts by proactively participating in the DASH diet. The DASH diet is centered around sustainability and simplicity. It prioritizes slowly improving eating habits over rapidly losing weight.

Surprisingly, older and elderly adults on the program do not have to count calories or ditch desserts; they just have to cut down their sodium consumption. They can successfully do this through substitutions, like baking chicken garnished with herbs instead of frying chicken seasoned with salt.

The DASH diet is for older and elderly adults at risk for hypertension that want to learn how to make better decisions for their bodies.

The Mediterranean Diet

The Mediterranean diet originated in Southern Europe, but is popular in America due to its benefits for the mind and body. It postpones cognitive impairment, the weakening of older and elderly adults’ mental abilities. Because it keeps the brain in pristine shape, it also decreases the odds of developing Alzheimer’s disease. In addition to helping the brain, the Mediterranean diet also maintains the gut. It produces anti-inflammatory bacteria in the abdomen that eases gastrointestinal issues. When on the Mediterranean diet, older and elderly adults’ organs function optimally.

The Mediterranean diet’s meals are plant-based with whole foods. The main components are fruits, vegetables, nuts, and olive oil. These ingredients are filled with fiber, which facilitates digestion. The side components are fish, brown grains, and red wine. These ingredients feed the brain with fatty acids that boost its performance. The Mediterranean diet is for older and elderly adults that want their minds to feel as fresh as their meals.

The Ketogenic Diet

After being the most searched diet of 2020, it’s safe to say that the ketogenic diet is here to stay. The secret is ketosis, training the body to retrieve energy from fat instead of carbohydrates. This process allows people who struggle with weight loss to be successful, like older and elderly women with menopause. It also stabilizes hormone secretion, which enhances the quality of older and elderly adults’ sleep. On the ketogenic diet, older and elderly adults can see the results of their hard work and rest well.

The ketogenic diet includes foods that are fresh, yet rich in fat. Recipes incorporate meats, eggs, and cheeses. These ingredients are packed with protein, which preserves older and elderly adults’ muscle mass. Contrarily, avoid recipes that incorporate wheat. This ingredient causes the body to quit ketosis. Wheat cravings can be curbed with vegetables; remove traditional pasta from the pantry and make room for zucchini pasta in the refrigerator. The ketogenic diet is for older and elderly adults that want to size down in a safe way.

Older and elderly adults are prone to physical problems, but can prevent them with a proper diet. They can manage their hypertension by being mindful of their sodium consumption on the DASH diet. They can build and sustain their brain power with plant-based meals on the Mediterranean diet. Or, they can slim down by kicking carbohydrates to the side on the ketogenic diet. Sometimes food is the most powerful medicine.

— Madison Kemp