Nutrition in old age and old age. Diet in old age and a balanced diet. Proper nutrition in adulthood
The quality of his life depends on how the nutrition of an elderly person is organized, what products will be present in his diet.
The main principles of rational nutrition of the elderly are:
Energy balance nutrition
Food should be balanced in calories: you should not overeat and eat too much fatty and carbohydrate foods (bread, cereals, sugar). Overeating is often the cause of health problems. In ancient Rome, on the grave of a man who lived for 112 years, an inscription was made: "He ate and drank in moderation."
Prevention of atherosclerosis
Vascular atherosclerosis is the main cause of serious illness and death in the elderly today.
Try to eat as little animal fats as possible, eat more fish, which contains polyunsaturated fatty acids, cottage cheese, sour-milk and seafood products, as well as vegetables and fruits - this helps lower blood cholesterol levels and prevents its reabsorption from the intestines into the blood.
Maximum Diet Diversity
Food should contain all the substances necessary for the normal functioning of the organs and systems of the body, so it is imperative to include a variety of foods in the daily menu: meat, fish, eggs, various fats, vegetables and fruits, dairy products, cereals.
Sufficient intake of vitamins and minerals
To do this, in addition to including in the daily set of products containing a large amount of vitamins, it is necessary to follow the rules of culinary processing. If they are violated, the vitamins contained in natural products can be completely destroyed.
The diet of the elderly (main meat) should be dominated by raw vegetables and fruits. It is desirable to eat them throughout the year. Raw fruits and vegetables, their juices, as well as dried fruits provide the diet with a sufficient amount of minerals. It is not advisable for older people to systematically use canned foods and concentrates, since the vitamins in them are partially destroyed during technological processing. In addition, you should limit the amount of salt in your diet. The abuse of salty foods can increase blood pressure, fluid retention in the body, and worsen heart function. Salt is recommended to eat no more than 10 g per day with a restriction in the diet of herring, pickles, mushrooms and other salty foods.
Products and dishes should be light, well digestible
This is due to a decrease in the digestive activity of digestive enzymes in old age. That is why you should give preference to fish and dairy rather than meat proteins, you should not often and in large quantities use smoked meats, mushrooms, legumes - these products complicate the work of the digestive tract.
Food should be appetizing
Older people often have a reduced appetite, so it is important that the dishes you put on the table look attractive. It is necessary to use greens, garlic, onions, horseradish more widely: they not only improve the taste of dishes, but also supply the body with useful substances: vitamins, phytoncides, minerals, etc. For the prevention of atherosclerosis and the regulation of the functions of the digestive organs, it is advisable to systematically use onions and garlic. Folk wisdom says: onions - from seven ailments, and the peoples of the East have a saying: onions, any disease passes in your arms.
Mankind at all times tried to invent a cure for old age, mainly it concerned the appearance of a person. However, aging of the human body is inevitable. The physical condition of an elderly person directly depends on the correct lifestyle in youth. The presence of chronic and acquired diseases in the elderly is largely due to an unhealthy lifestyle, lack of regular physical activity, bad habits and malnutrition. Healthy nutrition, regular intake of wholesome and balanced food, feasible physical activity and a competent approach to the formation of the diet of an elderly person are fundamental factors for the normal functioning of life support systems in old age. Food products must be selected in such a way that their composition fully covers the need of an elderly person's body for vitamins, useful microelements and minerals. At the same time, food should not be monotonous and insipid. It is important not to combine the elderly patient's eating with other activities such as watching TV or reading books. The lack of focus on food intake inevitably leads to disturbances in the body during its digestion and, as a result, a lack of the required amount of nutrients.
Relationship of nutrition with basic life processes
A healthy and balanced diet in old age is an important aspect of preventing diseases associated with the aging process and maintaining vitality in an elderly person. Physiological old age implies a set of changes in metabolic functions, a slowdown in the body's defense reactions, the manifestation and recurrence of the consequences of previous diseases and operations. It is possible to influence these processes and minimize their negative impact on the life of an elderly person by changing the quality of nutrition. The quality of nutrition plays an important role in the main types of aging of the human body, which include pathological and physical old age. The appearance of the first is possible even before a person reaches old age, due to the presence of pathological and chronic diseases. Physical old age implies the natural aging of the body without the presence of critical pathologies in humans. Both of these processes entail changes in the human body, the negative consequences of which can be minimized by adhering to the rules of a healthy diet and adherence to a strict meal schedule.
All changes in the functioning of human vital systems are somehow connected with the work of the digestive system. The results of aging of the body for her are a decrease in the function of secretion and motility of the gastrointestinal tract, a decrease in the level of acidity of gastric juice, and, as a result, a deterioration in the state of the intestinal microflora. The pancreas is deficient in enzymes vital to the body, as a result, disruptions in the activity of life-supporting functions of the whole organism begin to be observed.
In connection with the end of the formation of body tissues and a significant decrease in the physical activity of an elderly person, the amount of protein foods with a high content of energy enzymes should be minimized. However, products containing animal protein should not be completely excluded from the diet, since protein enzymes contribute to the regeneration of body cells.
Features of nutrition of the elderly
Due to the decrease in physical activity, in the elderly, there is a decrease in the body's need for trace elements that provide energy saturation. This factor must be taken into account when forming the diet of an elderly person. To compile the most acceptable food list, the following principles should be considered:
- Correspondence of the energy value of products with the actual energy costs of an elderly person;
- Dietary diversity in the elderly. Products should include as much as possible all the necessary nutrients and minerals;
- Maximum use in the diet of an elderly person of easily digestible and stimulating secretory functions of products;
- Strict adherence to the meal schedule;
- Correspondence of the products of the diet of an elderly person to his tastes, preferences and requirements, an attractive appearance of food.
It should be borne in mind that in old age the human body is most sensitive to overeating. This is due to a decrease in the sensitivity of receptors and a dulling of the feeling of satiety. Overeating, in addition to the load on the digestive organs, can give rise to such dangerous diseases as atherosclerosis, diabetes mellitus, urolithiasis, coronary heart disease, gout. This list of diseases contributes to the premature development of the aging process of the body, many of them, especially in combination, can lead to death.
The aging process can also be accompanied by a lack of vitamins in the body of an elderly person. This is not always due to the lack of vitamins in the diet; often such a deficiency is facilitated by disruption of the gastrointestinal tract and, as a result, poor digestibility of the substances necessary for the body.
A common mistake is to think that vegetarian food is healthy for older people. These products, for the most part, do not fill the body with the necessary amount of minerals and vitamins, moreover, they have a high content of phytoestrogens, which negatively affect the brain, which can lead to such a dangerous disease for older people as senile dementia.
Appetite Stimulation in the Elderly
The main problems of eating in the elderly are associated with factors such as slow metabolism, gastrointestinal upset, decreased appetite, and constipation after eating. The psychological factor also plays an important role - older people become very picky about food and often refuse to accept food that they don’t even like outwardly.
To maintain the body of an elderly person in good shape and slow down the aging process, it is necessary to form a diet for an elderly person, taking into account the characteristics of his body, the recommendations of medical specialists and the desires of the patient himself. It is also necessary to include in the daily routine of an elderly person feasible physical activity for him.
An important role in obtaining from food all the necessary amount of nutrients and vitamins is played by the presence of appetite. Elderly people often suffer from its absence, this is due to the weakening of receptors, as a result of which food loses its attractiveness and does not bring proper pleasure. There are a number of other reasons for lack of appetite in older people. These include problems with the teeth, the effect on the body of medications, indigestion. There are several safe and effective ways to stimulate appetite in the elderly. The use of such methods must be taken very seriously and agreed with the attending physician on the possibility of using certain seasonings and stimulants. The main methods of stimulating appetite in an elderly person include:
- The use of various spices in the daily diet of the elderly. The taste and smell of spices stimulates an elderly person's appetite and often aids in proper digestion of foods. The complex of seasonings must be selected individually, taking into account the characteristics of the body and its physical condition;
- Dishes of the daily diet should be served in a consistency convenient for an elderly person. Minimize the presence of dishes that require additional physical impact from a person when eating them, are inconvenient for consumption;
- The introduction of multicomponent products into the diet, which give the patient the whole range of necessary nutrients, while not causing him any inconvenience in consumption.
Nutritional considerations for older people with heart problems
Older people with heart disease primarily need foods high in complex carbohydrates, vitamins, starches and dietary fiber. This complex is most extensively represented in plant foods, vegetables and fruits. The core diet must be made up of products with minimal heat treatment, be sure to include whole grains and fresh vegetables in the menu.
The diet of elderly patients with a tendency to a heart attack or stroke, as well as survivors of such ailments, should be treated most selectively. Foods rich in vegetable fats and cholesterol should be excluded from the menu. Most animal fats and cholesterol are found in animal products: cow's milk, meat, high-calorie cheese, butter. These products should be excluded from the diet of older people prone to heart attacks, strokes, and those suffering from cardiovascular diseases.
The method of cooking products should also be chosen with the least use of fats. Optimal for cooking food for the elderly is baking or a steam bath. The most useful are also boiled and stewed foods.
Vitamins and trace elements in the diet of the elderly
Calcium and magnesium in the body of any person, and especially the elderly, are one of the most essential components. Insufficient saturation of the body with calcium can lead to osteoporosis and, as a result, increase the likelihood of mechanical injury. Due to disorders of the gastrointestinal tract, the body of an elderly person does not receive these chemical elements in sufficient quantities. Also, the excretion of calcium and magnesium salts from the body contributes to the consumption of foods that are difficult to digest. The highest amounts of calcium and magnesium are found in cereals, leafy green vegetables, fruits, and vegetable proteins. Such products should be included in the diet of an elderly person for daily intake.
The action of magnesium salts in the human body is aimed at stabilizing the work of calcium. Magnesium helps to fix calcium in bone tissues, preventing the development of osteoporosis, and its positive effect is the removal of excess calcium salts from the body, which in 90% of cases tend to be deposited on the walls of blood vessels, thereby increasing the likelihood of stroke in the elderly.
In addition to calcium and magnesium, the body of an elderly person needs a balanced intake of potassium and iodine. Iodine is necessary for the normalization of metabolism in the body, and potassium helps to increase heart rate and remove excess fluid and sodium chloride from the body. These elements are contained in sufficient quantities in seafood and fish, they should be the main focus, forming a daily diet for an elderly person.
The most important element for the normal functioning of the human body is vitamin C. For elderly patients, its presence in the diet is especially important. In the body, it prevents the imbalance between produced and processed cholesterol, and also assists in the removal of excess cholesterol from the body. However, an excess of vitamin C can have the most negative consequences, such as disorders of the pancreas and, subsequently, diabetes.
In old age, the human body needs a complex of vitamins P, folic acid, vitamins B6 and B12. The cumulative effect of this complex of vitamins and microelements inhibits the development of atherosclerosis in an elderly person and helps to lower blood pressure.
Scientists have proven that prolonging life and minimizing the negative effects of the aging process in the elderly are possible due to proper nutrition, eating enough vitamins and minerals, strict adherence to the schedule of meals and feasible physical activity. It is important to understand that a full-fledged diet will not be able to fully meet the needs of an elderly person's body for vitamins and nutrients. As an aid to the body, one should resort to medical vitamin complexes, which include all the substances necessary for the human body. There are vitamin complexes specially designed for the elderly. They should be used as prescribed by a doctor and combined with proper nutrition for an elderly person.
In ours, we have an individual approach to the diet of the guests, because during their lives they have developed their own dietary habits, which are not recommended to be changed in old age.
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Therapeutic nutrition for major acute and chronic diseases
Features of nutrition of the elderly and old people
Old age is a hereditary programmed phenomenon. Physiological, normal old age is not complicated by any sharp painful (pathological) process, it is the old age of practically healthy elderly (60-74 years old) and old (75-90 years old) people. Pathological, premature old age is complicated by diseases. Even with physiological old age, there are shifts in metabolism and the state of organs and systems of the body. However, by changing the nature of nutrition, it is possible to influence the metabolism, adaptive (adaptive) and compensatory capabilities of the body and thus influence the pace and direction of the aging process. Rational nutrition in old age (gerodietetics) is an important factor in the prevention of pathological deposits on physiologically regular aging. The basics below gerodietetics must be taken into account when organizing medical nutrition for the elderly and old people, i.e. in the practice of geriatrics - the treatment of diseases in old age.
The values of nutritional and energy requirements recommended for the elderly and old people are given in Table 3 and Table 7 of the section "Physiological norms of nutrition for various groups of the adult population". The energy requirement of the body in old age decreases due to a decrease in the intensity of metabolic processes and limitation of physical activity. On average, the energy value of the diet at 60-69 years old and 70-80 years old is 80 and 70%, respectively, of that at 20-40 years old. Some older people tend to overeat.
An aging body is especially sensitive to excess nutrition, which not only leads to obesity, but more than at a young age, predisposes to atherosclerosis, hypertension, coronary heart disease, diabetes mellitus, cholelithiasis and urolithiasis, gout, etc., and ultimately contributes to premature aging.
On average, the energy value of the daily diet for older men and women should be 9.6 and 9.8 MJ (2300 and 2100 kcal), respectively, and for the old - 8.4 and 8 MJ (2000 and 1900 kcal). The energy value of the diet is limited by sugar, confectionery and flour products, fatty meat products and other sources of animal fats.
For older people who carry out physical activities at work or at home, the indicated energy requirement may be increased. The control of energy compliance of nutrition with the needs of the body is the stability of body weight.
In old age, the intensity of self-renewal of proteins decreases, which determines the decrease in the need for proteins. However, insufficient intake of proteins exacerbates age-related changes in metabolism and, more quickly than at a young age, leads to various manifestations of protein deficiency in the body.
The daily protein requirement for older men and women is on average 70 and 65 g, respectively, and for the old, 60 and 57 g, respectively. Animal proteins should make up 50-55% of the total protein. As sources of animal proteins, dairy and fish products of low fat content, non-fish seafood are desirable. The meat of animals and birds is moderately limited.
Excessive intake of proteins negatively affects the aging body, causes excessive stress on the liver and kidneys, and contributes to the development of atherosclerosis.
Milk fats, which are easily digestible, contain lecithin and fat-soluble vitamins, can make up to 1/3 of all dietary fats. In old age, peasant, sandwich and especially dietary butter is more useful than ordinary butter.
At least 1/3 of the fat should be vegetable oils (20-25 g per day). Unrefined vegetable oils are preferred, in which there are more substances important for the elderly and old people, such as phosphatides, sitosterol, vitamin E, as well as vegetable oils in their natural form (in salads, vinaigrettes, cereals), and not after heat treatment.
Fatty acids of vegetable oils have a positive effect on the metabolism, in particular cholesterol, in the aging body. However, excessive consumption of vegetable oils is impractical due to their high energy value and the possibility of accumulation of unsaturated fatty acid oxidation products in the body. For individual meals, the amount of fat with a high content of unsaturated fatty acids, including butter, should not exceed 10-15 g.
In the diet limit cholesterol, but do not exclude foods that are both rich in it and anti-atherosclerotic substances (lecithin, vitamins, etc.), such as eggs, liver.
Dietary fiber is necessary to stimulate the motor function of the gastrointestinal tract and bile secretion, as older people often have constipation and congestion in the gallbladder. Dietary fiber helps to remove cholesterol from the body.
Easily digestible carbohydrates are limited in the diet, primarily sugar, confectionery, sweet drinks. Their content should not exceed 15% of all carbohydrates (at one time - up to 15 g), and with a tendency to obesity - 10%. This is due to an age-related decrease in carbohydrate tolerance, in particular due to changes in the insular apparatus of the pancreas, increased formation of fat and cholesterol due to easily digestible carbohydrates, and their adverse effect on the functions of the cardiovascular system of the elderly.
Partially, sugar can be replaced with xylitol (15-25 g per day), which has a sweet taste and has a mild laxative and choleretic effect. From easily digestible carbohydrates, lactose and fructose (dairy products, fruits, berries) should prevail.
In old age, both oversaturation of the body with certain minerals and their insufficiency is possible. For example: calcium salts are deposited in the walls of blood vessels, joints and other tissues. With a calcium deficiency in food or an excess of nutrients, its absorption worsens (fitins of cereals and legumes, oxalic acid, fats), calcium is excreted from the bones. This, especially against the background of a lack of proteins, can lead to senile osteoporosis.
The body's need for elderly and old people in calcium is 0.8 g, and in phosphorus - 1.2 g. It is advisable to increase the amount of magnesium to 0.5-0.6 g per day, given its antispastic effect, the ability to stimulate intestinal motility and bile secretion , normalize cholesterol metabolism.
With a sufficiently high content of potassium in the diet (3-4 g per day), the amount of sodium chloride should be moderately limited - up to 10 g per day, mainly by reducing the consumption of salty foods. This is of particular importance with a tendency to increase blood pressure.
With hypertension, the diet should contain less than 10 g of salt (see "Nutrition for hypertension"). The need for iron is 10-15 mg per day, regardless of gender. If the diet is dominated by grains and low in meat, fish, fruit, and berries, this amount of iron may be deficient.
It should be borne in mind that iron deficiency anemia is often noted in old age, especially in diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. In addition, with physiological old age, bone marrow iron reserves decrease and the efficiency of iron incorporation into erythrocytes decreases.
With physiological aging, the metabolism of a number of vitamins changes, but these changes do not indicate an increased need for vitamins. However, some elderly and old people have vitamin deficiencies due to poor nutrition or impaired absorption of vitamins. In diseases, vitamin deficiency in the body occurs in old age faster than at a young age.
The need for practically healthy elderly people in vitamins is presented in Table. 7 of the section "Physiological nutritional norms for various groups of the adult population." It is necessary to focus on providing vitamins at the expense of their natural sources - food. This does not exclude additional vitaminization, in particular with vitamin C in the winter-spring period, as well as periodic intake of multivitamin preparations (decamevit, undevit, etc.) in small doses - 1 tablet per day. In diseases, these doses are increased. Excess intake of vitamins is harmful to the aging body.
The main principles of the diet of the elderly and old people are regular meals, the exclusion of long intervals between them, the exclusion of heavy meals. This ensures normal digestion and prevents overstrain of all body systems that ensure the absorption of nutrients.
With physiological aging, the functions of the digestive organs are moderately reduced, but the adaptive capabilities are significantly limited, so large food loads may be unbearable for them.
For healthy elderly and old people, there are no forbidden foods, but only more or less preferred ones. Passion for any one or group of food products is unacceptable, since even their high nutritional value cannot compensate for the defects of one-sided nutrition.
Physiologically, the transition of older people from their usual diet to vegetarianism, eating only raw food, etc. is not justified. The Guidelines for Organizing Nutrition for the Elderly and Senile, developed by the Institute of Nutrition and the Institute of Gerontology, propose a list of foods and dishes for the elderly and old people.
Bread and flour products: wheat and rye bread, better than yesterday's baking, bread with the inclusion of bran, soy flour, phosphatides (lecithin) and seaweed; crackers, cookies. Sweet dough is limited.
Soups: vegetarian, vegetable (shchi, beetroot, borscht), fruit, cereals. Low-fat meat and fish broths no more than 2-3 times a week.
Meat, poultry, fish: low-fat varieties, mainly boiled, possibly with subsequent frying, baked and chopped (cutlets, dumplings, meatballs). Non-fish seafood (squid, mussels, etc.), in particular stewed or baked with vegetables, salads with vegetables, etc.
Dairy products: all types are widely recommended, preferably low fat (milk, fermented milk drinks, from buttermilk and whey, semi-fat and low-fat cottage cheese, cheeses of low fat content and salinity). Limit cream, sour cream, fatty cottage cheese, salty and fatty cheeses.
Eggs: up to 2-4 per week. Soft-boiled, milk-protein omelets, in dishes. Limit egg yolks.
Cereals: cereals, casseroles, puddings from various cereals in combination with milk, cottage cheese, dried fruits, carrots. Limit rice, pasta, legumes.
Vegetables: A variety of raw and cooked. Dishes from vegetables and seaweed (salads, vinaigrettes, side dishes) are widely recommended. Spinach and sorrel limit.
Snacks: low-fat types of boiled sausages and sausages, ham, mild cheeses, boiled fish in aspic, lightly salted or soaked herring, seafood, vegetable salads and vinaigrettes with vegetable oil. Limit smoked, salty, spicy snacks, caviar, canned snacks.
Fruits, sweet dishes, sweets: various fruits in any form - raw, dry, baked, mashed potatoes, kissels, compotes, jelly, etc. Milk jelly, kissels. Dessert dishes are semi-sweet or on xylitol. Instead of sugar, honey is desirable. Limit sugar, confectionery, especially cream, chocolate, ice cream.
Sauces and spices: dairy, vegetable broth, fruit, tomato. Citric acid, vinegar, vanillin, cinnamon, allspice, bay leaf, spicy vegetables - in moderation. Limit horseradish, mayonnaise, exclude meat, fish, mushroom sauces, mustard.
Drinks: weak coffee and tea, it is possible with milk, coffee drinks, fruit, vegetable and berry juices, fruit drinks, rosehip and wheat bran decoctions. Kvass and carbonated drinks are limited.
Fats: various types of cow butter - limited (3-5 g per serving) for sandwiches and dressing ready meals. Limited - lard and margarine. Lamb, beef, cooking fats, it is desirable to exclude. Vegetable oils are widely used - for salads, vinaigrettes, marinades, in dishes, etc.
When organizing meals for the elderly and old people who are in social security institutions, they are guided by the norms of the food set.
Local features may necessitate the replacement of some products with others, but similar in chemical composition. It is advisable to replace meat with fish, dairy products with cottage cheese, milk with kefir, eggs with fish, cheese, cottage cheese, one type of vegetable with others available, etc.
You should not replace cereals with legumes, which are poorly digested at this age. The specified food set is close to the requirements of a balanced diet for the elderly and old people and contains about 75-80 g of fat, 330-350 g of carbohydrates; 9.2-10 MJ (2200-2400 kcal). The grocery set provides the need for minerals and vitamins, with the exception of vitamin C.
For diseases of the elderly and old people who require therapeutic nutrition, one should be guided by the existing recommendations on the dietary therapy of specific diseases, but with changes in the energy value, chemical composition and food set of therapeutic diets, taking into account the considered principles of nutrition in physiological old age. For example, with peptic ulcer in diet No. 1, dairy products, fish and egg whites are preferred as sources of animal protein due to some decrease in the digestive capacity of the digestive system in old age.
Egg yolks are limited in the diet to 3-4 per week, refined vegetable oils are increased by reducing the amount of butter, which are introduced into fish, vegetable dishes, low-fat kefir (5-10 g per glass).
With the so-called "senile" gastric ulcer, there is a reduced secretion of gastric juice, so it is advisable to change diet No. 1 in the direction of a slightly less strict chemical sparing.
In elderly and old people with peptic ulcer, treatment with "greens" is sometimes justified - 3-4 meals a day before the main meal of raw, well-chopped vegetables and fruits (carrots, cabbage, lettuce, apples, etc.) with the addition of vegetable oils.
In chronic pancreatitis, the protein content of diet No. 5p should be reduced from 110-120 g to 80-100 g. This also applies to other diets with a recommended increase in protein. With obesity in the elderly and old people, diet No. 8 and 8a is indicated, but not No. 8o.
With long-term, non-progressive and moderate obesity (grade 1), there is no need for special diets. However, with concomitant diabetes mellitus, which in older people often occurs due to a decrease in tissue sensitivity to insulin (see "Nutrition for Diabetes"), it is necessary to reduce excess body weight.
It is very important to change the diet in drug therapy for the elderly and old people (see "Peculiarities of therapeutic nutrition in drug therapy"), taking into account the characteristics of the response of the aging organism to drugs and a decrease in their excretion due to age-related changes in the kidneys. If sick elderly and old people can be assigned a common table, then instead of diet No. 15, diet No. 10c is most desirable.
Any organism is subject to aging - a natural process of changes affecting all spheres and levels of life. Life after 80 years is always accompanied by physiological signs and psychological problems that are mandatory for this age. Not only genetic predisposition affects how young we look and feel well, having stepped over the milestone of 80 years. There are other factors that we will focus on in this article.
As we age, the changes that occur in the body become more and more obvious. The nervous, endocrine, cardiovascular, musculoskeletal and other systems can no longer work at full capacity, thousands of different cells die every day, the elasticity and elasticity of blood vessels, muscles, and connective tissues are lost.
After 80 years, our body functions worse and worse. The heart works more slowly, the blood moves through the blood vessels less actively, the kidneys, liver, and digestive system function worse. Age-related changes affect muscles, joints, bones, they become less mobile and more fragile.
The processes occurring inside the body are reflected in the appearance of a person: the skin loses its elasticity and firmness, becomes flabby, becomes covered with wrinkles, age spots appear, hair turns gray and becomes rarer, teeth fall out.
Old age is called the age of contemplation and tranquility. And yet, despite the natural decline in physical activity, life after 80 years should not be considered as an insurmountable obstacle to walking at a fresh age, communicating with family and friends. Many people, having crossed the threshold of 80 years, continue to lead a busy life, take care of themselves, prefer to remain active. Their well-being largely depends on relationships with relatives, the atmosphere in the family, food and care.
In the elderly and senile age, almost everyone begins to develop psychological problems. Here are their reasons:
Important mental functions of the body are significantly reduced, memory, attention, the ability to think and analyze are weakened.
Increased stress caused by the loss of friends, loved ones, disability.
Weakens the ability to adapt.
Self-esteem decreases, as awareness of one's advanced age comes.
There is less and less communication, time spent alone, on the contrary, more, there is no interest in modern life.
Very often, older people and old people prefer to live in the past, their memories.
There may be depressive states, thoughts of suicide, which are caused by a lack of life prospects, exacerbated diseases, uselessness of the family, fear of imminent death.
It is worth noting that such psychological problems can begin much earlier, already from the age of 40-50.
The following physiological features are characteristic of senile age:
The functions of the body are reduced, the work of internal organs and tissues is disrupted.
Muscles become weaker, bones become more fragile, joints begin to ache, vision and hearing deteriorate.
Chronic diseases are on the rise. Doctors say that almost every elderly person suffers from at least five diseases that have a chronic course, accompanying and reinforcing each other. Since the endocrine and immune systems function worse in old age, frequent relapses of existing diseases occur.
The most characteristic diseases for this age are sclerosis, senile amyloidosis, prostatic hyperplasia, osteoporosis, dementia, etc.
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work out stress
Short-term nervous shocks (quarreled with superiors, cut while driving on the road) can be useful, because they force the body to mobilize, activate hidden reserves, and make a decision faster. However, in a situation where stress becomes a system, continues for a long time, the body is not able to cope with it.
Accumulating stress hormones (such as cortisol, norepinephrine, adrenaline) have a very aggressive effect on the cardiovascular, endocrine, nervous systems, etc. Despite the fact that nature provides ways to remove stress hormones, any system that is in a state of constant stress, begins to malfunction, which in turn leads to the emergence of various pathological syndromes and diseases.
Very effective ways to get rid of stress are exercise and tears. After a sports workout, most of us experience a pleasant muscle fatigue and a feeling of peace. Yes, and the folk proverb that if you cry, it will become easier, there is a physiological justification. Stress hormones leave the body in most cases in two ways: they are washed out by the lacrimal fluid and “burn out” in actively working muscles.
As you know, naturally emotional peoples live the longest. For example, the average life expectancy of the French is 80 years, it is they who celebrate centennial anniversaries more often than others. Among our closest neighbors, Caucasians are long-livers. And for us, the best way to deal with stressful situations is sport. At the same time, to achieve the effect, training should be daily and last at least 40 minutes (cardiologists talk about this time of physical activity).
In order to continue to lead an active life after 80 years, you should take care of yourself, do not overeat. Extra pounds are more dangerous for the male body than for the female. In overweight people, under the influence of the aromatase enzyme, the male hormone testosterone is converted into the female hormone estrogen. Both hormones are needed by both men and women, but their quantity and ratio is essential.
With an excess of adipose tissue, estrogen levels rise significantly, which leads to hypogonadism in men. The flip side of this process is the cessation of testosterone production. That is why in very obese men one can observe a very weighty chest. In general, such a hormonal imbalance can lead to the development of metabolic syndrome, diabetes and heart problems.
The human body is restored during a night's sleep. With chronic lack of sleep, the appearance worsens, the immune system weakens, excess weight may appear and the development of various diseases. However, sleeping more than 10 hours a day is also unhealthy. Studies conducted at Harvard University have shown that in this case, the quality of sleep deteriorates, memory problems arise.
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Nutrition is of great importance for slowing down or accelerating the aging process of the body. After 80 years, for a full life, you should adhere to the following principles of rational nutrition:
Avoid overeating.
The diet must be complete.
It is worth adhering to the anti-sclerotic orientation of nutrition.
Starting from the age of 50, it is necessary to ensure that the energy value of the food consumed is 2500–2600 kcal per day, it is necessary to limit the consumption of fats and sugar.
For a full life after 80 years, diet is of particular importance. With age, the body's adaptability becomes lower, which can cause disruptions in the work of regulatory mechanisms that ensure the relative constancy of nutrients in the blood.
With the help of proper nutrition, disturbances in the enzymatic and excretory functions of the digestive glands can be prevented. You should adhere to four meals a day, eat food at the same time whenever possible, which will contribute to its high digestibility.
It should be noted that by increasing the frequency or number of meals, it is possible to reduce the excitability of the food center and reduce appetite. That is, if a person after 80 years of age is prone to overweight, it would be more expedient for him to switch to five meals a day.
25-30% for the first breakfast, 15-20% for the second breakfast, 40-45% for lunch, 10-15% for dinner.
25% (600–700 kcal) for the first breakfast, 15% (300–400 kcal) for the second breakfast, 35% (900–1000 kcal) for lunch, 25% (600–700 kcal) for dinner.
With a tendency to overweight and an increase in the number of meals, it is necessary to distribute the energy value of the diet relatively evenly throughout the day or provide additional meals (for example, kefir or fruit) in the intervals between lunch and dinner and before bedtime.
To continue to lead an active life, people after 80 years the following principles should be adhered to:
Fish and meat dishes, as well as the main amount of fats, are consumed in the morning and afternoon.
For dinner, you should give preference to dairy products, exclude salt and extractives.
According to the methods of cooking, stewing or boiling, including steaming, is most suitable for older people. Fatty, fried, spicy dishes, marinades and sauces are best excluded from the diet.
Maintaining the anti-sclerotic orientation of nutrition involves the limited use of foods containing cholesterol, easily digestible carbohydrates (confectionery, sugar and jam), foods high in vitamin D, nitrogenous extractives, and salt.
One of the main places in the diet of a person who has reached 80 years of age should be given to side dishes and vegetable dishes: salads seasoned with vegetable oil, cabbage, potatoes, tomatoes, cucumbers, pumpkins, zucchini, parsley, dill, in small quantities beans, beans, mushrooms , peas, spinach.
Of the drinks, tea, weak coffee, tea with milk, fruit, berry and vegetable juices are most preferable.
It is very important to ensure that the diet is varied.
Read material on the topic: How to arrange a nursing home
Anti-aging hobbies
A very effective way for older people to maintain an active lifestyle, youth and well-being after 80 years are walking (provided they are regular and maintain a certain rhythm).
Having mastered the computer, you will look younger in the eyes of your own grandchildren, they will be proud of their grandmother, who does not lag behind modern life even after 80 years. You should not limit your interests to culinary sites and social networks, you can explore useful programs, for example, creating photo albums, editing photos, and doing home accounting. Using a computer, you can read books, listen to music, watch movies and TV shows, write memoirs, and make purchases in online stores.
Life after 80 years will sparkle with new colors if you let in such a useful activity as home floriculture. You can start with unpretentious indoor plants or grow salad greens on the windowsill. If you've never done this before, it's best to buy a couple of inexpensive, low-maintenance plants and fit them into your new schedule.
You can create comfort by knitting, sewing, weaving, making souvenirs, painting furniture, decorating with mosaics. In any home there are old things that can be shredded and sewn into a new bedspread, chair covers or sofa cushions.
Another traditional hobby for those over 80 is cooking. Age is not an obstacle to mastering new recipes for first and second courses, pastries and desserts, homemade preparations and frosts, which are then so pleasant to pamper your loved ones.
In our life and today, such types of needlework as knitting, embroidery, macrame, beading remain relevant. In shops for needlewomen you can find ready-made paintings with embroidery patterns - there is no need to draw and translate - you will get the most interesting creative part. Needlework kits already include threads or beads.
You can make your life more interesting after 80 by learning how to sew toys for your grandchildren from nylon socks or good-natured tilde rag dolls. It will be somewhat more difficult to master felting from wool, but this type of needlework will allow you to create real masterpieces: toys, jewelry, hats.
If you have enough perseverance, you should try something completely new in life, for example, the art of kanzashi - beautiful ribbon flowers are suitable for decorating clothes, interiors, and even for making designer jewelry.
Based on age classification, people over 50 are divided into three groups:
- people of mature age - 50 - 60 years.
- elderly people - 61 - 74 years.
- people of senile age - 75 years and more.
Aging is a natural process, biologically natural. It is based on a slowdown in a number of physiological and biochemical reactions, a decrease in resistance to external influences, etc.
There is a weakening of all body systems, including the digestive system.
- Decreased motor and excretory functions of the stomach. Such changes are typical for 80% of people over 50 years old.
- The acidity of gastric juice and its digestive capacity decrease, which causes the development of putrefactive microflora in the intestine, and negatively affects the digestion process.
- The rate of absorption of nutrients in the small intestine decreases two to three times. Possible deterioration in the absorption of fats and carbohydrates.
- There are age-related changes in the pancreas, in the salivary glands, in the liver.
But first of all, the work of the cardiovascular system worsens in the elderly. Atherosclerosis arises and develops: a disease in which there is a thickening of the walls of blood vessels, loss of their elasticity and the appearance of fragility.
However, the aging process can be accelerated or slowed down with the help of nutrition. Principles of rational nutrition in old age:
- Limit your diet to avoid overeating.
- Ensure a high biological usefulness of the diet.
- Implement anti-sclerotic orientation.
After 50 years, the energy value of the diet corresponds to 2500 - 2600 kcal per day, the consumption of fats and sugar is limited.
Mode nutrition for the elderly especially important. Since at this time the body's adaptability decreases, which can cause inconsistent work of regulatory mechanisms that ensure the relative constancy of nutrients in the blood.
Proper nutrition for the elderly prevents the progression caused by the aging process of the enzymatic and excretory functions of the digestive glands. Recommended four meals a day, eating at the same time, which contributes to high digestibility.
An increase in the frequency or number of meals lowers the excitability of the food center and reduces appetite. If there is a tendency to obesity and increased appetite, it is advisable to eat five times a day. The same diet is justified for people of senile age.
- 25 - 30% - for the 1st breakfast, 15 - 20% - for the 2nd breakfast, 40 - 45% - for lunch, 10 - 15% - for dinner.
- 25% (600 - 700 kcal) - for the 1st breakfast, 15% (300 - 400 kcal) - for the 2nd breakfast, 35% (900 - 1000 kcal) - for lunch, 25% (600 - 700 kcal) - for dinner.
If there is a tendency to obesity and an increase in the frequency of meals, a relatively even distribution of the energy value of the diet throughout the day is recommended, or additional meals are provided - compote, kefir or fruit between meals (lunch and dinner) and before going to bed.
- Eat fish and meat dishes, as well as the main amount of fat in the daytime and in the morning.
- During dinners, it is worth excluding foods containing a large amount of salt and extractives, and choosing dairy products, since it weakens the work of the gastric glands during sleep. Dairy products during the hours of night sleep do not change the activity of physiological systems. And salty, meat and fish dishes can adversely affect the cardiovascular and respiratory systems: blood pressure, pulse rate and respiration remain at the same level and sometimes increase instead of decreasing.
- Elderly people in nutrition should give preference to stews and boiled dishes, vegetarian soups. It is necessary to reduce the consumption of fried and very fatty, spicy foods, marinades, sauces, as they lead to an overstrain of the digestive glands. An important role is played by the appearance of food, its smell and taste, as it contributes to a more active release of digestive juices, respectively, better digestion and assimilation.
- Anti-sclerotic orientation involves limiting the use of foods that contain cholesterol (offal, egg yolks, brains), easily digestible carbohydrates (confectionery, sugar and jam), foods rich in vitamin D, nitrogenous extractives, with a significant amount of salt. It is necessary to include in the diet foods rich in fiber (rye bread with bran, crackers, unbread cookies), vitamins, potassium and magnesium salts, as well as vegetable oil. Low-fat lamb, beef, turkey, pork are recommended as meat products, mostly in the form of baked and boiled dishes. Fish should also be low-fat, including soaked low-fat herring once a week.
- Side dishes and vegetable dishes should take a special place: salads with vegetable oil and vinaigrettes, cabbage, potatoes, tomatoes, cucumbers, pumpkin, zucchini, parsley, dill, beans, beans, mushrooms, peas, spinach in a small amount.
- The norm of fat in the diet should be 70 - 80 g, including 1/3 - vegetable oil. If there is a tendency to obesity, you need to reduce the consumption of flour and cereal products, sweets, sour cream, ghee and butter.
- Dairy products are recommended: low-fat cheeses, low-fat cottage cheese and dishes from it, yogurt, kefir, acidophilus.
- As drinks, it is worth giving preference to tea, weak coffee, tea with milk, fruit, berry and vegetable juices.
- A variety in the diet is necessary, the abuse of any food group is unacceptable.
Rational organization nutrition for the elderly has a beneficial effect on metabolism (metabolism), supports performance and health.
Photo freedigitalphotos.net
How few people die simply of old age, having lived in good health for 100 years or more! They are written about in newspapers and on TV. Most people die from various diseases. Among the most common causes of death are cardiovascular and oncological diseases. Proper nutrition is an indispensable condition for longevity, health, vigor.
In old age, a person should take more care of his diet than in previous periods of life. WHY? Physiology answers this question.
To stay healthy in old age, you need at least a little understanding of how to eat right. When examining the lifestyle of centenarians in different regions of the planet, much in common was revealed:
- The daily diet of the elderly and old people contains about 50 g of protein, 30 g of fat, 300 g of carbohydrates, which is about 1700 kilocalories per day.
- Centenarians consume very little sugar and sweets, broths and first courses on broths.
- A lot of fresh and dried herbs, onions, garlic, red peppers, vegetables and fruits, nuts, a large number of dishes from beans, corn and other legumes.
- Fats are predominantly vegetable.
- Meat - boiled lean goat meat, lamb, beef, poultry.
- Thirst is often quenched with water, buttermilk, curdled milk and other fermented milk products.
- Their diets contain a high content of vitamin E and other antioxidants (vitamins C, P, PP, sulfur-containing amino acids, selenium).
Overeating should be avoided
especially with a sedentary lifestyle. Diet 4-5 times a day (according to the principle: eat more often, but little by little to kill the feeling of hunger). The distribution of products should be approximately the same so as not to overstrain the gastrointestinal tract. This is especially important for those suffering from angina pectoris, in whom a full stomach can provoke pain in the heart.
It is necessary to limit the consumption of animal fats rich in saturated fatty acids. At the same time, the share of products containing vegetable fats rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, phospholipids and vitamin E should be increased. The fat content should not exceed 50-70 g, the share of vegetable oil 30-40%. It is advisable to gradually replace animal fats in the diet with low-calorie margarines, with a fat content of up to 60%, as has long been customary in the West.
Easily digestible carbohydrates (sucrose, glucose), which also contain a lot of calories and, conversely, enrichment with foods with dietary fiber (fiber). Fiber, which is part of grains, vegetables and fruits, eliminates constipation, promotes “burning” of excess fat, excretion of cholesterol, regulates glucose levels (thus preventing diabetes), and prevents the development of tumors of the gastrointestinal tract. Leguminous crops are among the most ancient and are the basis of the nutrition of the population of the entire globe, in Europe it is wheat, rye, barley, oats, etc., in America - corn, beans, in Asia - rice, soybeans. They are the main source of vegetable protein and carbohydrates, fiber, and B vitamins.
Be careful with diets that prohibit bread, cereals, potatoes. Lack of fiber leads to indigestion. Hypovitaminosis B1, B2, B6 - to dysfunction of the central nervous system (irritability, weakness, memory loss, depression, fatigue), skin problems (dryness, peeling, hair loss). Therefore, bread (especially from wholemeal flour), cereals, potatoes should be consumed several times a day. Vegetables and fruits should be consumed 400-500 g per day, preferably fresh and grown in the place of residence. Boiled and stewed, as well as frozen vegetables, fruits and berries are also useful. Avoid fried foods.
To a greater extent due to meat and to a lesser extent - milk. Meat products are an important source of protein and iron. At the same time, meat products contain a sufficiently large amount of saturated fatty acids, which increases the risk of developing hypercholesterolemia and CVD. Therefore, meat products with a high fat content should be replaced with lean meat, poultry, fish, legumes, which contain less saturated fat.
A complete rejection of animal products is no less harmful than their excess consumption. With prolonged vegetarian nutrition, there is a decrease in immunity, anemia, increased fatigue, weakness, headaches, dry skin, hair loss, decreased spermatogenesis and sexual activity in men (zinc deficiency, vitamins A and B12, which are found only in animal products). The best option: meat - 1-2 times a week, fish - 2-3 times a week, eggs - once or twice a week and dairy products every day.
are an important source of calcium and protein. Calcium is especially necessary for the elderly. You should eat low-fat milk and low-salt dairy products, while maintaining calcium and protein in the same amount. Many foreign nutritionists believe that milk is good for children under 3 years old, but not for an adult. Because in a person older than 30 years, milk sugar - lactose - does not break down.
At the same time, many Russian nutritionists do not agree with this. In their opinion, milk is indispensable for people over 50 as a source of calcium (but you need to drink it constantly, then there will be no indigestion of milk in the stomach). Apparently, both are right. It is now well established that the amount of the enzyme responsible for the breakdown of milk decreases with age, but this process is individual. And therefore, for some adults, milk can really harm, for someone, on the contrary, it will be useful. The same nutritionists argue that milk is not a drink, but a complete food, and they should not quench their thirst and drink food with milk: it blocks the normal secretion of gastric juice. It is advisable to drink milk on an empty stomach in small sips. When milk is drunk quickly and in large quantities, it coagulates into large flakes and is more difficult to digest. The combination of milk with bread is considered successful.
reduces the activity of enzymes (lipases) that promote the digestion of fats, and increases the permeability of the vascular wall. Therefore, its consumption should be limited to 5 g per day. To eat less salt, use seasonings from herbs (dill, parsley, cumin, green onions, garlic, mint, etc.). They give the dishes aroma and peculiar taste, but most importantly, they facilitate digestion.
necessary at any age, but in an elderly person the need for them is higher. And why? Because he absorbs them worse. It is difficult to list all the diseases that their lack can cause. Vitamins stimulate redox processes and therefore improve the processes of processing fats and cholesterol in the body, preventing them from accumulating (Vit C, E, P, B6, PP, A). Vitamins C and P, in addition, strengthen the walls of arteries, reduce their permeability to cholesterol. Even a small deficiency of vitamin C can lead to serious consequences - mortality from cardiovascular diseases among those who receive about 50 mg of ascorbic acid per day is 15% higher than those who receive twice as much. Vitamin C helps prevent anemia. The fact is that it greatly increases the absorption of iron contained in animal products. In practice, this means that if you eat meat, liver, yolk (i.e., foods rich in iron), then add as many greens as possible to them, and then the absorption of iron will increase by 3-4 times. Vitamin C, as well as vitamin P, is found in many fruits and vegetables, but is stored for the longest time in cabbage, citrus fruits, and sweet peppers.
When a person has “third teeth”, i.e. prostheses, he tries not to eat raw vegetable salads, but prefers vegetable purees. Because of the “tender” stomach and the already not quite healthy liver, he refuses black bread. And as a result, there is not enough thiamine (vitamin B1) in the food, and although the elderly lady says: “I must have sclerosis, I forget everything,” memory impairment is not necessarily caused by sclerotic changes, but perhaps a lack of vitamin B1.
Such an unpleasant detail of appearance as fan-shaped wrinkles above the upper lip appears with a lack of vitamin B2 (riboflavin).
Lack of vitamin B3 (niacin, or vitamin PP) can cause symptoms similar to neurasthenia.
With a lack of vitamin B6, atherosclerosis develops faster.
Vitamin B12 increases resistance to oxygen starvation, lowers cholesterol levels in the blood, and with age it becomes more and more effective (for example, at 50-60 years old this vitamin does not help as much as at 70 and older).
The source of most B vitamins (except vitamin B12) are cereals, wholemeal bread, bran, seeds, nuts, legumes.
Vitamin B12 is found in animal products - liver, meat, fish, egg yolk, seafood.
Vitamin E plays a very significant role in the processes of formation of new and in prolonging the life of old cells in the human body, promotes the absorption of vitamins A and D. It has been proven that vitamin E slows down aging. There is an opinion that “flowers of old age”, i.e. age spots on the skin do not appear in old age if there is enough vitamin E in the body.
Food should contain a sufficient amount of foods rich in trace elements: calcium, magnesium, copper, chromium, zinc, iodine.
Calcium needed for normal bones. It is especially important for women, because. they are 5 times more likely than men to suffer from osteoporosis. Dairy products are a source of calcium. Cheeses contain the most calcium, but cottage cheese and sour-milk products are recommended for older people, because cheese is poorly digested. There is a lot of calcium in powdered milk, so it can be added to dough, minced meat, meatballs, etc.
Thanks to magnesium people suffer less from sclerosis, tolerate stress more easily, kidney stones and hemorrhoids appear less often. A lot of magnesium in buckwheat, oatmeal, millet, peas, beans.
Iodine activates the breakdown of cholesterol (found in seafood).
Selenium prevents the development of cancer - its source is seafood, especially herring, crabs, lobsters, yolk, offal, barley (barley, barley groats), yeast, wheat bran. Simple carbohydrates (sweet and starchy foods) interfere with the absorption of selenium.
Zinc participates in the processes of bone formation, affects the condition of the skin, makes us more resistant to stress, colds. Men need this trace element more, since in old age it prevents the development of prostatitis and prostate cancer (in the young it promotes spermatogenesis). Rich and affordable sources of zinc include herring, mackerel, oatmeal, mushrooms, wholemeal bread, and garlic.
It is better to get all the substances necessary for the body with food. But in old age, there is often a need for additional intake of vitamins and trace elements. Separate vitamins, as a rule, are produced in therapeutic doses and are used only as prescribed by a doctor for various diseases. For the purpose of prevention, it is advisable to purchase a vitamin complex in a pharmacy, preferably with microelements.
Our doctors believe that Russian drugs are no worse than imported ones. At the same time, Western manufacturers insist on the opposite. However, there is simply no serious scientific evidence confirming the correctness of either side. So make your own choice.
Of the domestic preparations for people of senile and elderly age, the most effective are “Dekamevit” and vitamin-mineral complexes “Complevit” and “Kvandevit”. They should be taken 1 tablet per day, preferably all year round.
In old age, you should reconsider some of your eating habits and remember that foods such as milk, cottage cheese, kefir, fish, wholemeal bread, buckwheat and oatmeal, a variety of vegetables, fruits, including raw ones, dried fruits, greens , sea cabbage and other seafood, vegetable oils, must be eaten daily; others - meat, eggs, caviar, sweets, honey, confectionery and flour products, chocolate, cocoa, coffee, tea - should be consumed in limited quantities. Refractory fats (lamb, beef, lard), duck, goose, fatty meats, brains, internal organs of animals, smoked meats should be consumed occasionally and in small quantities. And, of course, the abuse of alcoholic beverages and overeating is completely unacceptable.
For clarity, we give an approximate grocery set of preventive orientation.
Proper nutrition in adulthood
The aging process is accompanied by numerous physiological and psychological changes that occur in the human body. However, this process does not have any clear age limits.
Some at 70 look 30 years younger, while others at 50 have the appearance of an elderly pensioner. First of all, it depends on the quality of life, which is based on proper nutrition. This key moment affects metabolism, adaptive and compensatory capabilities, prevention of diseases, and much more.
Why the elderly need proper nutrition
It would seem that every person has an idea of a balanced diet and it is almost impossible to surprise him with new information. However, due to the restructuring of the body, as well as other factors, there are more and more requirements for the quality of nutrition.
This is primarily due to the following features of old age:
- digestion and assimilation of food deteriorates significantly;
- increased need for vitamins and minerals;
- intestinal motility weakens, constipation appears;
- less secretory cells are produced (gastric juice, enzymes, hydrochloric acid);
- the muscle tone of the stomach weakens, etc.
Involutive processes are accelerated due to alcohol abuse, low-quality food products, long-term chronic inflammatory processes, and harmful production of labor. That is why it is worth paying attention to your lifestyle, while still at a young age.
The aging process is very sensitive to excess calories, which lead not only to obesity, but also to such presumed pathologies as diabetes mellitus, atherosclerosis, hypertension, gout, urolithiasis and cholelithiasis.
On average, the daily norm of energy value in old age is:
- women - 2100 kcal;
- men - 2300 kcal.
In old age, this amount is equal to:
- women - 1900 kcal;
- men - 2000 kcal.
If the pensioner continues to work or is exposed to high physical activity, the need for energy increases. This moment is controlled by the stability of body weight. Daily caloric content should strictly correspond to the actual energy consumption per day.
The basic principles of proper diet in old age:
- Avoid foods rich in bad cholesterol, which causes atherosclerotic plaques. But, at the same time, it is not necessary to exclude foods rich in both them and anti-atherosclerotic elements, for example, liver and eggs.
- In order for the diet to be optimally balanced, it is necessary to diversify the grocery basket.
- You need to eat fractionally and evenly distribute food among individual meals.
- When preparing a dish, it is best to use foods that are easily digested, stimulate the motor and secretory function of the digestive organs.
- Limit your salt intake. This is especially true for hypertension. With this pathology, the diet should contain no more than 10 g of it.
- It should be noted that iron deficiency anemia occurs very often in the period of old age. In addition, the aging process reduces the efficiency of iron absorption in erythrocytes, and also reduces the reserves of bone marrow iron, so the need for this trace element is 10 and 15 mg for both sexes. You can meet him in fish, berries and fruits, in meat, grain products.
- Often there is a lack of vitamins. This is due to a violation of their assimilation or poor nutrition, so you should always focus on fortified nutrition and sources of their intake.
- It must be remembered that large food loads are undesirable, since the functional features of the digestive organs are moderately reduced.
- Each person has his own characteristics, which means that individualization of nutrition is simply necessary, taking into account the state of individual systems and organs, as well as metabolic processes, habits, etc.
In the elderly and senile age, the rate of intake of BJU also changes:
| Substances | The norm in gr. | Peculiarities | |
| Elderly age | Senile age | ||
| Squirrels | Women - 65 Men - 75 |
Women - 57 Men - 69 |
Proteins of animal origin should be at least 50-55% of the total amount of proteins. It is imperative to control the rate. In old age, the process of protein metabolism is reduced, and its insufficient intake leads to deficiency. Excess, however, provokes an extra load on the liver and contributes to the occurrence of atherosclerosis. |
| Fats | Women - 70 Men - 75 |
Women - 65 Men - 70 |
Animal fats should be limited, and in particular, fatty sausage and meat. Easily digestible milk fats, which contain fat-soluble vitamins and lecithin, can make up almost a third of the total fat diet. Ordinary butter in old age is best replaced with dietary butter. Vegetable oils are also very important and their daily amount is 20-25 g per day. Olive oil works best for this. |
| Carbohydrates | Women - 310 Men - 340 |
Women - 275 Men - 290 |
Preferred sources are foods rich in dietary fiber and starch, whole grains, fruits, berries, vegetables, wholemeal bread. Easily digestible carbohydrates are necessarily limited. This part includes sweets, confectionery, soft pasta, muffins, carbonated drinks. Their content should not exceed 15% of the total. |
In old age, the following foods are most useful:
- Fermented milk products with low fat content (cottage cheese, natural yogurt, kefir). They improve intestinal motility and prevent constipation, as well as strengthen bones and help stabilize and then control body weight.
- Sea fish (mackerel, salmon, herring, cod). It helps to reduce elevated cholesterol levels, improve the condition of blood vessels and circulation, and protect joint tissues from negative effects.
- Baked, steamed or fresh vegetables and fruits. They also help intestinal peristalsis and normalize gastrointestinal activity.
- nuts. These are products enriched with polyunsaturated acids and protein, which are so useful for the vascular bed of the brain.
- Vegetable oil (preferably olive oil). Reduce the likelihood of atherosclerotic plaques and, as a consequence, the occurrence of the disease.
- bee products. It is completely absorbed by the body, contains many vitamins and minerals, prevents the appearance of beriberi. Recommended as a substitute for granulated sugar.
- Soy food. This category does not include genetically modified soy, which is found on many shelves, but natural. It is useful for the prevention of cardiovascular pathologies, the appearance of oncological tumors, kidney disorders, gout and diabetes mellitus.
- Poultry meat (white). Reduces the amount of calories and fat in meals, provides a normal level of protein in the body.
- Whole grains. Reduce the likelihood of diseases in a chronic form, for example, heart disease, diabetes mellitus.
- Dried fruits. Especially useful for the digestive organs and cardiovascular work.
In gerontological practice, there is no concept of forbidden food, there is only an opinion about the preference of choice.
So the advice of experts predicted a restriction in the diet of such products:
- meat of fatty varieties and the same offal;
- dairy fatty products;
- waterfowl meat;
- canned fish;
- carbonated drinks;
- baking, sweets and confectionery in large quantities;
- margarine;
- strong coffee and tea, carbonated drinks;
- alcoholic beverages in large doses;
- spicy, fried and salty foods.
You should not change your usual diet in favor of vegetarianism, eating only boiled or steamed food, or a paranoid energy bill. Such an approach is very physiologically unjustified.
If an elderly person is healthy, you do not need to exclude your favorite foods from the diet, you just need to review it and not get carried away with junk food often, because such one-sided nutrition has a bad effect on the body as a whole.
Proper selection of products depending on the disease
According to the Union of Dietitians, any course of a chronic disease can be alleviated by proper nutrition:
- Arthritis and arthrosis are treated by the predominance of fish, dairy and vegetable food in the diet. This is due to the fact that polyunsaturated omega-3 acids and arachidonic acid prevent the occurrence of inflammatory processes, and thereby prolong the stages of remission.
- Osteoporosis simply requires a sufficient intake of calcium (greens and dairy products), as well as a sufficient amount of vitamin D and protein, which help the mineral to be better absorbed.
- In the case of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, it is very harmful to consume easily digestible carbohydrates. But it will be very useful to include broccoli, asparagus, turnips, radishes, horseradish, cauliflower in the diet.
- If you have a history of hypertension, you should pay attention to foods enriched with potassium, which helps to normalize increased readings on the tonometer. These are citrus fruits, milk, potatoes, dried fruits, grapes, kiwi, bananas, broccoli.
- Chronic problems with the gastrointestinal tract are best eliminated with boiled vegetables, boiled fish and meat.
- Diabetes mellitus involves the exclusion of fatty, sweet, flour and any other food that contributes to a high increase in blood sugar levels.
In more detail about food restrictions and other recommendations, the attending physician will tell.
Diet and variety
The main principle of nutrition is its diversity, while a varied diet is recommended, taking into account all the recommendations of the food pyramid:
- at least twice a day, consume dairy products and eat protein foods (non-fatty meat, fish, poultry, nuts, legumes);
- eat fruits and vegetables, greens and whole grains or bread four times a day.
One of the important aspects of proper nutrition is the observance of the intervals between meals. This is necessary to control the quantity and time, distribution by chemical composition, energy value, a set of products and their total mass.
The physiological processes of aging imply a moderate decrease in the functional characteristics of the digestive organs. For example, eating large amounts of food 2 times a day creates a large nutritional load, as a result of which the body cannot digest and assimilate it fully. If you exclude long breaks and carry out frequent fractional meals with small portions, this will prevent the occurrence of an increased load on all organs that are involved in the digestive process.
| Meals 5 times (in % of the total diet) | Eating 6 times with diseases (in% of the total diet) | ||
| Breakfast 1 | 15 | Breakfast 1 | 15 |
| Breakfast 2 | 10 | Breakfast 2 | 10 |
| Dinner | 40 | Dinner | 40 |
| Podnik | 10 | Podnik | 10 |
| Dinner | 25 | Dinner | 15 |
| Dinner 2 | 10 | ||
Before going to bed, you can eat any light food (kefir, yogurt, apple).
Attention: it is possible to include fasting days on cottage cheese, vegetables and fruits, kefir, but complete starvation is strictly prohibited.
What does a food pyramid look like?
We have already said that about 2000-2300 kcal should be present in the daily diet.
Considering this point in more detail, you can draw up the optimal diet for a pensioner:
- The basic group of our triangle includes a large component of all products - this is 35%. This includes various cereals, pasta, bread, potatoes, etc. At the same time, it is very important to monitor the quality of food, but we will talk about this a little lower.
- Next we have fruits and vegetables, which own 30% of the entire pyramid. The only thing is that you do not need to include them in a pickled form. Frozen, boiled, dried, etc. are relatively suitable.
- The third group already includes protein foods and it makes up 15% of the total volume. Meat, chicken, fish, eggs or other alternative food. This is quite enough for the normal life support of the body. But it is worth paying attention to the fact that the percentage is low should be low.
- This group includes dairy products (15%). These are cheese, sour-milk food, milk. The fat content is also preferably low.
- Everything else is included in the last fifth. Here you can treat yourself to sweets and pastries, but do not forget that the percentage of the total amount in the diet is no more than 5%.
Such a pyramid allows you to correctly distribute and calculate your daily diet.
Approximate weekly menu for a pensioner
It is difficult to create a menu that meets the needs and tastes of every elderly person. However, for those who do not know how to eat right, we offer a visual look at a possible variant of eating behavior.
For breakfast, it is best to cook cereals, drink herbal teas. For a second breakfast, you can bake a fruit or vegetable or make a light salad. Lunch must necessarily consist of the first and second, supplemented with fruit juice, compote, fruit drink, etc. An afternoon snack is a light snack.
Dinner needs to be made simpler, but nutritious at the same time. At night, you can not overload the stomach, so before going to bed you can drink a glass of milk, fermented baked milk, kefir, yogurt, etc.
- meat and fish are preferably boiled, steamed, stewed or baked;
- the daily norm of sugar should not exceed more than 30 g;
- soups in meat broth should be cooked no more than 2-3 times a week, because there is an accumulation of substances that contribute to the development of gout, on other days it is better to cook vegetable first courses;
- every day to cook porridge or the second of a variety of cereals;
- reduce salt intake to a minimum;
- drink at least 1.5-2 liters of pure water per day, if there are no contraindications (severe swelling, for example);
- eat seafood as often as possible, which contain a lot of benefits;
- The last meal should be at least 2 or 3 hours before going to bed.
Properly balanced nutrition is the key to maintaining health in old age. If this factor is combined with other healthy lifestyle methods in the form of prolonged sleep, mental and physical activity, compliance with all sanitary standards, prevention of stressful stimuli and a long and regular sexual life, the effectiveness of recovery only increases.
The nutrition of the elderly should be formed taking into account 3 main factors: in the elderly, the metabolism slows down, the energy costs of the body decrease due to a decrease in physical activity, and there are diseases. Proper nutrition in old age will help maintain health, vigor and good mood.
Rule 1: Don't Overeat
In older people, the metabolism is slower, and due to the fact that physical activity is lower and less energy is consumed, excess calories increase the load on the body, provoke overweight and obesity. It is necessary to exclude foods that do not bring benefits (sweets, pickles, smoked meats, etc.), and use the rest in moderation.
Rule 2: Eat small meals often
It is recommended to eat 5-6 times a day in small portions. This allows you to maintain the level of sugar in the blood at a constant level, and also not to overload the body, the processes of digestion in which are slower.
Rule 3: Diversify your diet
The body's nutritional needs must be fully met. Therefore, the diet must necessarily contain 5 main food groups: grains, protein, dairy, fruits / vegetables and fats. It is worth giving preference to easily digestible foods and dishes. Cook delicious meals with a pleasant aroma.
Rule 4: Adjust your diet to suit your disease
Some diseases in old age require a reduction in the amount of protein in the diet, others require a reduction in the intake of carbohydrates or fats. The characteristics of the medications taken should also be taken into account. That is why when drawing up a diet, you should definitely consult with your doctor.
Rule 5: Fish is better than meat
Older people are better off getting protein from fish and seafood - they are better absorbed and contain more nutrients. It is desirable to eat them every day. It is better to cook seafood for a couple or boil. Meat should be eaten 1-2 times a week, soups in meat broth - 1 time per week. Eggs can be consumed up to 2-3 pcs. in Week. It is worth giving preference to low-fat milk and sour-milk products.
Rule 6: Choose plant-based fats
Give preference to unrefined vegetable oil. It can be added to salads, vegetable dishes, cereals. But you should not abuse vegetable oil either. Animal fats are also needed for normal cholesterol metabolism, but in small amounts. Enough fat, which is found in eggs and dairy products. Butter should be limited to 1 sandwich per day.
Rule 7: Eat special carbs
It is necessary to give preference to complex carbohydrates that slowly release energy, as well as indigestible carbohydrates (fiber), which promote the absorption of various substances, eliminate constipation, and stimulate the digestive organs. Give preference to wholemeal bread, vegetables and fruits, cereals (buckwheat, oatmeal, pearl barley, bulgur, quinoa, mixed rice). Vegetables are best eaten fresh, as well as boiled or stewed, vegetable and cereal soups, casseroles are good.
Limit!
- Foods containing "empty" calories: sugar, pastries, confectionery. Replace them with honey and fruits/berries.
- Fine flour bread and polished cereals.
- Legumes (there is very little to eat).
- Salty, spicy, smoked.
- Alcohol (the less the better).
- Salt (to a minimum).
Refuse!
- Semi-finished products.
- Industrial sausages.
- Fast food.
- Carbonated drinks.
