As we get older, it is vital to understand our health and nutrition. A balanced diet’s health benefits apply to everyone, but making positive food choices is the key to enriching your golden years. The five-star chef at Eastside Active Living values the importance of quality nutrition while providing a delicious dining experience for all residents. Our chef ensures our senior living dining menu is full of nutrition without sacrificing taste.
Senior Nutrition Basics
Our bodies continually change throughout our lives and it doesn’t stop at senior status! Some changes seniors face include:
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Changing Metabolism
No matter how active your lifestyle is, we cannot escape a slowing metabolism. As we get older, the body does not burn as many calories. As this happens, it becomes more necessary to eat food high in nutritional value to offset the difference. Eastside Active Living accommodates for any level of activity without sacrificing flavor.
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Digestive System
Senior bodies naturally begin to reduce the production of the digestive enzymes we need to break down food, increasing the chances of being susceptible to issues such as constipation, diarrhea, and gas. Adhering to proper nutrition is one of the best ways to combat such problems. Our chef provides quality meals to help you maintain your lifestyle.
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Shifting Appetite
Due to a variety of health concerns, one must often take medications to help. One of the main side effects is a change in appetite. For some medications, this means an increase in appetite. For other medications, it results in a decrease or even loss of appetite. It is crucial to accommodate for this change to receive the right level of nutrients.
Nutritional Impacts
Following a proper health and nutrition plan positively affects our bodies on nearly every level. Some of the many ways our bodies benefit from having healthy meals include:
- Bone & Muscle Health: Proper nutrition helps prevent falls and injuries and increases your flexibility, mobility, posture, and strength.
- Brain Function: Proper nutrition helps maintain and can even improve our cognitive functions and memory.
- Chronic Illness: Proper nutrition helps manage several common issues, such as cancer, dementia, diabetes, and high blood pressure.
- Immune System Strength: Proper nutrition helps make it easier to fight off colds and make it easier to heal from illnesses.
- Organ Function: Proper nutrition helps support the overall health of our digestion, eyes, kidneys, and liver, to name a few.
Nutritional Needs
While seniors require an increase in nutritional foods, it does not mean they need to sacrifice flavor! Some of the essential needs they need to incorporate into their diet include:
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Calcium, Magnesium, & Vitamin D
To maintain your active lifestyle, it is critical to keep bones and muscles strong. These three vitamins and minerals work together. Bones need calcium to stay healthy, magnesium works to supply it through the body, and Vitamin D helps absorb the calcium.
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Fiber
This is beneficial for supporting your health in several ways. As we get older, our digestive system begins to change, and fiber works to keep it working correctly. Including fiber in your diet helps you digest food and avoid constipation. Fiber is also crucial to keeping your heart healthy.
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Protein
Protein is essential throughout our life to remain healthy, but it becomes even more critical as we age. Aging causes a decrease in muscle mass, which can lead to problems such as falls. Protein works to keep our muscles strong.
Fine Dining At Eastside Active Living
Eating healthy can be difficult when living alone, but the professional chefs at Eastside Active Living make it easy! Our team of culinary experts prepares three meals a day that is not only nutritious but also delicious! Our head chef manages kosher, gluten-free, vegetarian/vegan, and a myriad of allergies, sensitivities, and conditions with ease for those with dietary concerns. We can assure you that you or your loved one’s dining experience will provide them with the nutrition they need to lead an active and healthy lifestyle.
If you have any questions about senior living dining at Eastside or are considering making it a home for you or a family member, simply send us a message or call us at (954)-923-5057. Here, senior care has a new meaning.
