Aging contributes to many sensory and structural body changes. Smell and taste, hearing and vision decline and ultimately impact overall health status and nutritional intake.  If you can’t smell or taste well, food isn’t as appealing.  To counteract this change and enhance taste, it may be advantageous to try a variety of new food flavors, including low sodium seasonings and all kinds of herbs.   Food textures also play a part in sensory perception.  Vegetables should not be cooked so that they are mushy.

More difficult to resolve are vision and hearing loss.  Vision decline may make it hard to read food prices, recipes and nutrition labels and may also lead to a decline in cooking partially due to fear of using the stove.  Individuals may feel less inclined to eat out due to hearing or vision impairment.  Both of these losses could adversely effect nutritional status.

Structurally, lean body mass declines with aging.  One significant result of this is the decrease in basal energy metabolism which can result in weight gain.  Total body fat typically increases with age.  Foods high in nutrients rather than calories should be chosen to offset this issue.  Overall fat content in the diet should be reduced.

Bone density loss is another aging concern.  Women lose bone density at an accelerated pace after menopause.  Swimming, walking, aerobics and weight lifting can help keep osteoporosis at bay.  Dairy products and calcium supplements can also be helpful in the fight against osteoporosis.

Healthy aging requires many nutrients including iron, protein, fiber, calcium, and vitamins A, C, D and Folacin.  It is best to eat a variety of foods to meet these requirements.  Seniors often lack diversity in their diets and tend to eat the same foods over and over.  Suggestions to counteract this practice are to eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables daily, increase the types of textures in meals like including whole grain breads and cereals and beans of all types, and use color in food selection—three distinct colors generally constitute a good meal.

Reducing calories, eating nutrient-dense foods, and eating small portions of high fat, sugar or sodium foods can lead to healthy eating habits and good nutrition.  Click on this link for more information on Senior Nutrition:  Senior Nutrition- Denver CO metro area.

Gerri Tyber, Operations Manager
Barton Home Care