Importance of Nutrition for Seniors

San Jose Senior Care enables seniors to live happy, healthy, and independent lives in their own homes.

Seniors may not always know how important nutrition is. All seniors, regardless of their medical conditions, should be aware of their own nutritional needs. This will vary for each individual. It may be something that you should discuss with your doctor before making any changes to your diet. Nutrition plays an important role in over-all health. The facts provided below can help seniors make sure they are eating the right foods and getting enough nutrition.

1. Poor nutrition is a health risk for all seniors. There are many things that can increase the chances of poor nutrition. They include illness, taking multiple medications, poor dental health, poor eating habits and loneliness or the lack of socialization.

2. Since the need for calories is reduced with age, seniors need to choose foods that are rich in nutrients. Try to opt for foods that are high in fiber and low in fat. Reduce the intake of foods with high calories or high amounts of sugar.

3. Seniors may need more calcium, Vitamin D and Vitamin C. If you cannot increase your intake by adjusting what foods are eating, you may want to take a daily supplement to ensure you are getting enough of these important nutrients.

4. Seniors with heart disease or high blood pressure need to watch how much sodium is consumed daily. Processed foods contain high amounts of sodium. It is best for seniors to eat freshly prepared meals including vegetables and meats that are not processed. Seniors who do not have a health condition should not consume more than 3000mg of sodium each day. This number will be lower for those with heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure.