Senior living

Senior nutrition

Promoting hydration for seniors
As the fastest growing sector of our population, the health and well-being of the elderly is in the interest of all. Proper nutrition, as recommended by Canada's Food Guide to Healthy Eating, and regular physical activity are two important approaches seniors can take to enable healthy aging. Hydration also plays a significant role in healthy living for seniors.

Achieve your New Year's resolution to eat healthy
Once winter arrives, many people tend to go into hibernation mode: high caloric comfort foods are what we crave and we certainly get our share of rich food during the holiday period. However, for many seniors, these same delicious foods can come with a high fat and salt content that can affect their health and quickly derail any New Year's resolutions to eat healthy.

Are Seniors Eating Right?
Older adults have all heard what they should be eating each day. Three servings of fat-free or low-fat milk, cheese or yogurt. Three or more ounce-equivalents of whole-grain products. And abundant amounts of fruits and vegetables, striving for variety across all five vegetable subgroups. But how many people 50 years or older, are actually meeting those daily nutrition requirements?

Nutritional risk quiz: Do seniors have special nutritional needs?
We may be as young as we feel, but as our bodies reach "senior" status, good nutrition - important throughout our lifetime — becomes imperative. After age 50 — although 50 can hardly be considered "senior" — calorie needs (and appetites) gradually decrease, but nutrient needs remain the same or even increase.

A Well-Stocked Freezer and Pantry Can Mean Better Nutrition for Seniors
For many older adults, getting to the grocery store is not as easy as it used to be. Nutrition experts say that eating right and maintaining good nutrition is key to healthy aging, and seniors need to develop other strategies for eating right. Toby Amidor, M.S., R.D., a registered dietician and instructor at The Art Institute of New York City, suggests that a well-stocked freezer and pantry can go a long way toward helping seniors eat better when they can't get to a food market.