Nutrition-Seniors

Sign up for our FREE Wellness Newsletter!

By Brian Gokey, CFT, BSMET

Why do Seniors need good Nutrition?

Nutritional studies have clearly demonstrated that sound dietary habits adopted by seniors can promote longevity and reverse some of the effects of aging. With good sound nutrition, seniors can reduce the risks and severity of illness and disease, increase overall levels of wellness and vitality, and improve quality of life.

Common Diseases

The three leading causes of death among adults are heart disease, strokes, and cancer. Diabetes, atherosclerosis, and liver disease are also in the top ten causes of human mortality. All of these diseases are related with dietary habits and alcohol intake, and research has shown that these and many other diseases can be reversed or eliminated through dietary and lifestyle changes. Seniors, who face the most risk from these diseases, can therefore greatly benefit from healthy nutritional practices, especially if they are initiated early in life.

Good Nutrition for Seniors

Good nutrition for seniors begins with a good plan. There are four main nutrients that we take into our bodies - carbohydrates, proteins, fats, and water. A good sound diet consists of around 50% carbohydrates, mostly from complex carbohydrates. Protein needs to make up about 33% of our daily intake, and fats need to be around 15% of our daily intake, preferably from poly or monounsaturated sources. If we concentrate on the correct ratios of Carbs and Proteins, we will have the correct amounts of fats in our diets, so there is really no need to go looking for the fat for your daily diet, it will usually be there already. Vitamins and Minerals are also needed to maintain good health, and seniors need to get as much or more of these vital nutrients as younger individuals. Drinking alkaline water each day is certainly prescribed for those wanting to improve their health, especially seniors. More information on vitamins and minerals can be found in the respective sections of wellness4everyone.com.

continued below.....

Why are Seniors more Susceptible to Disease?

As we have stated before in the diet and weight loss section and the acid - alkaline section of www.wellness4everyone.com, aging is caused by the buildup of acid waste in our system. Sang Whang in his booklet "A New Scientific Theory of Aging and Reverse Aging" shows a graph by Dr. Lynda Frassetto of the University of California that there is a significant drop in bicarbonates in human blood around the age of 45. What this means is that our bodies are less and less able to neutralize acids in our bodies as bicarbonates decrease. If we pay attention to this and think a little we will notice that most adult diseases such as diabetes, arthritis, hypertension, osteoporosis, cancer and more start to be noticed as we reach above 45 years of age.

The Cause of Cancer? Other Diseases?

In 1923, A German biochemist discovered the cause of cancer and received the 1931 Nobel Prize for doing so. Yes, that is right. He stated in his book, "The Metabolism of Tumors", that the primary cause of cancer was the replacement of oxygen in the respiratory chemistry of normal cells by the fermentation of sugar. The growth of cancer cells is a fermentation process which is initiated only in the relative absence of oxygen.

How a Senior can Alkalize

As we talked about in the acid - alkaline and diet and weight loss articles, an alkaline (oxygen rich) diet helps remove the acid waste in our bodies and promotes oxygen presence on the cellular level in our bodies. In addition, we have talked about the importance of drinking alkaline water daily to "flush" the acid waste out of our bodies. We have also learned we can easily make alkaline water from regular water by using Alkalife® drops in our water.

Looking for more information on Senior Nutrition?

You can find more Senior Nutrition information in the Senior Nutrition articles section of www.wellness4everyone.com.

References

Sang Whang, “Reverse Aging” JSP Publishing, (1990)