Fara 18 November 2009 Food Pyramid, General Health 115 views No Comment/Trackback Print This Post  Email This Post

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Food Pyramid for Senior Citizen

Senior citizen and old people above the age of 70 have their own food pyramid too. Learn what it is made up for a better eating plan.

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Modified MyPyramid for senior citizen (Credit:Tufts University). Download and get more info about this food pyramid by clicking the above image.

Food pyramid is more than just a guideline for your daily food and nutrition intake; it also serves as the main foundation of good eating for people of all ages and concisely shows how much of each type of food should be eaten in order to stay healthy. We have the general food pyramid, food pyramid for kids and this time the article’s coverage will be on senior citizen’s food pyramid. Since different groups of people are not identical, there goes the string of different categories of food pyramids.

Through technological advancement in the food industry, science and medical stream had seen research results that showed aging process can be slowed down with a good diet. Obviously, the function of an older adult’s body is less accelerated than those of young adults and children. As people age, their body’s metabolism will see changes in terms of rate, decreasing in appetite and absorption of nutrition by the body.

Water

Researches at Tufts University had developed a modified version of the food pyramid for older adult aged 70 and above with one added section of the pyramid which is water. The reason behind this is due to the fact that older people has poorer kidney function than what a normal person has, thus making them feel less thirsty, but their body by right needs just as much water as a normal person needs.

They need eight glasses of water or more to cater to bodily functions such as:-

• To ensure that nutrients are transmitted to all cells in the body
• To avoid constipation
• To protect them against dehydration which can cause fatigue, headache and skin problems

Vitamin and Mineral Supplements

‘Weak bones’ is a typical problem for older people, especially. Another problem that is faced due to aging is the reducing capability of the cells in the body to absorb certain nutrients and minerals such as Calcium, Vitamin D and Vitamin B12. This is one reason why another addition has been made to the pyramid where besides natural and organic sources of minerals and vitamins, there is also a grave need for supplements. Supplements for senior citizen can help provide more of these lacking nutrients, which is critical for healthy nerves, blood and bones. However, which and what type of supplement you should take highly dependant to what your professional physician prescribed you to take. It is wrong to believe that consuming supplement alone will fix all the conditions that come from aging. You will still need healthy eating plans to accommodate a good diet.

Besides the two listed above, the rest of a senior’s citizen food pyramid doesn’t differ much from the general food pyramid. An older person will still need about five servings of fruits and vegetables a day. Older people are advised to indulge more on fresh fruits to savor their sweet tooth rather than opting for cakes and cookies. This is because, older people have very low metabolism to burn calories and these food items are loaded with calorie and hard to shed off from the system – thus came the weight problem that many old people are experiencing. Older people too are recommended to take three or more servings of low-fat milk, yogurt or cheese each day, whereby poultry and red meat should only be eaten occasionally and in minimal amount. Saturated fats should be eaten as little as possible.

 Related posts:

1. Food Pyramid Diagrams for Kids – Learn the right foods to eat
2. Printable Food Pyramid Diagram – Coloring Pages
3. Healthy Food Pyramid Diagrams
4. Dietary Fiber functions and food sources
5. Healthy Eating Plans In General