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Research has shown that proper nutrition can extend your lifespan and improve a person’s quality of life. An optimal diet may lead to less heart disease, obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, and some forms of cancer. Good eating habits throughout life can help to promote physical and mental well-being. For older adults, eating right can help to minimize the symptoms of age-related changes that may cause discomfort. Although the aging process affects some people differently than others, everyone can benefit from eating a well-planned nutritious diet.

Are Nutritional Needs Different for Older Adults?

• Physiological changes occur slowly over time in all body systems and are influenced by life events, illnesses, genetic traits and socioeconomic factors.
• Generally, older adults take in less calories, than younger people. This may be due, in part, to a natural decline in the rate of metabolism as people age. It may also reflect a decrease in physical activity. If calorie intake is too low, then intakes of necessary nutrients may also be low.
• As people age, problems such as high blood pressure or diabetes become more common, necessitating certain dietary modifications.
• As people age, digestive system problems become more common, and some people may have trouble chewing or swallowing.
• For everyone, it is beneficial to eat well and understand some nutrition basics.

What is Malnutrition and how do I avoid it?

• Malnutrition is a critical health issue among older adults caused by eating too little food, too few nutrients, and by digestive problems related to aging.
• Malnutrition causes fatigue, depression, weak immune system, anemia, weakness, digestive, lung, and heart problems.
• To prevent malnutrition as you age: Eat nutrient-packed food, have flavorful food available, snack between meals, eat with other people as much as possible, get help with food preparation.

What are Current Dietary Recommendations for Older Adults?

Fruit: Choose color-rich choices like berries or melons. Aim for 2-3 servings a day.

Veggies: Choose antioxidant-rich dark, leafy greens, such as kale, spinach, and broccoli as well as colorful vegetables such as carrots and squash. Try for 2-3 cups every day.

Calcium: Maintaining bone health as you age depends on adequate calcium intake to prevent osteoporosis and bone fractures. Older adults need 1,200 mg of calcium a day through servings of milk, yogurt, or cheese. Non-dairy sources include broccoli, almonds, and kale.

Grains: Be smart with your carbs and choose whole grains over processed white flour for more nutrients and more fiber. Healthy fats: Because fat is so dense in calories, a little can go a long way in making you feel full and keeping you feeling fuller for longer.

Healthy fats include:

1. Monounsaturated fats are found in foods such as olive oil, avocados, nuts (like almonds, hazelnuts, and pecans), and seeds (such as pumpkin, sesame).
2. Polyunsaturated fats include Omega-3 fatty acids, found in fatty fish such as salmon, herring, mackerel, anchovies, and sardines. Other sources include flaxseed and walnuts.
3. Avoid Trans fats which are found in commercially baked goods, packaged snack foods, fried food, and anything with
   “partially hydrogenated” oil in the ingredients.

Protein: Adults over 50 without kidney disease or diabetes need about 1 to 1.5 grams per kilogram (2.2lbs) of body weight (0.5 g of protein per lb. of body weight is close enough).

Water: Drinking water regularly may help us to avoid urinary tract infections, constipation, etc.

Vitamin B: After the age of 50, your stomach produces less gastric acid making it difficult to absorb vitamin B-12—needed to help keep blood and nerves healthy. Get the recommended daily intake (2.4 mcg) of B12 from fortified foods or a vitamin supplement.

Vitamin D: With age, our skin is less efficient at synthesizing vitamin D, so consult your doctor about supplementing your diet with fortified foods or a multivitamin, especially if you’re obese or have limited sun exposure.

Cut down on sugar and refined carbs: Unlike complex carbs that are rich in fiber, refined or simple carbs (such as white rice, white flour, refined sugar) can lead to a dramatic spike in blood sugar, followed by a rapid crash which leaves you feeling hungry and prone to overeating.

Eat more fiber: Women over 50 should aim to eat at least 21 grams of fiber per day, men over 50 at least 30 grams a day. Good sources of fiber include whole grains, wheat cereals, barley, oatmeal, beans, nuts, vegetables such as carrots, celery, and tomatoes, and fruit.

Mental Health & Mental Illness Defined 

Mental Health: “A state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully and is able to make a contribution to his or her community.” 

Mental Illness: “Health conditions that are characterized by alterations in thinking, mood or behavior (or some combination thereof) associated with distress and/or dysfunction.” 

Most Common Mental Health Issues 

• Depression 
• Anxiety 
• Stress 

How Poor Mental Health Affects Your Body 

• Changes in your brain chemistry can also have a big effect on your body. 
• Mental health issues contribute to a wide array of physical  problems that affect everything from your heart to your immune system 
• Changes in the brain have an effect on many of the body’s system; i.e. low levels of neurotransmitters such as serotonin can alter your pain threshold 
• Mental health issues increase your risk of illness because of increasing levels of stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline 
• Mental health issues can affect the immune system making it harder for the body to fight infection. 

How Exercise Improves Mental Health

• Help reduce anxiety symptoms and improve mood
• Help keep anxiety from coming back once you’re feeling better
• Release feel-good brain chemicals (neurotransmitters, endorphins)
• Reduces immune system chemicals that can worsen depression
• Increase body temperature which may have calming effects
• Help you gain confidence
• Take your mind off of worries
• Get more social interaction
• Cope with anxiety/depression symptoms in a healthy way

How Much Exercise/What Types Are Best for Mental Health

• 30 minutes or more of exercise a day for 3-5 days a week—Even just 10-15 minutes at a time
• Do what type of exercise you like best: walking, NuStep, gardening, exercise bicycle, aerobics, yoga, etc.—Anything that gets you off the couch and moving is the exercise that can help improve your mood

Getting Started and Staying Motivated

• Identify what you like doing: find out what type of exercise you like doing and you will be more likely to do it
• Set reasonable goals: think realistically and set small goals in the beginning
• Don’t think of exercise as a chore: view your exercise time as your time to yourself
• Address your barriers: find out things that get in your way of exercising and find alternatives and ways around these barriers
• Prepare for setbacks and obstacles: give yourself credit for every step in the right direction. If you miss exercise one day, don’t be hard on yourself. Tomorrow is a new day

How Therapy Can Help

• Therapists can help you find the right exercise for you to manage physical and mental signs and symptoms
• Define an adequate and specialized program to fulfill your needs
• Help you perform exercise safely and correctly
• Help you improve your independence and quality of life

When people hear “wellness”, physical activity and exercise is what usually comes to mind first. Wellness is much more than that. Wellness has four main components- exercise, nutrition, spiritual practice, and rest and relaxation. Wellness is about making lifestyle choices that can minimize the risks for chronic disease and maximize the quality of life. Keeping wellness in your daily routine can get tough. Sometimes there are not enough hours in the day to get what you want done. Wellness should be a top priority for everyone. There are some simple tips to keep wellness in your daily routine and to keep you motivated in doing so.

When introducing wellness into your daily routine you want to start with little bits. You don’t want to start with too much and get overwhelmed. The little bits add up, and that’s what’s most important and most sustainable. You want to actually identify your wellness goals and priorities. It’s hard to work towards something that is undefined, so you want to set a goal. The key is to make your goals become real, rather than theoretical. When making your goals keep “starting with little bits” in mind. Track what you are doing and acknowledge your results. The act of tracking your wellness goals and efforts, and seeing the work pay off, does improve your chances of being successful. With a tracking system you will be able to see what the results are, and affirm the benefit of your efforts. Schedule it- scheduling your wellness time for the week helps reserve the time so you can turn your intention into action. If you know that a block of time is set aside for wellness, you won’t be as inclined to fill it will something else. Having a support system is important to have. Surrounding yourself with people and environments that are health-promoting is important for making wellness an accessible part of your life. You need to be able to understand your inspiration. In order to prioritize wellness you must see the value in it. Have your reasons for wanting to achieve your wellness goals visible to you. This will remind you of why you value wellness, what you want out of it, and what you are willing to do for it.

It is important to keep all four components of wellness in your daily routine. With these helpful motivation tips it should be easier for you to do so. Remember your goals should be something that is achievable. Exercise should not be a huge obstacle for someone, try to find something that you enjoy doing. Nutrition does not mean that you need to be on a diet. The most important thing about nutrition is moderation, so do not try to cut something out completely. You want to slowly work in healthier options as you shift your diet into one that is more nutritious and life giving. Spiritual practice is something that can be different for everyone. You do not have to be a spiritual person to take part in this. Spiritual practice can be anything from prayer, meditation, journaling, singing, drawing, etc. These activities can lead one to have more peace of mind and a greater ability to handle life’s challenges. One’s spiritual practice can be very relaxing which brings us to our last component, rest and relaxation. Sleep deprivation has been linked to many problems, for example, stress and depression. Everyone needs their rest to have a better quality of life.