A Holistic Approach to Health: 8 Right Foods for the Elderly

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), older persons are particularly susceptible to undernutrition. This scenario is made more complicated by the fact that a precise formulation of the nutritional requirements for the elderly has not been properly defined.

While taking care of senior members requires knowledge of medicines and many other things, you can easily ensure their intake of the right nutrition with a few simple foods.

Fish
Fish like tuna, mackerel, and sardine are good sources of Omega-3 fatty acids. Vegetarian sources of the same are flaxseed, soya bean and walnuts. They prevent the brain from ageing and thus protect from Alzheimer's disease. They also prevent Macular Degeneration (AMD) that leads to poor vision. Shellfish like crab, oysters, and scallops also contain vitamin B12, iron, magnesium, and potassium.

Dairy Products
These are products rich in calcium which helps maintain healthy teeth and bones. Dairy products are especially to be stressed upon since calcium intake generally decreases with age. Older women, more than anybody, should increase the intake of dairy products which provide calcium to prevent the risk of problems like osteoporosis.

Green Leafy Vegetables
Vegetables such as spinach, turnip greens and broccoli contain vitamin K that protect from bone degradation and inflammation. You can check our blog to learn about vitamin C foods that you can consume. They also have antioxidants that help prevent cancer. Iron-filled foods such as spinach provide haemoglobin which carries oxygen to the lungs.

Fiber-Rich Foods
The digestive system slows down with age and causes constipation. To correct this, seniors may consume nuts, wholegrain cereal, wholegrain bread, brown rice, brown bread, fruits, and vegetables. Intake of fibre also reduces the risk of heart diseases.

Fruits
Berries, apples, bananas, oranges, papayas, guavas and grapes aid in a variety of bodily processes. For instance, the vitamin C in oranges and guavas help with stress and fatigue. Grapes contain resveratrol that promotes longevity and improves cardiovascular health. Apples lower blood sugar and cholesterol. Bananas provide potassium and magnesium.

Eggs
Eggs are a cheap powerhouse of protein and can easily be assimilated into diverse diets. They contain choline which is a type of vitamin B that helps in managing stress and boosting memory.

Spices
Old age decreases the sense of taste. Thus, spices can serve to enliven the palate. Some of the options available easily are ginger, garlic, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, and turmeric. These relieve heartburns and colds, help with swelling, fight bacteria and reduce the risks of cancer.

Olive oil
With gradual increase in age comes a higher chance of memory loss. But one solution that has proven to be able to prevent memory loss is olive oil. It has also shown to prevent cardiovascular diseases.

##The Role of a Balanced Diet in Achieving Holistic Health

The traditional and natural approach has become well known in healthcare today so much so that even healthcare policies have chosen to incorporate them. Many of them recognise alternative forms of medicine for their immense popularity and have expanded from a stringent biomedical basis. TATA AIG MediCare (UIN: TATHLIP18004V011819) health insurance has AYUSH benefit that covers expenses of treatment undertaken as inpatient in any recognised Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha or Homeopathy hospital. One can now go ahead with traditional treatment without any worries of expenditure.

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