Nutrition

                     fruit basket                                                                carrots and potatoes
                                                                                                                                         

As you age, your nutritional needs change. It may become harder for you to reach and stay at your ideal weight. This is even more true if your disability keeps you from getting regular exercise or if it is often hard for you to prepare healthy meals.


The purpose of this section is to help you adjust to your changing nutrition needs as you get older and to provide you with ideas on how to maintain a healthy diet.

Aging changes that affect nutrition:salt and pepper shakers

  • Decreased ability to smell and taste food may cause you to lose interest in eating.

  • Teeth and gums that are in poor condition may make it harder to eat and may limit the kinds of healthy foods you can eat. For example, fresh fruits and vegetables may become harder to eat.

  • Decrease in strength and flexibility can make food preparing food harder. This may cause you to eat more "fast-food" meals. These foods are often higher in fat and salt.

  • Medications may affect how your foods taste. If you take more than one medication, they may upset your stomach and/or cause you to lose your appetite.

Nutrition Effects on Skin:

As you age, eating properly is important, especially if you have a disability. Here are some important reasons why you need to begin and stay with healthy eating habits.

  • You need good nutrition to keep your skin healthy, especially as you get older. Your skin may become more fragile as you age and you need to be sure to take in enough fluids so that your skin stays soft. This may help prevent pressure sores and injuries to the skin caused by transfers.

  • If you tend to have skin breakdown, you may find your skin takes longer to heal as you get older. Eating a healthy diet helps your skin to heal.

  • If you have been instructed to limit your fluid intake, you need to work with your health care provider to determine the right amount of fluid intake for you. Be cautious with any big changes in your diet. Your bladder and bowel program may be affected by drastic changes. Start slowly!

Nutrition Effects on Bones:  hip bones

  • As a woman aging with a disability, you may be at high risk for osteoporosis. Proper nutrition plays a very important part in keeping your bones healthy and strong.

  • If you have impaired balance, if your eyesight has changed with aging, or if you experience joint pain or stiffness due to overuse and/or arthritis, you may be at higher risk for falling than you were when you were younger. You should try to keep your bones as strong as possible to avoid breaking them if you do fall.

Click here to learn more about OSTEOPOROSIS.

 

Nutrition Effects on Bowel/Bladder:   scales with food

As you age, you may notice changes in your bowel and bladder habits. This can be very hard for a woman who already has problems with bowel and/or bladder control as a result of her disability or as a side effect of medicines. A diet with plenty of grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, and water helps prevent constipation.

While drinking plenty of water is part of a good diet, increasing your water can cause problems with your bladder program. If you have problems with incontinence, you may need to take steps to prevent accidents. Here are some ideas:

  • Use the bathroom often - don't wait until it is an "emergency".

  • Try to empty your bladder completely each time you use the bathroom.

  • Wear protective undergarments, just in case.

PLEASE NOTE:

If you have been told by your health care provider to limit how much fluid you take because of health reasons, be sure to check with him or her before you change your diet. Be sure you know the reasons why you should limit your fluids. Ask for specific guidelines and drink as much as you can within these guidelines.

Use the Food Guide Pyramid to help you choose foods. To learn more, click on NUTRITION.

Click here to see the Food Guide Pyramid if you are over 70.

blue flowersDietary Supplements: A Word of Caution  

Good nutrition with a healthy diet has been shown to reduce the risk of many diseases such as osteoporosis, diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure. The best way to get the nutrients you need is through a healthy diet, not through expensive supplements that you may not need. While some supplements may be helpful in some circumstances, others may cause harmful side effects. If you are an older person with medical problems and taking prescription medicines you are at a higher risk for these problems.

If you are taking medications to treat your disability or control symptoms, it is even more important to check with your health care provider before adding supplements or alternative (complementary) therapies. Be aware of false advertisements that claim "miracle" results from the use of a dietary supplement.

Rule of thumb:

 pink flowers   If the promises about what a product can do for you sound too good to be true, they're probably NOT true.

 

Recent reports tell us that older Americans account for 60% of almost $17 billion spent on supplements each year. The diet supplement market is growing so fast that the government agencies responsible for enforcing advertising and making sure that these products are safe, properly manufactured and labeled correctly are unable to keep up with the growing market. As a result, there are products on the market that make false claims about their effectiveness and some lack warnings about potential harmful side effects.


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08/11/2003 12:51 PM