Nutrition – It Matters Especially When You’re Older
I’m pretty sure that in the 50’s and 60’s the food my mother had access to was much healthier than the bulk of what is available today. We would get whole wheat from the granary and grind it up in a hand powered grinder turned by whoever’s job it was according to the chore list. My mother got up every morning early to cook the wheat mush in a double boiler because she read somewhere that it was good brain food and that’s what we are each day, no Captain Crunch for us. We bought our food from a small neighborhood store and I’m pretty sure the food didn’t contain the processed additives that are present in much of what we eat today. As the food industry expanded, they needed to extend the shelf life and they competed to make their food taste better, which introduced the artificial ingredients, processing, and the expanded use of high fructose sugar - and that’s where we find ourselves today, eating unhealthy food.
It’s been my observation that every family has someone, even if they’re part of the extended family, who are champions of good nutrition. In my family, it happens to be a son who has been converted to the religion that what goes into your body makes a difference. He looks at the list of ingredients on food purchases and makes statements like, “it reads like a novel” or “why would you eat something that contains an ingredient that you can’t pronounce - let alone know what it is.” Now I have to admit that it sometimes gets a little tedious to be critiqued about things you eat by your family nutrition expert, but it has helped me make some real changes in what I consume, and I’m convinced it has helped me feel better.
I think the Make America Healthy Again movement was a clear reaction to America’s terrible eating habits, and I hope the Administration’s emphasis on improving our health will include improving our nutritional health. We just banned the use of some red dyes that had not been used for over a decade in Europe. And we are now starting to realize the effect these bad foods are having on us and have begun focusing on good nutrition, I hope it continues. Here are some basic steps to improve your nutrition.
1. Eat more protein throughout the day
2. Prioritize fruits and vegetables
3. Choose whole grains over “white foods”
4. Get enough vitamin B12 and vitamin D
5. Stay hydrated — even when you don’t feel thirsty
6. Reduce sodium (salt)
7. Choose healthy fats
8. Eat regularly — don’t skip meals
You no doubt have heard some or all of these tips on improving your nutritional health but there is another important aspect. . . eating clean.
The FDA has tried to regulate what producers can put into our food but the use of terms like “organic” and “natural ingredients” haven’t been defined enough so their presence on a label often doesn’t mean the food is healthier or that the food is clean. I personally have found that meat that comes from animals that aren’t injected with growth chemicals and are fed clean food tastes so much better. It does take some work but there are enough YouTubers and bloggers that can give you the straight skinny on how to find clean food. The nutritional expert in your family will certainly be helpful in guiding you to the places and foods that are healthy for you.
I must mention that the cost of eating clean and nutritional food is a definite barrier. As inflation continues to affect almost every part of our life, especially for older people who are on fixed incomes and find that paying for good food is a real burden. I do see the free market beginning to work in this area as the demand for good food increases. It is encouraging to see the Meals on Wheels program improve the nutritional value of their meals. Nutrition is a definite preventative measure that has a big impact on reducing doctor and hospital visits. Our lawmakers need to see the value of reducing barriers to good nutritious food.
There is one other thing that I think is quickly becoming an important nutritional issue. It is no secret that there are huge numbers of people over 50 that are taking GLP-1 appetite suppressing medicines and losing significant amounts of weight. I know many people who have been using the injections for over a year with amazing results. I think the pure health benefit of losing large amounts of weight needs to be recognized. I have got to believe that someone needs to be tracking the cost reduction in healthcare costs due to losing weight. However, there is a side effect of this weight loss that we need to pay attention to - the loss of muscle mass and strength that often accompanies this change. It brings me to the number 1 health tip above. It is estimated that by the time we reach 70 to 80 years old we have lost 20 to 40% of our muscle mass, and this is before we’ve lost a lot of weight. It is doubly important for those who are losing weight that we increase our protein intake and our exercise routines.
I’m tired of losing yards on every club in my golf bag so I’m going to increase my protein and my exercise - and I hope you pay more attention to what you eat and recognize how important nutrition is to your overall health, especially as you grow older.
Best, Thair