Can Nutrition Help Slow Down the Aging Process?

People have been searching for the “fountain of youth” for a long time. Unfortunately, the search continues. Each day, we get older, and it is a blessing, and it could potentially be a curse. At one end of the spectrum, each day brings another opportunity for us to learn and grow. However, at the opposite end, we become more susceptible to things such as heart disease, osteoporosis, diabetes, and arthritis. However, medical research has shown that we have the power to slow down the aging process and even prevent many of these ailments with nutrition.

It is estimated that nearly one half of all health problems in the elderly are related to poor nutrition. The elderly are by and large some of the most poorly nourished people. Some reasons for this are as you age your sense of taste and smell decreases, it is harder to chew, and in some cases you just do not feel hungry. Additionally, financial reasons may affect the food choices made and it may be harder to get out and shop for food due to various physical factors.

However, we begin forming poor eating habits when we are young. We can partially blame our busy lifestyles for this problem. We pick up quick and easy “processed” foods at the supermarket and fast food restaurants. These items are very appealing and satisfy our taste buds, though extremely unhealthy.

Here are a few things that you can do to plan for better nutrition in your diet and a healthier life as you get older:

1. Plan out regular meals for each day and try to include vegetables in at least two of them every day. If you must snack, use fruits and vegetables rather than junk food like potato chips and candy.
2. Minimize processed and fast foods.
3. When grocery shopping, especially for processed foods, read the nutritional label and consider:
   1. Serving size
   1. Sodium content
   1. Fat – the good, bad, and really bad
   1. Ingredients – usually listed in descending order by weight. Beware of ingredients that you are unable to pronounce. These are highly processed and unhealthy.
4. Be creative. Make each of your meal plates colorful and appealing. Different colored vegetables, for example contain different nutrients so the idea here is, mix it up.
5. Make nutrition a family affair. Get everyone involved in understanding the importance of nutrition. Allow them to be involved in your food choices and make it fun!

This is not an all-inclusive list of things you can do to ensure that you set yourself up for success as you age. Think of other things that you can do to improve your nutrition. Also, stay active and incorporate mindfulness and exercise into your lifestyle. We will take a deep dive into these topics later.

Aging may be inevitable but that does not mean that you cannot get older and enjoy a healthy quality of life with a steady diet of proper nutrition. You have the power to maintain or improve your health well into your golden years by making simple changes to your nutrition now.