As we get older, adopting a healthy lifestyle becomes increasingly important for avoiding health complications. This is particularly true for senior citizens, especially seniors who have existing medical issues already.

Small Changes Can Offer Dramatic Results

A healthy diet is a great way to begin making better choices and offers many health benefits such as increased energy levels, helps control weight and helps minimize negative effects of existing health issues. If you are a senior citizen and still live in your own home, you will need to do most of the work of planning your meals and changing the structure of your diet.

However, if you live at a Hawaii senior assisted living facility, you would have staff members available to you who can help design the details of a healthy diet.

Seniors are high risk for a long list of complications simply because when we get older, we are more susceptible to current health problems causing unexpected complications, with an entire new set of issues to manage. Proper nutrition and a healthy diet are perhaps the most significant change you can make in your lifestyle, as it offers noticeable benefits almost immediately.

Nutrition Recommendations for Senior Citizens

• Increase intake of fruit and vegetables
• Include whole grains and lean protein in moderation
• Minimize sweets such as ice cream, cake, candy and sugar packed pastries
• Limit and monitor the amount of sodium
• Include healthy foods that contain calcium for bone strength
• Replace fatty cooking oil with olive oil, coconut oil or grape seed
• Target daily fiber intake should be approximately 30 grams from whole grains
• Nuts, seeds, eggs and leafy greens offer elevated amounts of vitamin B, which helps increase energy levels and stabilizes blood sugar
• Stick to raw fruit and vegetables for snacking
• Avoid fried foods
• Red meat and pork should be included in very limited amounts due to high levels of saturated fat
• Significantly increase daily water intake

Making big changes in life is always difficult and requires discipline. However, once you begin to see and feel the positive impact a healthy diet has on your overall health and energy level, you will be more committed than ever to sticking with it! Just keep in mind, before making any big changes that could potentially affect your health, you should consult with your doctor, Hawaii senior assisted living facility or medical professional responsible for your care.