Senior Care: 3 Tips to Improving "Your Staying Healthy Score"

Senior Care: 3 Tips to Improving "Your Staying Healthy Score," written by Stan Lawson of Sequoia Senior Solution  


Do you know at what age a person begins the process of calcium loss?  If you said 30, congratulations. When we think about osteoporosis, we think of that happening as we age, but the process begins when we are quite a bit younger. So now that you are a senior (defined by AARP as anyone 50 years old or older) how are you taking care of your body, with its calcium loss and all? Maybe you already know the right answers, but you tend to forget. Don’t worry, that’s not a sign of dementia, it’s a sign that you are busy, preoccupied, or aren’t as motivated now that the kids are gone and you are cooking for one or two. Because we know that getting a gentle reminder never hurts when it comes to taking care of yourself, we at Sequoia Senior Solutions have developed the Your Staying Healthy ScoreCard to get you back on track. On the card you will have an opportunity to look at different facets of good health and decided if you are doing enough or if you deserve a pat on the back for doing well. There are 10 groupings. Let’s just look at three.

1. Energy

This is a different way of looking at your body than the way we usually do. As you age the requirement for energy tends to decline especially if physical activity is limited. But the need for minerals, vitamins and protein remains the same. It’s very important that you choose foods that are nutritionally dense, which means you still need to eat a range of foods to get all the minerals and vitamins you need, but with less calories.

This means that if you are more sedentary, you have less need for the energy or fuel from food to move around. This is just like you don’t need to go to the gas station as often if you aren’t traveling. But you still need to pay attention to the In Home Care: MyPlate for Older Adults I have shared with you before.

2. Fiber

Seniors experience bowel and constipation problems mostly due to reduced stomach activity. To overcome constipation, you should consume foods, fruit and vegetables that are high in fiber. But, bran and high fiber foods are not the solutions; they are too large and my hinder the absorption of some nutrients. To help your stomach work appropriately, you need to drink plenty of water, around 8 glasses a day.

First of all, your stomach is a muscle that can be stimulated by your body's activity. Less activity will mean less stomach and intestinal workouts for your gastrointestinal system. So you need to give the system a hand (no laughing) by eating proper foods, fruits and vegetables high in fiber. Thinking you can get enough fiber by eating bran and nuts is wrong thinking because these kinds of foods actually bog down the process even more. Go for corn, beans, whole wheat bread, and rice to get things moving. And do not forget the water to help flush all this goodness on through.

3. Calcium and Vitamin D

In case you were wondering if we would ever get here, here we are. Sufficient intake of vitamin D and calcium may slow the pace of calcium loss from bones, which begins at the age of 30 and speeds up significantly in later years. Foods which are rich in calcium include dairy products which should be eaten every day. Vitamin D comes frequently from exposing skin to direct sunlight, although some food like breakfast cereals, fish and fortified spreads contain vitamin D. If you are not sure you are getting enough there is a Vitamin D3 pill in 2,000 IU that can make up the difference.

You know including the right foods in your diet is the core of staying healthy. But let’s face it, often it is easier just to order junk food than it is to prepare a healthy meal. By including the foods in the Your Staying Healthy ScoreCard in your diet you can easily maintain your good health as you enter into your senior years. You can Download Your Staying Healthy ScoreCard Now.

What do you have to lose?

For more great information, please come visit the blog at our Sequoia Senior Solutions website. 

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