Best Foods for our Senior Years

Sammi Williams
Mar 31
2 min read

I would consider myself heading closer to my senior years and I want to be geared with the knowledge of what is going to be best for me. I have a resource 'Foods that Harm, Foods that Heal' and it is such a good book to have on hand.

We are so lucky that in today's world there has been so much research and information for us out there to learn what is going to be the best food choices for us to consume to keep us healthy and out of the doctors rooms... I feel we are a bit more mature in wanting to look after ourselves better but this can also become harder to do the older we get. We have so many health conditions that we need to ward off so now is the time to get started and hopefully some tips/reminders to keep you busy.

Eat less, but make the kilojoules count: our metabolism slows down as we get older which means we don't need to eat like we used to but the trick here is to make sure we are still getting all of the nutrition we need. Think about the essential vitamins and minerals we need such as fibre, calcium vitamin D, protein and vitamin B12. I didn't know this but "studies have found that those who eat less actually live longer, not only because they maintain a more healthy bodyweight, but also because they may be producing fewer damaging free radicals."
Colour your plate: I love a plate full of colourful wholefoods like fruit and veggies, legumes, nuts and seeds. All the colours give you health benefits... look them up and find out more as to why it's important to include this into your meals.
Spice up your menu: our taste buds are not what they used to be as these start to diminish too. Get creative with more herbs and spices in your meals and remember that by adding too much salt can cause some health risks. I love adding cinnamon to my morning porridge and lots of fresh herbs to my meals. Cumin and Ground Coriander to my roast veggie mix too is yummy.
Cut down on red meat and chicken: the Okinawan's in Japan live the longest and their diet is full of healthy grains, vegetables, fish and soy and very lean on the meat and dairy. You will get less unhealthy fats in your diet and more antioxidants.
Keep up your fluids: Water is so good for us and I know I forget to drink as much as I should. It doesn't help either if a bladder issue gets in the way. Dehydration can be a factor in not drinking the amount we need which can make us feel dizzy and fatigued and certainly does not help in the regular bowel department! Try drinking 6-8 glasses daily and a drink bottle is a good item to have on hand so you know how much you are getting.