It has been drummed into your head many times – “you need to pay more attention to your diet as you age.” And yes, you’ve likely made a conscious effort to change your eating patterns, as you trust it is the right thing to do.
But why? What exactly happens, or can happen if you refuse to modify your eating habits? Your brain may be firing with a few reasons, but they are likely just scratching the surface of why your diet becomes so much more important.
Ready to find out why you need to make changes? Let’s go!
Age Related Brain Degeneration may Occur
It’s regarded as a natural part of aging, but it does not have to be. Why? Because development of mental deficits and loss of reasoning and faculties does not dictate aging.
It should come as no coincidence that many people of the orient live long lives while keeping their wits about them. The primary driving factor is diet.
Their diets traditionally (although dietary changes may be headed in a bad direction) consisted of substantial cold water fish, which are renowned for their high omega-3 fatty acid content, as well as high levels of lean protein.
Omega-3 fats play a critical role in maintaining the grey matter of the brain, improving blood flow, and modulating inflammatory processes in the body.
Your Metabolism is Altered
As you age, your metabolism slows and you are not able to process calories as fast as you once did, nor make use of spare calories. Though this is unavoidable to an extent, there are things you can do to “offset” this change.
For one, you can actively choose foods that yield lower caloric densities yet are very filling, so you are satisfied while not having to worry about weight gain.
You can also consume more protein rich foods, as proteins inherently require about 30% of their contained calories just for processing, highly energy efficient, as they satisfy you faster, and literally burn themselves!
These metabolic changes also increase predisposition to diabetes and lipid changes, making it even more important to modify your eating habits.
Changes to Skin Occur
Skin sags, and wrinkles appear everywhere. This is normally a result of loss of elastin and collagen, considered two structural proteins. The best way to slow this down? Protein and vitamin C (citrus fruits and bell peppers) consumption.
Daily supplementation or consumption can help slow down the process, although it is impossible to stop completely.
Oxidative Damage is Accelerated
Oxidation speeds up the natural aging process, resulting in graying of hair, cancer, and degradation of skin. The best way to slow down this process is ensuring your diet is loaded with natural anti-oxidants from a variety of low GI fruits and vegetables. Many of these fruits and veggies have been proven to reduce the effects of oxidation.
Loss of Mobility
The loss of mobility is a major contributing factor to the untimely demise of seniors, since the inability to move accelerates a range of associated disorders. Loss of mobility is compounded by a variety of other disorders, including bone loss, muscular atrophy, and pain.
By including foods rich in calcium, protein, and seafood, you can slow down or reduce the loss of mobility and be able to lead a longer more productive life.
Hypertension and Heart Disease
Foods that are known to be natural diuretics, or used as substitutes for salt can help keep blood pressure values normal and significantly decrease the risk of stroke or heart attacks. Likewise, some vegetables contain phytosterols, which reduce blood cholesterol and keep the blood vessels walls clean and free of impediments.
There are literally dozens of additional reasons why diet needs to be modified as we grow older, but the key is making informed choices on a grand scale. It’s your health and life, and you deserve the best!
