Senior Wellness: How Nutritional Needs Change as You Age

Highlights:

• Adults over age 50 have specific nutritional needs.
• Older adults need more vitamin D, calcium, vitamin B-12, and protein.
• People 50+ are at higher risk for obesity, osteoporosis, heart disease, memory loss, diabetes, and macular degeneration.
• Avoiding high-GI (and high glycemic load) foods are critical. . .so is avoiding white foods and pre-packaged meats.
• Better metabolism helps the body, brain, and digestive system.
• A faster metabolism helps us avoid age-related muscle loss and helps us burn fat more efficiently.
• Research shows that a low-glycemic high-protein diet (LGHP) — including Almased — can boost the basal metabolic rate (BMR), increase calorie burning and improve how the body handles fat and carbohydrates.
• You can complement your new and improved diet and physical activity program with Almased, the low-glycemic and high-protein shake that helps us optimize our metabolic health!
• Almased — along with a healthy diet and physical activity —  helps us not to be chained to our genetics and frees us to write the next chapter of our health destiny!

Seniors: Want To Write the Next Chapter of Your Own Health Destiny?

Children are not little adults; their nutritional needs are very different than those of grown-ups. 

So, in the same way, adults over age 50 need different nutrients than do people in their 20s or 30s.

It’s true; we need to change the way we eat in our senior years. When we move less, our bodies carry less muscle mass and our metabolic rate slumps.

Older adults often need fewer calories simply due to the aging process. But adults can easily fall into a state of malnutrition, so it’s essential that older adults get enough nutrition and the right nutrition.

In fact, in some ways, the nutritional needs of a senior citizen are as high or higher than those of younger adults. For example, as we get older, we have an increasing demand for protein, vitamin D, calcium, and vitamin B-12.

Plus, the body is less able to absorb nutrients as we age. For instance, the stomach secretes less hydrochloric acid; therefore, less calcium may be absorbed.

Calcium absorption may also be lost due to hormonal changes that increase the excretion of calcium through the kidneys.

Balanced Diet for Seniors

As mentioned, protein, in particular, is super-important for folks as they age, but this life-saving fact is often overlooked.

Almased’s protein-packed shakes can help — more on this a little later.

Also, older adults are at higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes because of increased insulin resistance. 

Add to that the loss of bone mineral density, increased risk of heart disease, memory loss, and age-related macular degeneration — just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to nutritional challenges as we age.

Not to be taken lightly is the belly-fat that crops up out of nowhere. You may be eating the same foods as always, but eventually, overweight becomes the norm, even for seniors who remain active.

Our metabolism ages along with our bodies and can make us feel more sluggish. 

If you notice this slow-down, pay more attention to the food you eat because there’s a strong connection.

For over-50 adults who want to improve health, weight, and body composition, habit-change is essential, and a plan to improve nutrition is the best place to start. 

Some good news? Weight and energy levels are factors that can be controlled. Is there a best diet for seniors?  Read on.

Balanced Diet for Seniors

Many diets may appear to be the real deal, but they can wind up literally flushing your nutrition right down the drain. 

So you have to ask yourself: Are my current food choices helping or hurting my health?

Powering Up With Protein

As we age, lean muscle mass begins to decline, but this tendency can be significantly slowed with a generous amount of high-protein meals. The best recommendation is 50 grams of protein per day.

Fortunately, the Almased diet and food supplement is based on a low-glycemic high protein (LGHP) nutrition plan.

Better nutrition, healthier eating, and a sensible approach to weight loss can help you achieve the health benefits you want, including better blood sugar levels and enhanced heart health.

Plus, Almased alone gives us almost 60 percent of those 50 grams in just 27 grams!

And the blood-sugar-friendly part is nothing to sneeze at.

We’ve talked about low-glycemic high-protein diets before.

The glycemic index is a ranking system for carbohydrate absorption. The higher the impact on your blood sugar, the higher the glycemic load – 100 being the highest. Low-GI carbs are 55 or less. Protein and fats have none.

On an LGHP diet, you can enjoy a wide range of proteins, with meals that feature fish, free-range poultry, eggs, and pasture-raised red meat. 

Veggie protein sources like beans and lentils are helpful since they’re low-GI, high-fiber and high-protein. Adding beans to stews, whole grains, and other dishes helps to lower the glycemic index of the meal.

But since piling on a heaping mound of beans on every plate isn’t for everyone, supplementation with the right nutrition, including Almased, is key.

Veggies, Fruit, and Almased

Vegetables add bulk and are filling but with few calories. 

Most are welcome in any form, as long as you don't add the wrong kinds of fats. Avoid deep-fried foods and higher GI vegetables such as beetroot, pumpkin, and potatoes.

But keep in mind that the glycemic load, the actual impact of a food on blood sugar, can occasionally be more critical than the index. A glycemic load of 10 or under is good to shoot for.

And a few foods have a sky-high glycemic index but a low glycemic load, such as pumpkin (GI of 75 but a glycemic load of 3) and watermelon (GI of 72 but a glycemic load of 4).

That being said, many people prefer just to steer clear of high-GI foods, to play it safe.

Fruit can be served as a dessert or snack – or as part of an Almased smoothie.

While dieting for weight loss, stick with the lower GI fruits, such as berries. They can be fresh, frozen, or canned in water (not syrup). Blueberries, for example, only have a GI of 43, and they taste delicious!

Who You NOT Gonna Call? Shape-Busters!

Consuming too little nutrient-dense whole foods causes many significant changes in our shape that sneak up over time. 

Which foods are the worst shape-busters? 

Sugar, fake sugars and refined foods top the list, including processed and pre-packaged meats and white foods (bread, flour, rice, pasta).

A recent study by Dr. Kelsey Mangano showed that older adults with consistently high protein intakes have, on average, more muscle mass and greater functional strength than do those who consume less protein.

Research also shows that protein from plant-based sources is just as beneficial for overall strength as protein from meat or dairy. Mangano says that to avoid muscle loss and maintain strength into a ripe old age, you don’t have to choke down a pile of grilled chicken. 

Dr. Charles Shively writes: The body, brain, digestive system, and muscles all need the faster metabolism, fat-burning energy, and diabetes-friendly support associated with an LGHP diet.

You can delay aging and disease with a science-backed eating strategy. 

The LGHP Diet is optimized metabolism and, like Almased, is all about improving the shape of things to come.

A Healthy Diet for Seniors

Eating an LGHP diet is healthy, and you can feel the difference. Eating low- glycemic and high-protein may very well be the ideal diet for older adults.

Recent research conducted at the University of Alberta shows that a low-glycemic high-protein diet can boost the basal metabolic rate (BMR). In addition, it can also increase calorie burning and improve how the body handles fat and carbohydrates. Results were also presented at international obesity conferences.

The result? 

Less weight, less fat, and fewer inches while sleeping better and waking up more energized and ready to start each day.

Interested? 

The Almased nutritional supplement was developed in Germany almost 30 years ago. 

The company that makes Almased is still a family business and is Germany’s best-selling weight-loss product, and for a good reason: It's simple, and it works!

Why Almased?

Almased is a low-GI high-protein diet, which supports healthy blood sugar levels and helps anyone who wants to feel more energized throughout the day, and with fewer (or no) cravings.

Made from pure non-GMO soy protein, cultured yogurt, and live enzyme-rich raw honey, Almased makes you feel good.

The select fermentation method preserves the essential amino acids in Almased, and even a single daily serving of Almased supports overall health and wellness.

Almased, along with a healthy low-GI high-protein meal plan, can help you achieve your personal health goals for glucose health, heart health, and weight management.

Ignite your body’s repair and rejuvenation tools today!

While genetics can't be altered and chronological aging is inevitable, Almased — along with a healthy diet and physical activity —  helps us to not be chained to our genetics and frees us to write the next chapter of our own health destiny!

Life is better with a healthy body.