The importance of nutrition begins to take center stage as we age when it comes to boosting energy and increasing overall well-being. Proper nutrition matters at any age, but seniors, in particular, need to take their dietary choices seriously if they want to enjoy optimal health as they age. Despite the importance of nutrition as we get older, lots of seniors aren’t getting all the nutrients they need to thrive and feel their best. In fact, malnutrition is a common issue among the elderly, especially those who live in nursing homes and assisted living facilities. Whether you’re getting older yourself and want to stay healthy for as long as possible, or if you have an elderly loved one whom you want to help stay nourished, there are a lot of important factors to keep in mind. Read on to learn everything you need to know nutrition for seniors.

 

Elderly Nutrition Needs

Why is nutrition important for senior citizens? Well, as we age, our nutrition requirements change.
Older adults are at a greater risk of certain nutrient deficiencies, which can make them more vulnerable to lifestyle and diet-related health conditions (this includes things like diabetes, heart disease, and cancer).
The following are some of the most common nutrient deficiencies that seniors may deal with as they get older:
Calcium

As we get older, our risk of osteoporosis (a condition that causes the bones to become weak and brittle) increases. This, in turn, increases our risk of experiencing fractures when we fall.
To minimize the risk, it’s important for seniors to consume adequate amounts of calcium. Calcium is a mineral that promotes strong, healthy bones. It is found in dairy products, as well as leafy greens, almonds, and canned fish like sardines and salmon.

Vitamin D

In addition to calcium, it’s important for seniors to consume enough vitamin D, too. Vitamin D is necessary for proper calcium absorption. It also promotes a strong immune system and can help to improve one’s mood.
The best source of vitamin D is direct sunlight, something that seniors often don’t get in sufficient amounts (especially when they live in nursing homes or retirement communities). It’s also found in foods like salmon and egg yolks.

Fiber

Fiber plays an important role in proper digestion. It helps to keep people regular and reduces one’s risk of experiencing digestive issues like constipation and diarrhea.
Eating adequate amounts of fiber has been linked to a reduced risk of heart disease, diabetes, and certain types of cancer as well. Fruits and vegetables are good sources of fiber, as are whole grains.

Vitamin B12

Many seniors aren’t getting enough vitamin B12. A deficiency in this vitamin, which plays a key role in proper blood cell health and function, can lead to anemia, fatigue, and memory problems. Red meat is a great source of vitamin B12, as are other animal protein sources like chicken and fish.

Potassium

Without enough potassium, seniors may be more prone to high blood pressure. This is especially true if their sodium intake is elevated beyond what’s considered healthy (around 1,500-2,300mg per day). Potassium is found in a variety of fruits and vegetables, including bananas and potatoes. Beans are a good source as well.

Proper Nutrition for Seniors

When it comes to eating healthfully as we get older, there are lots of steps that seniors can take to ensure they’re meeting their specific nutrition needs. Here are some tips seniors (as well as those who care for them) ought to remember when planning meals:

Focus on Fruits and Vegetables

Seniors (and everyone, for that matter) should eat a variety of fruits and vegetables each day. High fruit and vegetable consumption will provide them with the fiber they need for proper digestion, as well as nutrients in which they might be deficient. Fruits and vegetables are great sources of antioxidants, too, which can help to protect the body against oxidative stress and cell damage.

Eat Enough Protein

Proper protein consumption is essential for seniors, too. Without eating enough protein, seniors will be more prone to muscle loss (sarcopenia). This, in turn, can cause them to lose strength and make them more prone to injuries.

Drink Enough Water

Dehydration is a common issue among senior citizens. This is because their sense of thirst tends to become reduced and, as a result, they often don’t realize how little water they’re drinking. To combat this, seniors should try to have a glass or two of water with each meal. They might need to set alarms to act as reminders as well.

Minimize Sugar and Processed Food

Seniors should minimize their consumption of sugar and processed food as much as possible. Sugar-rich and processed foods are often high in calories and low in nutrients. They’re especially not recommended for seniors who are dealing with other health problems like high blood pressure or diabetes.

Enjoy Healthy Fats

Healthy fats promote proper brain function and are essential for good overall health. Great fat sources include extra virgin olive oil, avocados, and fish like salmon.

Supplement with Care

For seniors who aren’t able to get all the nutrients they need from food alone, supplementation can be useful. Seniors might need to take vitamin B12 supplements, for example, or calcium supplements. Herbal supplements can be beneficial as well, to encourage proper organ function. For example, as the article, “6 Herbs to Enhance Kidney and Liver Function“, from Microbe Formulas teaches, Milk Thistle is an herb that releases antioxidants that help cleanse the kidneys.

Start Focusing on the Importance of Nutrition for Seniors

When it comes to meeting seniors’ nutrition needs, there’s a lot to keep in mind. If you want to live well into old age (or help your elderly loved one continue feeling their best), you need to remember the importance of nutrition for older adults, though.

Follow the guidelines outlined above and it’ll be much easier for you to ensure that you (or your loved one) are able to get all the nutrients you need.
If you’re looking for more nutrition advice for seniors, don’t forget to check out the Health section of our site. We’ve got lots of other great resources here, including tons of delicious and nutritious recipe ideas.

During the holidays, there are so many things to look forward too. People are walking around singing and smiling. Everywhere you go, you see lights and decorations. More importantly, you get to see family. The best moments during the holidays happen at grandma’s house. Your grandma’s house has everything you need and love during the holidays. It doesn’t officially feel like the holidays if you don’t go to grandma’s house.

Treats

Your grandma’s job is to spoil everyone. As soon as you walk in, you can smell all the delicious treats waiting for you. During the holidays, it is multiplied by three. The kitchen and house will be filled with different holiday cookies and cakes. Grandma makes the holidays extra special with holiday drinks that she creates every year. She will whip out her holiday recipes to make her holiday famous drinks. Holiday Joy Mocha is a holiday favorite made with:

• ¹⁄₄ oz. Monin Coconut Syrup
• ¹⁄₂ oz. Monin Dark Chocolate Sauce
• steamed milk
• 1 shot(s) espresso
• ¹⁄₄ oz. Monin Almond (Orgeat) Syrup

Combine ingredients, except milk, in a serving cup. Stir and set aside. Steam milk in a pitcher. Pour steamed milk into serving cup, stirring gently. Garnish.

Anything made with flavoured syrup is a must during this time of year.

Gifts at Grandma’s House

You can always count on grandma to have gifts waiting for you at her house. If you don’t get gifts from anyone during the holidays, grandma will always get you something. You don’t always get what you want from her, but you always get something you need. You don’t have to tell her you need it, she just always knows. One of the many reasons that make grandma’s house one of the places you have to go for the holidays is because she will never disappoint you.

Decorations

Grandma’s house always has the best decorations. You can see the biggest and boldest lights in many different places. None of those lights have anything on grandma’s house. Her lights and decorations are always old fashion and comforting. You look forward to going to her house to see what she has up her sleeve this year. The decorations are a part of your holiday. Going to grandma’s house and seeing no decorations will feel like a part of your holiday is missing. The decorations put you in the holiday spirit. That is the reason she puts them up every year.

Food

When you go to other people’s houses, you have to try their food and see if you will like it. It’s new to you and most of the time you won’t like everything they have. At grandma’s, you don’t worry about that. She has your favorite meals waiting for you at the door. As soon as you walk in, you smell her famous macaroni and cheese. She makes all her dishes special for everyone. She knows who doesn’t eat what and who is allergic to what. She has a dish to accommodate everyone’s taste. That’s what makes her and coming to her house special.

To Go or Not to Go

When this time comes around, the questions always come up, “Do you stay at home with your family? Do you go somewhere different?” The holidays are a fun time to travel. There are always events and fun that are only available during the holidays. These places are full of new adventures. People take this time to take their kids on vacation and spend the holidays with just them. You will still feel like you are with family this way. These places are nice, but they won’t have half of the things that your grandma’s house will. The holidays are a time for family.

Grandma’s House Is The Best Place to Be

The bottom line is this—there is no other place to be during the holidays. There is no other place you can go and get spoiled rotten. There’s no other place you can go and no have to tell your host what kind of food you like. There’s no other place you can go and feel a year of happiness and comfort. There’s no other place you can go and feel at home. The only place that will give you all of this is grandma’s house.

Many of us think there is a time limit when it comes to investing. The truth is, anyone can start investing at any age. We see young kids using their computers and absorbing online research to where they are making big money. There are some adults who’ve never considered the stock market and probably never will. However, if you do get the itch to invest, do it wisely. It is never too late to start investing. Here are a few ideas to consider when thinking about investing.

Real Estate

Real estate is always a great place to start. However, the goal here is to step into this world slow and smart. We can’t make any excuses anymore with so much information on the internet. This means you have a plethora of sources to learn from. Take the time to study the market and understand the terminology. Consider the home rental arena where people are making a great passive income. Getting a few homes that you can properly manage could turn your world around in terms of money. With enough research, you can figure out the overall benefits of first-time buyer programs or discovering how someone else is being successful.

Dividend Stocks

Dividend stocks are becoming an exciting new way for newcomers to get into the market. Not all of us have the time to read long portfolios on every business selling a service. However, there are large companies that will always bring a return. Further, the opportunities to get these dividend stocks have changed. Today, some applications allow you to link a checking account and buy one or two shares. Dividend stocks will payout by financial monthly quarters. Depending on how many shares you purchase, you can expect a decent quarterly return. Consider the best healthcare stocks on the market as well.

It Is Never Too Late To Invest In Government Bonds

Government bonds can also be a lucrative source for investment, but it may take a while. These are mutual funds where the investment is within debt securities. The U.S. government and its agencies are responsible for issuing them to the public. The direct investments lie among T-notes, T-bills, T-bonds and various mortgage-backed securities that have a sponsored government relationship to Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae. These are perfect if you want to start small and grow big. They are low-risk to the newcomer who doesn’t want to empty their wallet on their first investment.

High-Yield Savings Account

A high-yield savings account isn’t your average savings account. However, the difference is that this type of account will bring you more of a return. Its high-interest rate makes it ideal for you to put more money into it as it only makes the return higher. Most of us have a savings account that’s doing next to nothing each month. This means you might find a few pennies coming back to you in the form of earnings. High-yield accounts with interest rates that are 2 to 4% make more sense. This investment is safe, but like every investment, there are risks to learn about. Even so, it is never too late to start investing.

Industry Funds

With technology changing the game for products and services, you should find an industry to follow and invest in it. It’s exciting to see the transformation of what’s happening in areas such as fast food or with medical surgery. Pick a stock or business you can research to see how they are changing the world. Follow their success that probably resonates with your tastes. 

You might already use their products in your personal life or with your family. New industries are emerging as well. In a few years, we might see a completely different type of money to buy goods. The point is to find an investment you can relate to. It helps when you are spending your hard-earned money.

These are a few ideas on how to start investing when you think its too late. Real estate is a great choice as you could rack up a few rental homes for more of a monthly income. Find one of the big businesses where you can purchase stocks and get dividend money each quarter. Government bonds have a little risk, but they are safe when you don’t know what you’re doing. Consider moving your savings to a high-yield savings account that gives you a bigger return. Look into industry stocks or businesses that cater to your interests and are worthy of your investment money.

We should all learn something new every day. Knowledge is power, so if you’re looking to gain new skills, enhance on your existing skill set, or climb the career ladder, you might want to consider going back into education. However, there are certain barriers that you may come up against along the way. With many of us working longer hours than ever, finding the time to commit to a traditional college or university can be very difficult, which is why studying online has become increasingly popular over the years. If you have taken face-to-face classes throughout your whole life, it’s only natural that you may feel a little apprehensive enrolling on an online course. But studying online has a lot of perks over a face-to-face environment. To find out more, here are 10 advantages of online courses.

Career Advancement and Hobbies

If you have studied at a traditional college or university in the past, you will know only too well how your week is filled to the brim with lectures and seminars. While it may not be too much of an issue if you’re a young student and live with family, for those who live on their own or have their own family to support, giving up work is not an option. If you can’t find the time to attend lectures, why not choose to study online instead?

Having the flexibility and freedom to study at your own pace and leisure can take the weight off your shoulders and mean you can get the most out of your course. To begin with, you should create a work and study schedule that you can use to manage your time more effectively. Understandably, one of the main reasons why you are studying is to boost your career prospects, so you will be happy to know that more and more employers are recognizing online qualifications, meaning you have just as much chance of getting the job you want as other candidates who’ve studied at a brick and mortar establishment.

Online Courses Offer A Comfortable Environment

If you’re the type of student who struggles in a real-life classroom, you may find an online course more beneficial. Instead of worrying about how your peers perceive you, learning from an environment that you’re familiar with, such as the comfort of your own home, can allow you to fully engage in your course and not get distracted. If you find it hard to study at home, there are plenty of other places that you can use to get stuck into your learning, such as your local gym, the café across the street, or a library.

If you live with others and need some peace and quiet to focus on your coursework, make sure that you find an area in your home that you can block off. For parents with young toddlers running riot around the home, you will know only too well how hard it can be to concentrate when you’re being interrupted every five minutes, therefore, asking your partner, family, or friends to step in and help will mean that you can get back to your learning without feeling guilty.

Lower Costs and Debts

For students who attend a brick and mortar university or college, there are all sorts of costs that need to be accounted for. Whether it’s transportation to get from A to B, or accommodation, many students simply don’t have the funds to afford the whole venture. If money is tight and you don’t have the budget to splash out, choosing an online course instead can save you tons of cash.

Studying online will mean that you only pay for the tuition fee, book supplies, as well as an online applicant fee. While there may be a couple of other items that you will need to fork out for, you won’t have to worry about finding somewhere to live. Once you’ve finished your course, the last thing you will want is to find yourself in tons of debt, so being able to save money where you can will put your mind at ease.

Responsibility and Self-Discipline

There are all sorts of skills and traits that you can learn from an online course which can be taken and used effectively in the workplace. As you won’t have lectures and seminars to attend, it’s up to you as to how much you get out of your learning. With no one stood beside you breathing down your neck, you will need to become more self-disciplined to ensure you complete your course on time and get the grades you hoped for.

While studying online will require more self-motivation, drive, and time management skills, try and think of these as positives, rather than negatives. When going into the working world, you will find that you will have to think on your own feet in many instances, so the earlier you can learn and utilize these skills effectively, the better. Whether you have a piece of coursework that’s due in, or an exam to study for, putting your social life on hold for a moment and using your time in the best way possible will mean you can solely concentrate on your learning.

More Choice of Course Topics With Online Courses

When thinking about what to study, there are all sorts of factors to take into consideration. One of the main reasons why people choose to go into education is to boost their career opportunities, so whether you want to advance in the healthcare field and study an online dnp or start your own business and study for an online MBA, there are a wide range of courses, degrees, and programs to pick from that span a variety of subjects and course topics.

It’s important that you pick a course that you’re passionate about and believe in. Even though you won’t have to pay out as much as you would at a traditional college or university, you will want to get the best grades possible and increase your chances of securing employment. No matter what sparks your interest, it’s advised to read into the modules that you will undertake, as well as check out past alumni ratings and reviews so you can be confident you’ve chosen the right course.

Avoid Commuting

Let’s face it, no one likes the hustle and bustle of commuting. If you have studied in the past at a brick and mortar establishment, trying to get to class on time in the morning can be a nightmare. Instead of having to run for a bus or train to get to your lecture, studying online means that you can learn and work from the comfort of your own home.

With no physical class sessions to attend, all you will need to do is jump out of bed and get on your laptop to get stuck into your studies. With all the resources available at your fingertips, you can pick and choose when to focus on your learning. What’s more, for those who have families, you can spend more time with your nearest and dearest without having to worry about getting to a lecture.

Improve Your Technical Skills

Even the most basic online courses require you to have some level of computer skills. If you aren’t the most tech savvy, the idea of studying online may fill you with dread, however, over time you will begin to adapt and learn useful technical skills that you can take with you into the workplace. Whether it’s learning how to create and share documents, incorporate audio and visual materials into an assignment, or completing an online training session, many employers require candidates to know how to work a computer, so learning technical skills can only benefit you in the long run.

Online Courses Boost Self-Esteem

While you won’t be with your peers in a face to face setting, that’s not to say you won’t notice an improvement in your confidence and self-esteem. After you’ve handed in a piece of coursework, you will feel a sense of accomplishment and feel proud in your abilities. While no one is saying studying online will be plain sailing, the obstacles and challenges that you face along the way will help you learn how to work well under pressure.

Networking Opportunities

There are lots of networking opportunities that you can take advantage of throughout an online course. Many online schools give you the chance to engage with industry experts, whether it’s by Skype sessions or a live chat. Gaining industry knowledge can help prepare you for the working world and boost your career prospects.

Increased Tutor – Student Time

If you have studied in the past in a real-life classroom, you will know how difficult it can be to get the attention of your tutor. With many students in the same boat as you needing help and advice, making your voice heard can be difficult. When it comes to online learning, you have the option to schedule in one-to-one sessions with your tutor, meaning you can speak to them on a direct level and get help with your coursework.

If an online course seems like the right option for you to take, make sure that you read into course specifications before enrolling. You will want to get the most out of your degree, so the more knowledge and research you do, the better.