After aging, the body’s metabolic function declines, coupled with a decrease in organ function. If the diet is improper, it is easy to encounter some “minor illnesses.”
However, a proper diet can reduce the metabolic burden on the body, thereby being more conducive to the body’s health.
Therefore, for some foods that are more challenging for the body’s metabolism, even if they are delicious, they should be consumed in moderation.
5 types of “delicacies” that increase the body’s metabolic burden, should not be consumed excessively by the elderly
The first type is high-cholesterol foods
Generally speaking, foods with high animal fat content also have high cholesterol. Therefore, the first thing the elderly should avoid is fatty meat;
Lean meat can be eaten with confidence, but should not be consumed in excess, it is best to limit it to within 250 grams per day. When cooking, use less or no animal oil and more vegetable oil.
In addition, foods such as animal organs, egg yolks, fish roe, etc., also contain high cholesterol and should be consumed in moderation.
Eggs are very nutritious foods, some people may eat them every day. It is recommended that the elderly should not consume more than 2 egg yolks per day and can consume more egg whites.
The second type is high-purine foods
High-cholesterol foods generally also have high purine content, especially animal organs, such as pig liver, kidneys, tripe, and fish, etc.
However, this is not absolute, for example, legumes have low cholesterol, but the purine content is not low. After being processed into tofu, soy milk, the purine content is reduced. Therefore, you can consume more tofu, soy milk, and similar products.
Purine substances are metabolized into uric acid in the human body, which is filtered out of the body through the kidneys. If there is a uric acid metabolism disorder in the kidneys, it can lead to high uric acid levels in the body, harming human health. Since the kidney function of the elderly is not good, high-purine foods should also be consumed in moderation, especially for gout patients. They can be eaten every day, but in moderation.
The third type is fried foods
Fried foods first have high fat content and high energy. At the same time, the nutritional value of the ingredients will change after being fried at high temperatures, such as proteins, carbohydrates, etc., are easily damaged. Moreover, after the oil temperature exceeds 150 degrees, some substances that are not beneficial to the body’s metabolism are produced. Since the basal metabolism of the elderly is declining, it is necessary to avoid them as much as possible.
It is recommended to use less frying, stir-frying, frying, grilling, etc., when cooking. When frying vegetables, the oil temperature should not be too high.
Fried foods should not be consumed every day.
The fourth type is sweet foods
Includes various candies, desserts, chocolates, as well as various preserved fruits, dried fruits, and other ingredients, all of which have high sugar content. There are also some high-sugar beverages that should be consumed in moderation.
Firstly, they can easily cause drastic fluctuations in blood sugar, which is not conducive to human health. They also affect the metabolism functions of the liver, pancreas, etc.
The World Health Organization has published articles stating: “Sugar addiction is as addictive and harmful as smoking, so it should be avoided as much as possible.”
The fifth type is processed foods
Such as bacon, sausages, salted fish, pickles, pickled vegetables, ham sausages, crispy rice, etc., these ingredients contain excessive sodium chloride and other food additives or preservatives. Excessive consumption will increase the body’s metabolic burden. They should not be consumed frequently.
The elderly should consume more fresh ingredients so that they can see the raw materials of the food. The daily salt intake should not exceed 6 grams.
Of course, consuming less does not mean not consuming at all. In fact, to maintain a balanced diet, we need to eat a variety of foods to balance our nutrition better. Therefore, we need to pay attention to avoiding picky eating, dietary bias, as well as binge eating. The so-called control means paying attention to portion control.
Recommendations for elderly diet:
1. Cultivate good eating habits, such as having regular and moderate “three meals”; avoid picky eating, dietary bias, and binge eating. At the same time, chew food slowly.
2. Maintain a light diet, consume less heavy-flavored foods; reduce salt, oil, and sugar intake; also avoid frying, stir-frying, frying, grilling, etc., when cooking.
3. Consume more liquid foods; such as drinking soy milk, milk, eating porridge, consuming soups, etc. Also, drink more hot water.
4. Ensure a balanced diet, eat 2-5 servings of cereals and starchy foods daily to meet the body’s carbohydrate needs. Consume 2-5 servings of high-protein foods daily to meet the body’s protein, calcium, and other mineral requirements.
Consume about 300-500 grams of fresh vegetables daily, as well as around 300 grams of fresh fruits, according to the body’s dietary fiber and vitamin requirements.
5. Avoid smoking, drinking alcohol, eating late-night snacks, skipping breakfast, and other unhealthy eating habits.
6. Maintain an optimistic and positive attitude when eating, which can help stimulate appetite and aid in food digestion and absorption.
Finally, it is important to develop good sleeping habits and try to avoid staying up late. Sticking to regular and appropriate physical exercise is also crucial for maintaining good health.
