May, 2003
If you are 55 or older, you may find that
food doesn't hold as much pleasure as it once did, that
good nutrition doesn't mean as much---you know you need
to eat, but especially if you're bedridden or not as active
as you once were, you don't feel the appetite.
Also, your children have expressed concerns
about the milk in your refrigerator that's been there since
Christmas---but you have difficulty seeing or smelling.
In addition, if you are isolated, as in widowed
or divorced, and don't have close family or friends, you
may become depressed, which lowers your appetite further,
or makes you eat when you're not hungry in order to get
a quick emotional high.
You've always taken care of yourself and your
children, and now doctors and grown kids are nagging at
you to eat balanced meals. The following hints can save
you and your loved ones:
-
Have your eyeglass prescription checked
so that you can read food labels.
-
Eat spinach for lutein, which helps
resist or prevent macular degeneration, or loss of eyesight.
This is a double whammy that gives nutrition and disease
prevention.
-
Buy a juicer and make homemade juice---just
like when you were a kid.
-
Share dinner with friends---it's no
fun cooking for one, especially if you've been making
meals for a family of six.
-
If you are bedridden or required to
sit for long periods of time, keep a plate of fresh
vegetables and fruit on your tray and munch while reading
your favorite mystery or watching the news.
-
Drink plenty of purified water, which
boosts your energy level.
-
If you're mobile, get active---your
local community or senior center has activities for
all levels of fitness. Bring fresh fruits and vegetables
as snacks during the workout.
-
If you have difficulty measuring or
cooking food, check with sites such as Dynamic Living
( www.dynamicliving.com)
that provide kitchen products to help you keep active
in preparing your food.
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