Should senior citizens avoid certain foods or consume them in moderation?
• Soft Cheeses
Brie, camembert, and gorgonzola are ideal breeding grounds for Listeria and other bacterias that can be deadly for seniors with weaker immune systems. This is because of their low acidity and high moisture content. Since heat eliminates germs, cooked soft cheeses are safe to consume.
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• Raw Eggs
Salmonella food poisoning can be more likely to happen to people who eat raw or undercooked eggs. It’s imperative to cook all eggs until both the yolk and white are cooked through. Avoid unpasteurized eggnog, homemade mayo, and hollandaise sauce.
• Raw Shellfish and Fish
If you want to get rid of harmful bacteria in lobster, mussels, scallops, and other shellfish, you should cook them long enough. Raw fish may have parasitic worms that can make you sick. It’s advisable to freeze the fish for at least four days before you use it to kill parasites.
• Raw Milk
Although buying fresh milk from a local dairy or farmer’s market seems healthy, seniors should only buy pasteurized milk from supermarkets. Unpasteurized milk may contain various germs that cause sickness, including Listeria, Salmonella, and E. coli.
• Grapefruit
Before eating grapefruit, seniors who take drugs for high blood pressure, sleeplessness, or anxiety should consult their doctors and check their prescription labels. Grapefruit has the potential to interact with some medicines, resulting in significant adverse effects.
• Raw Meats
Undercooked meat contains E. coli, Salmonella, Campylobacter, and other germs that can cause food poisoning. Seniors should consume only properly cooked meats free of blood and pink flesh.
• Unpasteurized Juices
Fresh-squeezed fruit and vegetable juices may contain many bacteria, either within or outside. To reduce the risk of food poisoning, seniors should drink pasteurized juices.
• Raw Sprouts
Warm, wet environments are perfect for bacteria to grow. Bean sprouts grow in such places. Seniors should only eat cooked sprouts with steam flowing all the way through.
• Processed Foods
Because of the simplicity of preparation, many seniors like processed foods. However, these meals are heavy in fat, salt, carbohydrates, and preservatives, which are incredibly harmful to seniors with high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, or diabetes. It’s difficult for elders to perform daily routines while dealing with the symptoms of a major illness.
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• Cold Meats
In some cases, eating uncooked cured meats can cause parasitic diseases, like Toxoplasmosis. Before using, seniors should properly boil cold meats, buy those labelled “ready-to-eat,” or freeze them for four days. According to a new study, Toxoplasmosis may relate to various neurological illnesses, including Alzheimer’s.
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Yes, sure. Nutrition needs vary by age and gender. You may need to eat and drink differently now that you’re older. In general, you’ll need less of some foods and more of others. I suggest the following:
• Consume vegetables, fruits, and legumes in abundance
• Consume cereals, mostly wholegrain and high fibre varieties, lean meats, poultry, fish, eggs, tofu, and nuts and seeds.
• Do not forget to add milk, yogurt, cheese, or their alternatives, mainly reduced fat, to your diet.
• Drink plenty of water – six to eight glasses daily.
• Reduce your consumption of foods high in saturated fat, such as biscuits, cakes, pastries, pies, processed meats, commercial burgers, pizza, and fried foods.
As you age, your diet may differ from when you were younger. Nutrition changes with age. You will need less of some foods and more of others. Foods you should avoid or cut down on:
1. Raw or uncooked eggs
2. Grapefruit
3. High-sodium foods
4. Caffeine
5. Soda and sugary drinks
6. Sugar-free drinks
7. Alcoholic beverages
8. Foods with empty calories
Some foods can interfere with some drugs or cause health conditions over time. But you have to replace them with other sources of nutrition. If you are on medication for insomnia, high blood pressure, or anxiety, you may want to avoid grapefruits.
For your sufficient vitamin C intake, use other citrus fruits.
Raw vegetables, lean steak, and some fruits like apples are difficult to chew if you have missing teeth. Instead, eat cooked and pureed vegetables, smoothies, or softer fruits. Hamburgers may be easier to chew, but they contain lots of fat.
Eating lean ground meat is a better choice. Try small servings each time if you get stomach pain after consuming beans and vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, and kale. Avoid alcohol since many health disorders are related to alcohol consumption.
Some people have trouble digesting dairy products. But it is better to have little of them for the calcium and protein they provide. Low-fat and lactose-free products are easier to digest.
Caffeine interrupts sleep and causes irregular heart rate and insomnia. It is better to reduce caffeine intake.
The American Heart Association recommends reducing salt in meals for people over 51 or in the high-risk group. Watch out for frozen foods, snack foods, salad dressings, and lunch meats.
Raw sprouts are very nutritious, but they are unsafe for people who have a weak immune system. Try cooking them before eating.
