Is it true that Seniors, who manage to reach their mid eighties and beyond, while not succumbing to debilitating diseases, have a nutritional secret? Is it their life-vogue and their diet that contributes to their longevity?
I do not apprehend the answers! I do understand that the Seniors I have lived with, every had their own distinctive manner of handling the advancing years and each had their own angle towards life, living, and "growing previous". Now that I am a fledgling Senior, I am starting to review their beliefs and concepts to determine what I can glean from that data about elderly nutrition.
All the Seniors I've got lived with were born during the period of World War one through to the mid 1930's. Cultural backgrounds varied dramatically. Economic backgrounds ranged from well-to-do to abject poverty. Family life went through the complete urban/rural gamut. Educational achievements went from Grade two only up to PhD's. There was only one single part in all of their lives that I saw as a typical thread amongst them - their angle towards life. Life was an exhilarating expertise to be enjoyed to the fullest.
To fancy life, health is paramount. Eating well and an energetic daily routine were considered to be of essence. Nutrition had many definitions as did what constituted a "vigorous" daily routine. In the top it's clear that "elderly nutrition" is very "folks nutrition."
Vegetables from the garden, for those fortunate enough to lift their own produce, was a nutritional staple. For the urban dwellers, they compensated in latter years by concentrating on the "organically" grown vegetables. All of the Seniors I have known were firm believers in natural foods.
Meat in their diet was also interesting. Red meat like beef, was rare. Far a lot of prominent was fish/fowl. Different cultures had goat/lamb. Even the "meat and potatoes" die-hards reduced their red-meat intake to once a week. Whether they did this through knowledge or through instinct is debatable. As some were "illiterate", they definitely failed to peruse any literature dealing with nutritional facts and figures. I know that some just said "I am listening to my body and my body does not like it!".
Another attention-grabbing truth - none of the Seniors I have lived with partook of "fast foods" or soda drinks. I tried to introduce my parents to the wonders of a Massive Mac, fries and gravy. Needless to say, the compost pile received an unwanted addition. Dad wasn't even positive that he needed to add that stuff to his compost!
To balance their nutritional requirements with respect to the climes they resided in, the Seniors I have known, all took "supplements". In the north, the shortage of fruit dictated Vitamin C and D (sensible old Cod-Liver Oil!). Within the south, I remember Vitamin A, Calcium, Vitamin E. (N.B. Not sure of my memory here, they may have taken additional). Elderly nutrition sounds additional and additional like ageless and wise nutrition.
On "vigorous" daily exercise - that had as several variations as nutrition. This varied from extreme exercise through extreme mental exercise with the complete gamut in between. I doubt if any two would agree on what was required. Each thought they had the "correct" combination of mental and physical exercise.
For instance, my Mom did mental gymnastics, read prodigiously, composed music, played music, wrote books, etc. She had destroyed her knee hiking in the mountains with us when she was still in her early 60's. Ergo, she shunned physical movement in her latter years and restricted her exercise to short walks on fairly level pathways. Dad, on the opposite hand, was forever a physical being. Being outside and "operating" was his life-style. Sitting in-doors while there was day-light left, was an anathema. When he reached his latter 70's, he did concede to "no a lot of work when supper" and would hear Mom read aloud, or music, or he would play Scrabble or Boggle or ... Once they each were in their early eighty's, Dad would do his morning walk, a strenuous a pair of hour hike, rain or shine or sleet or snow, and would then walk with Mom on her mild ? hour stroll.
Currently, I understand a Senior, who at 84, isn't solely active mentally and physically but is additionally active on the Net! She has started her own blog! She describes herself as a "Life Enthusiast" that I notice to be a very applicable term. For her, nutrition is not "elderly nutrition" but rather, it is at the terribly root of her long and healthy existence. Not only has she maintained her own health via her regime but she has conjointly actively assisted others in regaining their health. An spectacular girl!
I do not apprehend the answers! I do understand that the Seniors I have lived with, every had their own distinctive manner of handling the advancing years and each had their own angle towards life, living, and "growing previous". Now that I am a fledgling Senior, I am starting to review their beliefs and concepts to determine what I can glean from that data about elderly nutrition.
All the Seniors I've got lived with were born during the period of World War one through to the mid 1930's. Cultural backgrounds varied dramatically. Economic backgrounds ranged from well-to-do to abject poverty. Family life went through the complete urban/rural gamut. Educational achievements went from Grade two only up to PhD's. There was only one single part in all of their lives that I saw as a typical thread amongst them - their angle towards life. Life was an exhilarating expertise to be enjoyed to the fullest.
To fancy life, health is paramount. Eating well and an energetic daily routine were considered to be of essence. Nutrition had many definitions as did what constituted a "vigorous" daily routine. In the top it's clear that "elderly nutrition" is very "folks nutrition."
Vegetables from the garden, for those fortunate enough to lift their own produce, was a nutritional staple. For the urban dwellers, they compensated in latter years by concentrating on the "organically" grown vegetables. All of the Seniors I have known were firm believers in natural foods.
Meat in their diet was also interesting. Red meat like beef, was rare. Far a lot of prominent was fish/fowl. Different cultures had goat/lamb. Even the "meat and potatoes" die-hards reduced their red-meat intake to once a week. Whether they did this through knowledge or through instinct is debatable. As some were "illiterate", they definitely failed to peruse any literature dealing with nutritional facts and figures. I know that some just said "I am listening to my body and my body does not like it!".
Another attention-grabbing truth - none of the Seniors I have lived with partook of "fast foods" or soda drinks. I tried to introduce my parents to the wonders of a Massive Mac, fries and gravy. Needless to say, the compost pile received an unwanted addition. Dad wasn't even positive that he needed to add that stuff to his compost!
To balance their nutritional requirements with respect to the climes they resided in, the Seniors I have known, all took "supplements". In the north, the shortage of fruit dictated Vitamin C and D (sensible old Cod-Liver Oil!). Within the south, I remember Vitamin A, Calcium, Vitamin E. (N.B. Not sure of my memory here, they may have taken additional). Elderly nutrition sounds additional and additional like ageless and wise nutrition.
On "vigorous" daily exercise - that had as several variations as nutrition. This varied from extreme exercise through extreme mental exercise with the complete gamut in between. I doubt if any two would agree on what was required. Each thought they had the "correct" combination of mental and physical exercise.
For instance, my Mom did mental gymnastics, read prodigiously, composed music, played music, wrote books, etc. She had destroyed her knee hiking in the mountains with us when she was still in her early 60's. Ergo, she shunned physical movement in her latter years and restricted her exercise to short walks on fairly level pathways. Dad, on the opposite hand, was forever a physical being. Being outside and "operating" was his life-style. Sitting in-doors while there was day-light left, was an anathema. When he reached his latter 70's, he did concede to "no a lot of work when supper" and would hear Mom read aloud, or music, or he would play Scrabble or Boggle or ... Once they each were in their early eighty's, Dad would do his morning walk, a strenuous a pair of hour hike, rain or shine or sleet or snow, and would then walk with Mom on her mild ? hour stroll.
Currently, I understand a Senior, who at 84, isn't solely active mentally and physically but is additionally active on the Net! She has started her own blog! She describes herself as a "Life Enthusiast" that I notice to be a very applicable term. For her, nutrition is not "elderly nutrition" but rather, it is at the terribly root of her long and healthy existence. Not only has she maintained her own health via her regime but she has conjointly actively assisted others in regaining their health. An spectacular girl!
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