Eating Healthy for Your Age

Overview

The saying “food is medicine” is truer than ever for older adults. What we eat or don’t eat affects body weight, nutrient absorption, blood sugar, cholesterol, energy levels, and risk for heart disease and other chronic diseases. With all the (often-conflicting) information about which foods and fats should be included or avoided, whether vitamins have benefits, and what diets are healthiest, it can be tough to know if you’re making good decisions.

Make it a point to regularly discuss with your doctor the idea of eating healthy for your age. What’s right for one person might not be the best approach for the next—and your ideal diet might change over time—so be sure to have these discussions in the context of any existing health conditions and medications. Your doctor may recommend you add or remove certain foods, or even try a completely new approach to eating, such as the Mediterranean diet.

 

Wellness and Prevention