Diets for Women Over 60

Sixties are the time when you seriously start thinking about your health issues. Even those who never thought twice before eating anything in their life, suddenly start counting calories in their food as soon as they are on the wrong side of fifty. Women especially should be more careful about what they eat and how they lead their lifestyle after 60. They become susceptible to many disorders such as arthritis, fibromyalgia, which result from brittle bones and loss of muscle mass. Other lifestyle disorders such as hypertension and diabetes also raise their ugly head. In addition, women also have to fight certain other health issues which may originate from lack of female hormones after menopause. A healthy diet for women can help take care of most of the problems that may surface as a result of aging. 

What are the Effective Diets for Women Over 60

Elderly people usually require more proteins, calcium and other nutrients. The nutritional requirement of elderly and children is often the same. You need adequate amounts of starchy carbs, proteins, fats etc., for your body to function properly. Eating everything in moderation is the key to staying healthy in this age. Do not opt for any fad diets or low carb diets in order to lose weight. Remember, the weight loss at this age may come from muscles rather than fat. Hence, it is best to avoid any extreme weight loss program even though you might be on a heavier side. 

Nonetheless, you still need to keep a watch on your calorie intake. You may never had any trouble with weight until now. Hence, you might not have paid any particular attention to the calories in your diet. However, as you age, your body does not need the same number of calories that it needed when you led an active lifestyle. Hence, all these excess calories may now get converted into fat. Thus, you might wonder why you have suddenly started putting on weight even though you haven't made any significant changes to your diet. In short, you may need about 200 calories less than what you required during your active lifestyle. However, the same does not apply to women, who lead a very active lifestyle, even at 60. 

If you are already into eating healthy, you may not have to alter your diet significantly. However, there are some considerations regarding diet that you should take into account. You may want to increase your intake of fresh fruits, vegetables, lean meat, whole cereals, pulses and dairy products. Opt for low fat dairy products, as they are a good source of protein and calcium. Increase your intake of foods rich in iron and calcium. Besides, eat fibrous foods as fibre can get rid of problems such as constipation. In addition, you can also refer to the following healthy diet over 60 to get some cues. 

Breakfast

• 1 sliced tomato, cucumber
• 1 boiled egg
• 1 slice of brown bread
• 1 serving of cottage cheese
• 1 small pot of fat free yogurt
• 1 tsp honey
• 1 small piece of fruit

Lunch

• Steamed vegetables
• A slice of grilled salmon/ tuna/ swordfish
• Chicken breast
• 2 tbsp of steamed brown rice/ wholemeal pasta
• 1 piece of fruit

Snacks

• 1 apple
• Carrot sticks
• 2 pieces of dark chocolate
• Apricots

Dinner

• Sliced cucumber, tomato and lettuce
• Cubes of low fat cheese
• Boiled chicken
• Tinned tuna/ sardines
• 1 small pot of fat free yogurt
• 1 piece of fruit

As much as you want to be careful about your diet, you also need to let go of certain bad habits such as smoking, drinking etc. Besides, maintain a strict schedule of moderate exercises to stay fit.

How to get rid of water retention - Know the fact - Dr. Parul Patni

How to get rid of water retention - Know the fact

Dietitian are legally considered experts in food and nutrition. They often work in hospitals, outpatient clinics, community and public health settings, culinary and food services, businesses, private practices, and other health care facilities. Some dieticians may work in universities and research facilities where they teach and study the effects of food on human bodies. Dieticians help promote healthy eating habits to prevent and treat illness through supervision of food preparation and service, dietary modifications, and public education. Their role in medical facilities and nursing homes is especially important as they provide sound advice to patients on healthy eating habits and evaluate dietary treatments of diseases. 

Dieticians provide an extremely reliable and unbiased source of information for the entire medical team, including doctors, nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists, and pharmacists. They often develop dietary plans to meet the nutritional requirements of individual patients according to their medical charts.

Dt. Parul Patni is one of the finest dietitians and nutritionists practicing in Delhi-NCR. She is the founder of one of the topmost lifestyle and weight management clinics in India- Diet Solutions. The clinic, which focuses on creating health awareness by the way of lifestyle changes so that people can easily manage their lifestyle without resorting to medicines and crash diets, has been in the news all over the world since its inception 10 years ago. The online nutrition consultation, online weight loss program, online diet consultation and online diet plan offered by Diet Solutions has earned a positive feedback not only in India but in UK, USA, Australia and Hong Kong.  

Healthy heart diet for women

Your heart is a machine that is continuously pumping blood. Just as every machine requires servicing; your heart requires a little care and attention too. But obviously, you cannot send your heart to a service station for a regular maintenance. Thus, maintaining a healthy diet is all that you can do, to keep it hale and hearty. Having a right diet, is the only way of preventing your heart from any kind of illnesses. Today, the risk of heart related problems is equal for both men and women. After the age of 40, it is imperative for a woman to take care of her heart's health to lead a healthy life for a healthy family.

Harmful Fats

Cardiologists say that the daily consumption of foods high in nutrition can reduce the risk to your heart by 80%. Thus, it is important to understand how your food affects your heart. Restricting your intake of saturated fats and quitting any form of trans fat is the best way reducing the level of bad cholesterol or LDL. Avoid the butter, cheese, margarine or even white butter on your bread and food to keep away from these fats. Substitute the high fat food such as fried potato with baked potato and cook your meals in healthier oils such as olive oil, safflower, sunflower or canola. Start your day by eating only egg whites and plain toast. This is a better idea as compared to the tasteless oatmeal breakfast. You do not have to make drastic changes in your diet to have a healthy meal. Small changes like adding vegetables, fruits and low fat substitutes to your food will go a long way in making your heart healthy.

Low Cholesterol

Low cholesterol is the biggest culprit for heart related problems. Watching what you eat is the only way of controlling your cholesterol levels. The best way of avoiding HDL or bad cholesterol is by keeping away from fried packaged food. Replacing chips, cookies and fries with fruits, proteins and fibrous food stuffs is the best way of avoiding any form cholesterol intake. Nuts, fish oils, olive oil and food substances that contain sterols, block absorption of cholesterol. Simply avoid packaged food to bring down your cholesterol levels.

No Processed Food

Eating a lot of processed food can be a major risk to your heart. Easy food items such as packaged dinners, processed meats and dairy products are harmful to the heart and must be avoided as much as possible. Replace these by fresh food, fruits, salads, soups and unsalted meats. Eating excessive salt increases your blood pressure, which exposes you to the risk of heart attack. Thus reducing your intake of sodium and avoiding processed food items as much as possible is a great way of staying fit. Instead of salt, try adding spices and herbs to your food to make it tasty.

Besides eating healthy meals, it is also important that you exercise every day. Cardiovascular exercises make your heart strong and improve the blood circulation. Regular exercise builds endurance, improves flexibility and reduces body fat, thereby minimising the risk to your heart. While balancing your exercise and diet, maintain your focus on fibrous food as they are rich in nutrition and a great help in keep the heart fit as a fiddle. They not only mitigate the risk of heart diseases, but also assist weight loss. Go back to eating homemade meals as they are fresh and the ingredients can be monitored. Bake or boil your meals, instead of frying them. A healthy meal and a health conscious mind is the key to a healthy heart for a lifetime!