Food is a big part of living a healthy lifestyle—healthy eating can not only reduce your risk of illness and disease, but also help you feel your best each day. By providing your body with the nutrition it needs, you can give yourself the necessary fuel to stay active and independent.
Henry Lau, a registered dietitian and Healthy Eating & Food Security Coordinator for the BC Centre for Disease Control, talks about healthy eating as we age.
Do you want to boost your energy levels, be more mentally aware, and stay healthy?
Eating well is important at every stage of life, especially as you grow older. As your body starts to change, it affects the amount of energy and nutrients you need.
Getting enough nutrients can be especially challenging for older adults for many reasons, including having a smaller appetite or trying to change lifelong eating habits. For older adults who live independently, eating can become an afterthought, unlike when you may have prepared balanced meals for your family. When you do not have enough energy and nutrients, your body becomes more vulnerable to negative health consequences such as illness, chronic disease, and injury. For example, if you don’t get enough of the nutrients you need, you might feel tired, dizzy, or sluggish, increasing your risk of injury.
There are many strategies that can support healthy eating. Understanding how your body is changing, how what you eat affects your health, and being mindful of what you are eating—these are all excellent first steps in achieving a healthy diet. Eating well can provide your body with the nutrition it needs to maintain good health while enjoying your favourite activities, whether it is going for walks, attending strength and balance classes, or spending time with loved ones.
Find more information
For more information and tips on healthy eating and nutrition, the Healthy Eating for Seniors Handbook covers a wide range of topics, from supplements to delicious recipes and meal plans. The handbook is available in English, French, Punjabi, and Chinese and is available as an audiobook. To get a hard copy of the handbook, call HealthLink BC at 8-1-1 or fill out their online resource order form.
To see how well you’re eating, visit Nutri-eSCREEN®, an interactive online nutrition self-assessment tool for older adults. The tool provides feedback on what is going well, ideas for action, additional resources, and referrals to speak to a health professional, if appropriate.