At any age, staying active, exercising your brain, and eating healthy are key to a longer life. If independence in your golden years is important to you, a healthy lifestyle and heart health become increasingly important as you age.
For example, over a billion people across the globe have hypertension. According to the National Diabetes Statistics Report, more than 11% of people of all ages in America had diabetes in 2021. Older adults are often more susceptible to heart disease and high blood pressure, which makes heart health especially important.
One delicious way to manage your heart health is with good nutrition. It can be difficult to shift from take-out and frozen dinners to vegetables and lean protein, but with a bit of guidance and support, you can embrace a diet that tastes good and is good for you.
Here are some heart-healthy eating tips that can help you on this journey.
Lean protein and vegetables are essential to a balanced, heart-healthy diet. After age 30, adults start to lose 3% to 5% of their muscle mass each year. A protein-rich diet can help you build and maintain muscle mass so that you stay strong and healthy. Here are some protein options you can include in your meal planning:
Vegetables also provide heart-healthy nutrients like potassium, magnesium, iron, vitamins, and dietary fiber for older and health-conscious adults. Vegetables also lower your calorie intake and can protect you against certain types of cancers. Some vegetables to add to your plate are:
Eating the same thing over and over can get old fast. When you’re bored with your food, you may revert to old or unhealthy eating habits.
To avoid food boredom, try mixing and matching old ingredients into new delicious dishes. For example, you can turn your leftover chicken and veggies from dinner into a breakfast quiche. You can also make your leftover mashed potatoes into mashed potato pancakes for lunch.
This helps ensure you’re still eating healthily while giving your taste buds something to delight in.
For older people — especially those who maintain an active lifestyle and/or live in warmer climates — staying hydrated is essential to a heart-healthy diet. Drinking the recommended amount of water aids digestion, helps your body absorb nutrients, and protects your organs and tissues.
Additionally, you can add fruits with high water content to your diet to increase your water intake without drinking more. Some of these include:
Where possible, water is better than juice, sodas, and other sugary drinks. Too much sugar can dehydrate your body and increase your blood sugar. Instead, try low-sugar and unsweetened beverages like teas.
There’s no denying that salt and fat can make anything delicious. Unfortunately, this combination is incompatible with a heart-healthy diet.
Too much salt in your diet can increase your risk of hypertension and high blood pressure. It also makes you retain water, which causes your organs to work harder. Likewise, artificial and trans fats can clog your arteries and put more strain on your heart and arteries.
When meal planning, try substituting salt and fat with fresh herbs, citrus, and low-sodium spices. This makes sure your food is tasty and provides the nutrients you need for a healthy heart.
Trying to figure all of this out on your own can be overwhelming. The fear that you’re doing it wrong or that your food will be bland is understandable and prevents some people from embracing a heart-healthy diet.
Rather than doing it all by yourself, work with a registered dietitian to create a meal plan that fits your lifestyle and allows you to keep your heart healthy. A personalized plan is more likely to be effective and gives you the support you need to make a heart-healthy diet a consistent practice.
A healthcare professional can help you figure out what nutrients you need and how to prepare your food so that you get exactly what you need.
Eating the right foods can be both good for you and delicious. A well-balanced meal includes lean proteins and vegetables, less salt and fat, and more soluble fiber. It’s also important to stay hydrated with water, fruits, and low-sugar drinks. Combined with an active lifestyle and help from a professional healthcare provider, a heart-healthy diet can keep your body in good shape long into your golden years.
The tips within this blog are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute medical advice from Spring Venture Group (SVG) or SmartMatch Insurance Agency. Please consult a medical professional before making changes to your diet.
