Top 10 Eating Tips for Older Adults

1. Drink more water: Water is so important for both brain and body health.  Many Vintage Fitness clients that I chat with don’t drink enough water because they don’t want to be up in the middle of the night in the bathroom.  Try to drink 6-8 glasses of water a day (caffeinated drinks don’t count) in the first half of the day to ensure a solid nights sleep
2. Think about when you are eating not just what you are eating: There has been LOTS of debate in the fitness world about eating carbohydrates.  My opinion is that for most people healthy carbohydrates such a sweet potato, grains and seedy breads are important.  Eat healthy carbohydrates before or after a workout and not at the end of the night to ensure you are fueling your body properly.
3. Eat more different types of foods: We all get into the habit of eating similar things for every meal.  Eating only a handful of different types of foods mean we are often missing many essential nutrients.  Challenge yourself to try a new recipe at least once a week.
4. Eat real food: It is tempting to eat convenience foods that have lots of nutritional claims on the boxes.  Your best bet is always to choose real foods as close to how they came out of the ground or off the tree as they can be.
5. Eat less cheese: I love cheese but realize that it is a treat as opposed to a healthy part of my diet.  The reason I love it is that it is salty and creamy….
6. Eat more vegetables: Ok this one sounds obvious but our clients tend to choose fruit over vegetables because they enjoy the sweetness. 
7. Pay attention to your bowel movements: Your body will tell you if you are eating the right things.  You should be having a bowel movement once a day and it should be brown and floating—not black and sinking.
8. Eat protein in the morning: Try starting your day with an egg or protein shake as opposed to cereal or toast
9. Supplement vitamin D: If you live in  cold climate like Toronto it is tough to get enough Vitamin D and it should be supplemented
10. Try not to “numb out” with food: We have all done it- had a tough day and decided that a cupcake would make it better but did it really work??

Let me know if you have any questions or would like to book a free 1 hour in person consultation with a Vintage Fitness personal trainer. You can email erin@vintagefitness.ca or call Erin 416-951-7978.

Good Luck!

Erin

Vintage Fitness

Click to Call    416-951-7978

Vintage Fitness is an in home personal training company in Toronto, Canada.  We specialize in energizing the lives of people over 50 with exercise.