- 1. Skip meals
- 2. Overdoing meats
- 3. Drink soda
- 4. Consume few fibers
- 5. Don't read the food label
- Most common dietary mistakes of the elderly
The most common dietary mistakes are going too long without eating, consuming too much meat and soft drinks, eating too little fiber and not reading food labels. These poor eating habits increase the risk of diseases such as obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and cancer, but there are strategies that can help prevent these changes.
Having a healthy and balanced diet helps to control weight and improve the body's metabolism, reducing the production of fat and free radicals, which are the main substances that cause disease and premature aging.
1. Skip meals
Going too long without eating is one of the most common eating mistakes that contribute most to weight gain. Many people say that they don't have time or that if they eat they will always put on weight, but making snacks between main meals is essential for the proper functioning of the body and to avoid putting on weight.
The intestine of skip meals often prepares to absorb as many nutrients as possible, while the rest of the body starts to save energy. The end result is that fewer calories are spent throughout the day, and when a person overdoes a meal, he or she ends up saving extra calories more easily.
How to solve it: Eating every 3-4 hours helps to control blood glucose, avoid excess food in large meals and maintain a high metabolism in the body.
2. Overdoing meats
Eating a lot of meat is a common habit that causes health problems such as increased cholesterol and uric acid. Meats, especially red meats, are rich in fats and normally their preparation takes even more fats such as oil and butter, in addition to wheat flour and egg to make breaded.
Bacon and embedded meats such as sausage and sausage are the worst choices, because in addition to having more fat and salt, they are also rich in preservatives, dyes and flavor enhancers, additives that are toxic to the body and can irritate the intestine.
How to solve it: prefer white meat and fish, and eat about 120 g of meat per meal, which corresponds to the size of your palm.
3. Drink soda
Soft drinks are drinks rich in fructose, a type of sugar that increases the risk of insulin resistance and diabetes. They are also rich in acids that demineralize tooth enamel, favoring the appearance of cavities, and in gases that cause abdominal pain, intestinal gas and gastritis.
In addition, these drinks contain sodium and caffeine, which causes changes in blood pressure and fluid retention. See other harm of soft drinks in: Soft drink is bad.
How to solve it: prefer natural drinks such as sugar-free juices, teas, water and coconut water.
4. Consume few fibers
Fibers are mainly present in fruits, vegetables, seeds and whole foods, but these foods have been replaced by industrialized products rich in carbohydrates, salt and fats, such as packaged snacks and stuffed crackers.
A diet low in fiber increases the sensation of hunger, favors constipation and increases the risk of diseases such as colon cancer. In addition, those who consume few fibers also have a diet low in essential vitamins and minerals to prevent diseases such as cancer and premature aging. See which foods are high in fiber.
How to solve it: eat at least 3 fruits a day, put salad in the main meals and prefer whole foods, like bread and rice.
5. Don't read the food label
Industrialized foods are rich in fats, sugars and salt, as these ingredients are cheap and help to increase the shelf life of the product. Because they do not read the labels, people do not know the ingredients used and do not realize that they are eating a diet that is harmful to their health.
A diet rich in fats, sugars and salt favors the appearance of diseases such as obesity, diabetes, hypertension and atherosclerosis.
How to solve: read the food label to identify the presence of fats, sugars and salt. See how to make good choices at: How to know when not to buy a food and Foods high in sugar.
Watch the following video and learn how to correct these and other dietary mistakes:
Most common dietary mistakes of the elderly
Dietary mistakes made by the elderly further damage health, as at this stage of life the immune system is weakened and it is easier to have diseases and complications such as infections and dehydration, for example. In general, the main dietary mistakes made at this stage of life are:
- Drinking little water: the elderly no longer have control over body water and no longer feel thirsty, which is why dehydration is common in the elderly, which can cause dry skin and lips, dizziness and fainting. Skipping meals: due to tiredness or lack of ability, it is common for the elderly not to eat snacks and not to eat well, which leads to weight loss, muscle weakness and increased risk of having infectious diseases such as flu and pneumonia. Adding too much salt to meals: the elderly feel less of the taste of food, so they tend to put more salt in the food to compensate for the lack of taste, which favors the increase in blood pressure.
Thus, the elderly should always have water or liquid food within reach, so that they can hydrate themselves through small sips throughout the day, and they should have their main meals and snacks even when they are not hungry. They also need to have aromatic herbs at their disposal to use as cooking spices, replacing salt, and whenever possible an adult should supervise their diet to ensure that the elderly have adequate nutrition.
