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A Wholesome Diet is The Key to Healthy Aging

If we treat our body right by choosing healthier food and doing a bit of exercise every day, we will live relatively better lives. And some of us are blessed with more resilient bodies than others with good metabolisms and imperviousness to illnesses. But for the rest of us, we have to be more mindful of the food choices we make, including the quality of supplements we take (e.g. Ensure Gold, no. 1 Doctor Recommended Brand in the US)^ to help ensure good health. Here are a couple of takes on why a wholesome diet is the key to healthy aging well into your golden years.4, 5

Emphasize Quality

In the name itself, calorie dense foods are high in calories, typically due to saturated fats, salt, and added sugars (e.g. highly processed foods, junk food, cured meats, rich desserts). They provide energy, albeit for a short time, but lack essential nutrients.2 What you should go for is nutrient dense options. These items have more essential vitamins and minerals (e.g. vitamin D, B, C, calcium, and fatty acids) per its weight, but low on calories. In other words, have more wholegrains, fruits, and vegetables to nourish the body’s immune system, prevent heart diseases, and preserve muscle strength. An important nutrient to note for muscle preservation is Hydroxymethylbutyrate (HMB, a metabolite of amino acid leucine, found mostly in leucine foods eg. salmon, brown rice, soybeans, quinoa).2, 4

You May Not Be Eating Enough of these

We concentrate a lot on getting enough nutrients for our muscles and bones (vitamin D and Calcium), but do not pay much attention to our gut health. We wait till we have digestive issues to care for. Seniors should eat plenty of foods rich in prebiotic fibers (eg. whole grains, whole fruits, and vegetables), to improve digestion for better nutrient extraction and feed gut bacteria to strengthen the immune system.1, 4

Why we concentrate on getting enough vitamin D and Calcium (vitamin D helps the body better absorb Calcium) is because as we age, our bodies do not replace bone materials as fast as it breaks down. Brittle bones can lead to many injuries that affect quality of life. Both these nutrients are already in your favorite fish meat, in our breakfast eggs, and the milk in our coffee, so getting more should not be too hard. And also, a daily walk outside for fitness, about at least 15 minutes, helps our bodies produce D vitamins.4

There is no such thing as “Old Person’s Food”

Your golden years should be the time in your life to share words of wisdom, while still keeping up in the times. But some do dread it as they think their food world would become bland and colorless due to loss of taste and we cannot forget the fact that our bodies are slower or less efficient at processing nutrients. The only difference between “younger years” food and what a senior should eat is that seniors may have to be a little more mindful of choosing healthier foods.4

Keep it wholesome, keep it fresh, and exercise a little bit every day for healthy aging is the way to go. There is no such thing as “old person’s food”, it just requires us to be a little more mindful in our golden years. But in times when food alone is not enough (e.g. a senior would have to eat 6,000 avocados to get a few grams of HMB)3, a senior can look into meal replacement options with nutritional supplements. Since not all supplements are created equal, make sure they are backed by scientific research, contain ingredients that help support muscle strength (HMB), immunity, or is one that most doctors recommend. For example, Ensure Gold, rated as No. 1 Doctor Recommend Brand in the U.S^, has a clinical formulation of 28 essential vitamins and minerals (12 of which supports immunity**) to help improve muscle strength##. Also enriched with heart healthy fatty acids, Ensure Gold is an all-in-one nutritional drink^^. With 2 servings a day (6 leveled scoops with 185 ml of water; per serving) it can help support strength, vitality, and activity. For those who do not like the aroma of milk, try Ensure Gold Plant Based Protein. Made from soy, rice, and quinoa, it is a non-milk alternative with the same benefits.

To sample both, Ensure options before committing to the full course, visit Ensure Myanmar today to sign up.5

References:

  1. https://www.onegreenplanet.org/natural-health/best-prebiotic-foods-for-optimal-digestive-health/
  2. https://www.statecollegefitnessconsultantsinc.com/calorie-dense-vs-nutrient-dense/
  3. https://www.nutritionnews.abbott/healthy-living/aging-well/why-hmb-is-important-for-aging-muscles/
  4. https://www.healthhub.sg/live-healthy/1194/help-ah-gong-and-ah-ma-age-well-with-healthy-eating
  5. https://www.ensuremyanmar.com/eng/ensure-powder/

^    IQVIA, using the ProVoice Survey, fielded 14,459 physicians from January 1, 2021 to December 31, 2021.

**   Ensure Gold contains protein, Vitamin A, B6, B12, C, D, E, Folate and selenium, copper, zinc and iron, that help support the normal function of the immune system.

##  Berton et al. PLoS One. 2015.

^^   Ensure provides all-in-one nutrition and contains nutrients and ingredients to support muscle, bone, heart, immune and digestive tract health.