Easy-to-Digest Food Choices for Older Adults

With growing age, the body mass and metabolism rate start degenerating. The digestive system also weakens due to reduced production of the necessary enzymes. This is why you need to eat healthy and easily digestible foods. It will help you avoid digestive issues, while enhancing energy and immunity levels at the same time. 

Nevertheless, since you become more vulnerable to gastrointestinal diseases with growing age, you can consider covering yourself with a senior citizen health insurance policy. It will act as a financial cushion covering your medical expenses.

Easily Digestible Food for Older Adults

If you are an older adult, here are some of the foods that you can take to ensure easy digestion:

• Vegetables and fruits

You can easily rely on vegetables and fruits for your daily nutritional requirements as they are easily digestible and high in fibre. Some of the vegetables that you can include in your diet are sweet potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, broccoli, beets, etc.

Besides these vegetables, you should ideally take fruits like banana, papaya, strawberry, mango, raspberry, peach, etc. These are rich in multiple vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. With these fruits and vegetables in your daily diet, you can significantly boost your immunity and avoid being an easy victim of illnesses.

• Fibre-rich food

Taking fibre-rich foods is also important for older adults. These will not only help you get the necessary energy but will also enhance bowel movement, thereby reducing constipation-related problems. You can also keep your cholesterol level low by consuming fibre-rich foods. Following are some of the fibre-rich foods that you can include in your diet:

• Nuts and seeds
• Beans and lentils
• Oats and oat bran
• Whole grains
• Almonds

• Protein-rich food

To maintain a healthy body mass, you need to ensure that 10-35% of your total calorie intake is protein. Here are some of the protein-rich foods that you can take to meet your daily protein requirements:

• Animal-Sourced Protein: Chickens, milk, egg, yoghurt, fish etc.
• Plant-Sourced Protein: Pulses, cheese, peas, etc.

Besides learning what you need to eat, you should also know about foods you should avoid.

Food That Older Adults Need to Avoid

Here are some of the food items that you should try to avoid if you are an older adult:

• Undercooked food: Undercooked eggs, fish, meat, etc., can become heavy for your digestive system. These also increase the chances of food poisoning.
• Grapefruits: You also need to avoid grapefruit as it can increase your blood pressure and cause insomnia. It can also impact the effects of drugs you take.
• Spicy food: You also need to refrain from taking spicy foods since it becomes difficult for your digestive system to break them down.
• Fast food: Fast foods are tasty but lower in nutrients. This is why these foods can only satisfy your immediate hunger. It does not contribute much to the nutritional requirement of your body.
• Alcohol: Alcohol damages the functionalities of your digestive organs, such as the liver, stomach and intestine.

Nevertheless, with growing age, not only does the digestive system become weaker, but the chances of getting other illnesses also increase. Getting yourself protected under a senior citizen health insurance policy can be one of the best ways to secure financial immunity from medical expenses. Here are some benefits of this policy that you need to know.

Advantages of Senior Citizen Health Insurance Policy

Here are some benefits you can get by staying covered under this policy:

• You can get financial protection against the treatment expenses incurred. Some insurance companies cover the costs of outpatient treatment as well.
• The senior citizen health insurance policy also covers pre- and post-hospitalisation expenses.
• The insurance company also lets you leverage diagnostics and regular health check-ups free of cost.
• Under Section 80D of the Income Tax of India, you can also enjoy tax deductions on the amount you pay towards the premium.

To conclude, with growing age, you may need to consider a few changes in your diet as the digestive organs become feeble. You should ideally choose easy-to-digest foods with high nutritional value. Besides changing your gastronomic habits, you can also consider buying a senior citizen health insurance policy. It will significantly help you cover hefty medical expenses.