PROPER NUTRITION
“We are what we eat.” Eating the right food will ensure healthy bodies and healthy brains.
The challenge as we age is to meet the same nutrient needs as when we were younger, yet consume fewer calories. It is important that our diet contain enough calcium, fiber to help maintain normal bowel function and to decrease the risk of intestinal inflammation, and proper vitamins and minerals.
• Vitamins and Minerals
Vitamin deficiencies may not be obvious in many older people. However, any illness stresses the body and may be enough to use up whatever stores there are and make the person vitamin deficient. Medications also interfere with many vitamins.
The body can store fat-soluble vitamins and usually the elderly are at lower risk of fat-soluble vitamin deficiencies. Drugs used to control diseases such as hypertension or heart disease can alter the need for electrolytes, sodium and potassium. Even though absorption and utilization of some vitamins and minerals becomes less effective with age, higher intakes do not appear to be necessary.
• Doctor’s Supervised Vitamins and Supplements
Many people are concerned about not getting the amount of vitamins that their bodies need from food, and decide to supplement a possible vitamin deficiency by taking OTC (over-the-counter) vitamins. What they don’t realize is that each individual’s need vary from one to the other but OTC vitamins don’t.
Other fact that is not considered by OTC vitamin and supplement takers is that the dose of each pill they are taking is extremely low, not counting the fact that they don’t know the origin of some supplements such as fish oil, which many times my contain mercury from contaminated fish.
• Do you know what your deficiencies are?
Do you believe that your vitamin deficiency is the same as your neighbor’s next door? Definitely not!
At Smart Aging ® we don’t guess what vitamin your body needs. We work with precise tests to determine exactly what deficiency our patients have. We prescribe supplements sold only under doctor’s supervision that contain correct doses of the vitamins that need to be taken.
Since each patient has his own needs, our vitamins and supplements are custom made for each patient, so they can have the peace of mind that they are taking the right vitamins and supplements for their specific deficiencies at the doses that they should be taking.
• Water – 70% of our body is H2O
Of all the nutrients, water is the most important, serving many essential functions. Adequate water intake reduces stress on kidney function, which tends to decline with age. Adequate fluid intake also eases constipation. With the aging process, the ability to detect thirst declines, so do not wait to drink water until you are thirsty. Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated.
