Complete guidelines for maintaining nutrition in the elderly are well fulfilled

As you get older, your body will experience many changes, including your appetite. Therefore, people who are elderly tend to have less appetite, and are even prone to experiencing anorexia. If left untreated, this condition will make the elderly lose weight. So, how do you manage your diet? what should be the nutrition guidelines for the elderly?

Decreased appetite for the elderly, what is the cause?

There are various things that cause the elderly to have no appetite or even feel hungry at all. Generally, this is caused by various natural changes that occur in the body when it starts to age.

Changes that occur in the elderly include:

Decrease in levels of certain hormones that directly affect appetite
Decreased metabolic ability in the body.
Nerves are not sensitive, making it difficult for the elderly to smell and taste food.
The amount of saliva decreases, making food difficult to digest.
Experiencing dysphagia or difficulty swallowing.
Decreased amount of stomach acid.
The intestinal peristalsis that is used to digest food slows down even more.
Decreased ability to absorb nutrients.

All these changes will automatically reduce the elderly's appetite. Therefore, there must be proper dietary arrangements so that the elderly do not experience drastic weight loss and lack of nutrients.

How much energy do seniors need?

Basically, energy needs will vary from person to person. This will be influenced by age, gender, physical activity, and other things. However, energy needs will decrease with age.

It is estimated that energy needs will decrease by 70-100 calories for each additional 10 years of age.

Men

50-64 years: 2300 calories

58-80 years: 1900 calories

Woman

50-64 years: 1900 calories

58-80 years: 1550 calories

It is advisable for the elderly to meet these daily energy needs so as not to experience weight loss.

Talking about the nutritional needs of the elderly, what are needed?

Carbohydrate

The nutrients for the elderly that should not be missed are of course carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are the main source of energy for the body. The need for carbohydrates for the elderly ranges from 45-65 percent of the total daily energy needs.

For example: rice, bread, potatoes, sago, cereals, pasta, cassava, vermicelli, and other staple foods.

Protein

Protein is very important for the body, namely as the growth and development of every cell in the body. Protein is also important for maintaining the immune system of the elderly. For the elderly, protein needs are 10-35 percent of the total energy needs.

For example: meat, eggs, fish, while from vegetable it can be from nuts.

Fat

Fat helps to provide long-term energy, provides a feeling of fullness after eating, helps form hormones, forms cell membranes, transports vitamins A, D, E, K throughout the body.

Fat intake should be limited to around 20-35 percent per day, with a limit of saturated fat intake of at least less than 10 percent. The type of fat to avoid is saturated fat, such as butter, lard in beef, and chicken skin.

Cholesterol also needs to be limited to below 300 mg. Also pay attention to the intake of omega 3 fatty acids. According to the 2013 RDA, the need for omega 3 in the elderly is 1.6 grams.

Vitamins and Minerals

Vitamins are a vital function in the body's metabolism, which cannot be produced by the body, while minerals themselves are complementary elements that help in the process of growth and development in the body.

Example: vegetables, fruits, mineral water, etc.

What about the water needs of the elderly?

The amount of body fluids will decrease with age, putting the elderly at risk of dehydration. Especially if it is not accompanied by the habit of drinking water regularly and a lot every day.

Water needs have not changed since the age of 19 years and over, consuming more than 6 glasses a day prevents dehydration.

As a guide to water needs, every 1 mL of water is needed for every calorie consumed with a minimum of 1500 kcal. For example, for people with an energy requirement of 2000 kcal per day, 2000 mL or 2 L of water is needed or the equivalent of 8 glasses per day.

Are there any other suggestions so that the elderly still want to eat?

The nutritional needs of the elderly and energy are very important but not only that, the elderly should also carry out the following recommendations.

We recommend that you process the food by steaming, boiling, or grilling.
Reducing fried foods.
Adjust food texture according to ability. If it is difficult to swallow, you should serve the food in soft form.
Determine a regular eating schedule. For example, breakfast at 6 am, interlude at 9 am, lunch at 12, snack at 3 pm, dinner at 6 pm, and interlude at 9 pm.
Limit foods that are sweet or contain high sugar levels.
Limit foods that are too spicy.
Limit drinking coffee or tea.
Limit consumption of foods that are too salty.

If the elderly don't want to eat too, do they need an appetite enhancer or dietary supplement?

If the elderly do not want to eat, it is best to find out the cause first. Is it because of illness, difficulty chewing, depression because each cause will be handled differently.

For example, if the condition is due to difficulty chewing, maybe a soft-textured food can be given. You don't have to be given supplements right away. If there's still something you can do besides adding supplements, do it first.

Appetite supplement will be given according to the elderly's condition. This is done to prevent the occurrence of a deficiency or deficiency of a substance from getting worse.

Apart from paying attention to nutrition, what else do the elderly need?

The elderly still need exercise to maintain their health. However, you should first consult a doctor whether the conditions allow.

If allowed to do it 2-3 times a week, this includes aerobic exercise and strength training. For strength training, do 8-10 kinds of movements with 8-12 reps, each for a total of 20-30 minutes.

Apart from exercise, the elderly also need to monitor their weight regularly. The elderly also should not be silent, do daily activities according to their ability to keep the body fit and prevent senility. And certainly avoid stress and always be happy.