• Keep your diet low in fat and increase your intake of complex carbohydrates and fibre by eating more vegetables, fruit, whole grains and legumes (dried beans, peas and lentils)
• Make every food choice count nutritionally. As your metabolism slows down, your need for calories drops but your need for nutrients doesn’t. You may need even more of some nutrients since the gastrointestinal tract doesn’t absorb nutrients as well as it once did.
• Vegetables, fruits, legumes and whole grains take on an even greater significance - not just for the complex carbohydrate and fibre but as the main source of antioxidant vitamins and minerals. Antioxidant nutrients fight against heart disease and cancer and keep the immune system in top form.
• Pay close attention to your intake of calcium and vitamin D, particularly if you don’t get outdoors.
• Make sure you drink lots of fluids. Declining kidney function and a poor thirst response can put you at risk of dehydration. Dehydration is linked to mental confusion.
• Lastly, consider a multivitamin supplement if your food intake is low or restricted for any reason. A multivitamin doesn’t make up for a faulty diet but it can help you meet your needs for certain nutrients like calcium and vitamin D

Anne Lindsay