Eating a balanced diet and staying hydrated can help you keep healthy and active as you get older.
A healthy balanced diet includes a wide range of foods and is an important part of maintaining good health. As we get older, it’s important to be more aware of certain aspects of our diet and lifestyle.
The Eatwell Guide has lots of information about how to have a healthy, balanced diet. If you have any special dietary requirements or medical needs, talk to your GP or a registered dietitian about adapting the Eatwell guidelines.
Even if you don’t feel thirsty, your body needs water. Signs of dehydration include:
Water is the best choice, but pasteurised milk (or dairy alternatives) and unsweetened drinks like tea and coffee are also good options. Fruit juice and smoothies also count, but is important to remember these are high in sugar, so should be limited to one small glass (150ml) per day. A maximum of 150ml of fruit juice or smoothie also counts as one portion of your five a day.
As we get older, our appetite can decrease. Even if you don’t feel like eating, it’s still important to have a healthy balanced diet to get enough calories for energy and the nutrients you need, to maintain a healthy weight and prevent unintended weight loss.
If your appetite has decreased, try eating smaller meals, more frequently throughout the day. However, it is important not to rely on foods that are high in calories, fat, salt or sugar like cakes, biscuits and sweetened drinks for energy. Instead, aim to base your meals around fruits, vegetables and starchy carbohydrates like pasta, rice and potatoes.
Vitamin D helps your body absorb calcium, both of which are important for protecting our bones and muscles as we get older. You should be able to get all the calcium you need from your diet; visit our page on calcium to learn more about good sources.
Vitamin D is only found in small amounts in some foods. Our main source of vitamin D is sunlight, however we are only able to make the right kind of vitamin D from the sun between April and September. For this reason, we encourage everyone to take a daily supplement containing 10 micrograms (10μg) of vitamin D, particularly during the winter months (October – March). Additionally, some people may need to consider taking vitamin D all year round for example, people who are often indoors for long periods, or stay in a care home. You can visit our page on vitamin D to learn more about why it is important.
Physical activity helps you stay healthy, mobile and independent. It also helps keep the heart healthy, protects bone health, muscle mass and lowers the risk of heart disease and stroke. Keeping active can also improve your appetite. If you’re underweight, have mobility problems or a disability talk to your GP or practice nurse before starting any physical activity.
Maintaining a healthy weight can reduce your risk of heart diseases and type 2 diabetes. Equally, unintended loss of weight can also indicate a health problem. Talk to your GP if you have experienced recent unintended weight loss, or if you are worried about your weight in general.
