Experience on nutrition courses for the elderly

There has never been a “standard answer” to nutrition for the elderly that is universal across the internet. All dietary advice that is divorced from the elderly’s individual physical condition and living habits is essentially irresponsible.

To be honest, I was completely forced to drag my mother to class - a while ago, she saw the popular science about "celery lowering blood pressure" through a short video, and she mixed cold celery for herself. She ate it for half a month, but her blood pressure did not drop much. First, she got an old stomach problem, and she couldn't eat due to acid reflux. She lost three kilograms in half a month. I was so anxious that I happened to see a free nutrition class for the elderly posted on the community bulletin board, so I dragged her to sign up.

It sounds interesting. In the first class, we encountered a controversial topic: how should the elderly supplement calcium. There were two teachers sitting on the stage. One was an attending physician in the clinical nutrition department of a tertiary hospital. They said that as long as the elderly have no problem with their kidney function, they need to take 800-1000mg of calcium every day, combined with vitamin D3 to absorb it. If they are not enough, they have to take supplements. ； Another teacher who specializes in traditional Chinese medicine nutrition for the elderly expressed a different opinion on the spot, saying that many elderly people have spleen and kidney deficiency. Simply taking synthetic calcium tablets can cause constipation and even increase the risk of stones. It is better to start with food-source calcium supplements, such as a spoonful of sesame paste and a cup of warm goat milk powder every day, and then combine it with 15 minutes of sun exposure every evening and tiptoeing. It is much more effective than forcing supplements and is easier to adhere to. I bought three bottles of synthetic calcium tablets for my mother before. She became constipated after eating them, so she simply threw them aside to accumulate dust. Then she adjusted them according to the method taught by the Chinese medicine teacher. Last month, her bone density increased by 0.02. Although the value was not much, she did not suffer and was willing to do it every day. This is better than anything else.

When it comes to cheating, Aunt Zhang, whom I met in class, is even more exaggerated than mine. She has been suffering from diabetes for ten years. She heard that people with diabetes must eat whole grains every day, so she ate steamed buns and brown rice every day, and did not even dare to drink porridge. As a result, after half a year, her blood sugar was indeed under control, but she developed superficial gastritis in her stomach. She was also diagnosed with iron deficiency anemia. She felt dizzy when she squatted or stood up. Later, the teacher adjusted the plan for her. Instead of eating all whole grains, half of the refined grains and half of the coarse grains soaked for 4 hours in advance were cooked until soft. She ate minced pork liver twice a week, 20 grams each time, just sandwiched in steamed buns. After eating for half a month, her blood sugar did not fluctuate, and her hemoglobin increased by 0.5g/dl. Now Aunt Zhang tells everyone she has suffered for six months in vain.

There is another misunderstanding that everyone has been arguing about for many years, which is whether the elderly should eat less meat. I have always thought that the elderly should have a light diet, and it is best to eat vegetarian meals. However, the teacher directly showed us the data in class: Elderly people over 75 years old lose muscle at a rate three times that of middle-aged people. If the protein intake is not enough, it is easy to develop sarcopenia, stagger when walking, and break bones easily after falling. Such elderly people should eat more high-quality protein, and one or two lean pork and two eggs a day will be fine. But this is not absolute. Elderly people with gout and high uric acid cannot eat more red meat. They must replace it with about 100 grams of freshwater fish per day, or only eat egg whites. In the past, some elderly people said that they dare not eat egg yolks due to high cholesterol. The teacher also specifically said that as long as the blood lipids are controlled within the normal range, it is absolutely fine to eat a whole egg every day. The lecithin and vitamin A in the egg yolk are good for the eyes and blood vessels, and are more nutritious than eating protein alone.

I previously bought a can of whey protein powder costing several hundred yuan for my mother. She had diarrhea as soon as she drank it. I thought she had a weak stomach. But after the teacher told me in class, I found out that 80% of the powder is lactose intolerance. Many Chinese elderly people have this problem. Just switch to whey protein isolate or soy protein isolate. It cannot be washed with boiling water. Warm water at 40 degrees Celsius is just right and will not damage the protein structure. I switched her to whey isolate when I got back. She has been drinking it for almost a month now and has never had diarrhea again. She used to have to take a break while climbing to the third floor. Now she can walk with me through the entire vegetable market and walk back with ten pounds of potatoes. The effect is really visible to the naked eye.

Now my mother and I don’t have so many rules when it comes to cooking at home. Today, if her teeth are good, she will braise two pieces of pork ribs, which will fall off the bones in one sip. If she has a stomachache tomorrow, she will cook millet porridge with chopped yam. Occasionally, she will be greedy for a peach cake, so I will give her half a piece. Anyway, the nutrition is enough, and her mood is more important than anything else. There is no perfect diet plan for the elderly. The one that suits the elderly in your family is the best.