After you retire, it is important to also adjust your eating and drinking habits.
Did you live for years according to a regular (work) pattern with fixed habits? Then there is a good chance that those habits will change after retirement. Also regarding your diet. More time often means longer dining or just getting something delicious with coffee. The reverse also occurs. When the social contacts decrease, eating alone is a last resort. That is why your daily menu requires extra attention. Avoid the common pitfalls!
Too thick
Someone who continues to eat as much as they used to as they get older will inevitably gain weight. The body will run more and more economically, so that fewer calories are needed. More than half of the Dutch population is overweight and the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) has identified an increasing trend in overweight, leading to more diseases.
Advice: maintain energy needs by continuing to exercise sufficiently. Opt for smaller and healthy portions. Make sure you continue to eat healthy. Make sure you eat enough vegetables, fruit, dairy, potatoes and wholemeal bread. Also watch what you drink. Wine, beer, soft drinks, but also fruit juice, drinking yoghurt and coffee with coffee cream and sugar can provide quite a few calories.
Too thin
With age, taste and appetite often diminish. Weight loss, malnutrition and a shortage of vitamins (eg D, B12 and B6) are lurking. The possible consequences are: a higher risk of fractures, infections and a poorer memory.
Advice: make sure you eat a healthy diet, take a nutritional supplement for seniors and see your doctor if you lose weight for no reason. Even if your weight is still too high, it could indicate malnutrition (lack of essential nutrients).
Do not eat too thin and make sure you have enough fish, oil and nuts. You need fats. They provide energy and there are fats that the body cannot make itself, such as linoleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid. So you have to get those fats from your diet. Linoleic acid is found in vegetable oil and margarine. Alpha-linolenic acid is found in linseed and soybean oil, margarines and walnuts.
Drinking too little – Too much salt
Moisture is vital. Our body consists of fifty to sixty percent. Every day we lose moisture through the urine, but also through the respiration and the skin. Especially on hot summer days and in winter when the heating is high, the body craves moisture. With age, the thirst stimulus decreases, while the need for fluids increases. This is partly because the kidney function slowly deteriorates. The kidneys need more fluid to remove waste products through the urine. You know you’re drinking too little if you don’t urinate much or the urine is dark yellow.
Advice: alternate coffee and tea with fruit juices and dairy. It also contains the necessary vitamins and minerals (calcium). To spare the kidneys, it is also smart not to eat too salty. Rather use more herbs and spices.
How much moisture do you need?
- Under 65: 1.5 liters of liquid (12 cups or 7-8 glasses a day)
- 65+: 1.7 liters per day (1 glass more)
Eating regularly
Those who stop working often swab through the day for a while. The daily structure has disappeared. Eating at fixed times is then no longer an option, especially if you live alone. You get up a little later, have brunch instead of breakfast and have lunch around four to start cooking late at night. For some, cooking is completely lost. What to do?
Try to create a regular diet as soon as possible with enough healthy food on the menu. Remember that seeing food makes eating. Make appointments around dinner time; eat in a cozy atmosphere at a set table with friends or family.
Calories
An average man aged 51-70 needs about 2300 kcal per day; a woman 1900 kcal. (1 kilocalorie = 4.2 kilojoules)
- 1 g fat = 9 kcal
- 1 g carbohydrates = 4 kcal
- 1 g protein = 4 kcal
Guideline for good nutrition
The Health Council published a 350-page report ‘Good Nutrition 2006’ with a number of guidelines, including the following:
- Get less than 10 percent of calories from saturated fat.
- Limit eating or drinking sugary products to 7 times a day.
- Men are allowed two glasses of alcohol, women one glass a day.
- Eat 150-200 grams of vegetables and 200 grams of fruit every day.
- Make sure you get 30-40 grams of fiber (grain products, vegetables and fruit).
Sources):
- Plus Pension Guide