The body undergoes many changes as it gets older, and you have to compensate for these changes and adapt your lifestyle as you go. This is especially important information to know if you are caring for someone else with special dietary needs such as the elderly.
Did you know that eating a diet that consists largely of meat could be dangerous for the elderly? Here’s just why a meat-based diet can be dangerous for the elderly.
Meat and Iron
We know that meat is considered almost essential for a daily diet; but today we also know that meat can be entirely replaced as long as the nutrients that are being lost through the change is properly being compensated for.
If you are switching away from meat, you will need to take supplements to fill in your iron levels – and you might need to switch to high-iron options like kale.
But why not meat? Because meat can overload your body, which can cause damage to the elderly who have existing liver or kidney problems.
Meat and Hormones
Have you thought about just how the meat industry makes its money? In most cases, the animals are fed hormones – especially in the case of chicken.
This aids in fast growth and means that the meat industry profits more from it. But this also means that the hormones directly trickle down to the people who eat the meat – and this can wreck someone’s system, especially if they are older and already starting to struggle with their bodies. Avoid foods that are known for being high in hormones, of which most meat is the worst culprit.
Meat and Salt Intake
Some people might not think of meat as a juicy steak, but instead lean more towards processed and dried meats such as jerky and salami: This especially can be unhealthy in the long run, and it can lead to all sorts of digestive issues if you are older.
The spices and salts used in the manufacturing process can also seriously damage an elderly system, too. Remember that salt is often what causes a dangerous spike in your blood pressure, and that high blood pressure can lead to a heart attack or stroke – even if the condition is not a chronic one.
You should be cutting down on your salt intake as you get older, and cutting down on processed meats is a healthy way to begin doing so.
Meat and Cholesterol
Developing cholesterol is often due to genetic factors – and something that you will be much more at risk of if you have someone in your family who has had problems before. But if you are consuming far too much meat, you can just as easily develop cholesterol with no prior family history – and this is an especially good reason to cut meat out of your diet for good, especially if you are getting older.
Did you know that meat is one of the things that spends a considerably amount of time in the body while it’s digesting? The body finds it already hard to digest meat – and it’s a process that can take several weeks.
Yes, the meat still decays in your body in the meantime – and if you have been eating a lot of meat then you can only imagine what it’s doing on the inside of your body right now. If you have digestive issues already, then you should be cutting meat out of your diet – especially when it becomes harder to digest for the elderly body.
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