Diet advice is everywhere these days and much of it conflicts itself. Eat more fat, eat less fat, reduce your sugar, abstain from alcohol for January, do meat-free Monday. It can be very confusing trying to process all the conflicting messages pouring out of supposedly authoritative sources.

What we do know is that it’s as important to watch what you eat in later life as it is when you’re young. If you are finding it hard to prepare food then ask if your in home care provider can help you by preparing meals. Live in care jobs often require candidates to prepare food so make sure it’s in your requirements when looking for candidates.

Diabetes

Perhaps the most obvious health complication associated with diet is diabetes and if you have developed this condition you will already be used to watching the sugar content of what you eat. But if you aren’t diagnosed as diabetic then ensuring you keep sugary foods to an occassional treat will reduce your risk of developing the condition.

Heart Disease

As we get older our hearts naturally get less efficient. Fat is the one to watch to reduce your risk of heart disease but not all fats are bad. Reduce the amount of “bad” fat in your diet by taking small steps such as grilling bacon instead of frying it, poaching eggs instead of frying them and cooking low-fat oven chips instead of, you guessed it, frying them.

In fact frying and consuming dairy fats, such as butter and cream, are some of the worst offenders when it comes to heart health. On the “good” list are things such as olive oil (in moderation), avocados and nuts – all of which can be enjoyed as part of a heart healthy and varied diet.

Eat Your Greens

A daily serving of leafy green vegetables –  whether that is spinach, lettuce, kale or cabbage – is a great way to  boost your system. If you find them difficult to eat try blending them with some apple juice and a banana into a easy to digest smoothie or chopping finely into a salad.

Leafy greens (sorry, tinned peas don’t count) can help protect against cancer and are best eaten is as close to a raw state as you can tolerate. They are also a great way of getting your daily allowances of a whole host of vitamins and minerals such as vitamin C, folic acid, potassium and magnesium.

Watch your portions

Our calorie requirements drop with age as our metabolisms slow down. It’s important to make sure that you reduce your portion sizes to ensure you aren’t overeating. Many of us have a long-established habits of clearing our plates so it can be difficult to listen to our bodies and stop eating when we’re full. A simple alternative is to put less on the plate in the first place!

Becoming overweight can reduce your mobility which, in turn, can increase your risk of a serious fall. If you are unsure about what you should be eating have a word with your doctor who can give you further advice.

When we think of keeping fit we probably conjure up images of the Green Goddess, Olympians or Zumba classes. Which can make keeping fit if you struggle to get out of your chair or walk round the garden seem like an impossible task. And don’t forget to check with your doctor before starting any form of new exercise to make sure it’s safe to do so.

Do What You Can

The trick is to learn what you are capable of and build on that. By gradually trying to increase the amount of activity you do you can still tone up your muscles and strengthen your heart and lungs which is important for keeping healthy and retaining as much mobility as you can through your twilight years. Little and often can reap more benefits than trying to fit a dedicated half-hour workout in occasionally.

Can’t walk far? Try swimming

You don’t even need to be able to swim to gain benefits from exercising in water. You may be able to get access to specialist hydrotherapy classes in small, warm pools with qualified teachers or look out for special sessions run at your local leisure centre.

Take along a friend or your home help to help you get in and out of the pool and assist you with getting dressed. If you find steps and stairs difficult ask if the pool has walk-in access or if you can use a hoist.

Can’t stand for long? Try seated exercises

Whether you’re confined to a wheelchair or simply a bit unsteady on your feet there are several exercises that can be safely attempted from a seated position.

A pedal exerciser – basically an exercise bike in miniature – can be useful to keep your legs moving but can be heavy to lift into place so it’s a good idea if you can  ask your in home care assistant to give you a hand positioning it. A few minutes in one direction followed by a few minutes in reverse will improve circulation which in turn can reduce joint pain and stiffness. Some can be lifted onto a table and used to exercise your arms and upper body too.

Small weights that you can comfortably hold one handed can help you strengthen your arm muscles. There’s no need to go out and buy special ones – a couple of partly filled milk bottles or cans of baked beans are more than adequate.

Strengthening exercises are best done in the form of sets. Repeat the exercise several times – only last one or two repetitions should be more difficult to complete than the first couple – then rest. When starting out you may only do one set of five or six repetitions, but you can build up to longer sets and more sets over several weeks.