4 Ways Good Food Can Nourish Your Body
A balanced diet should be at the top of your list if you plan to take good care of your body. At Solterra Senior Living, our chef provides a variety of menu items and varied selections to tempt your taste buds every day. We seek to provide the best possible balanced diet for you and your needs.
Here are four ways good food can nourish your body.
One. Got calcium?
As we age, our bones grow more brittle. Consuming high amounts of calcium can help to slow bone loss and keep your teeth strong. While calcium is known for keeping bones strong, that’s not all it does. It helps our blood clot, contracts muscles, and keeps our hearts beating. Calcium is in dairy products, but we can also find it in dark green vegetables, such as kale and broccoli, and in fish, such as sardines and salmon. If you want to take the calcium-fortified food route, there are plenty of soy products, fruit juices, and cereals.
Two. Need energy?
Have you ever noticed how tired you feel when you eat junk food? It’s hard to maintain an energetic day when you’re snacking on candy or if you have chocolate cake for breakfast. Make sure to eat fruits or veggies with every meal, which will help your fiber intake.
First, you’ll feel full longer, and you’ll enjoy a clearer mind. If you’re planning on a big workout, make sure you eat some complex carbs, such as oatmeal with nuts and seeds. It takes longer to digest it, which means that you’ll have a steady source of energy throughout your workout, your walk, or your busy morning.
Three. Getting sniffly?
Eating foods that are high in vitamin C can help you fight off a cold. Vitamin C helps you produce white blood cells, which target infections. Our bodies don’t store vitamin C, so you must replenish it every day. There are plenty of ways to find it without repeating yourself. Maybe try adding some bell peppers to your scrambled eggs, layer some spinach on your sandwich at lunch, switch out your baked potato for a sweet potato, or experiment with adding ginger to your tea.
Four. Recovering from surgery or an injury?
If you’re recovering from surgery or if you’ve had an accident, you know that rest is a big factor in your recovery. But your diet can help you bounce back too. Focus on foods that are higher in protein and nutrients. Aim for a variety of fruits and vegetables, grains, milk, meats, and beans. Since you’re trying to focus on foods that are nourishing while still being high in calories, it’s best to limit your servings of oils, fats, and sugars. There will be plenty of time for that once you’re all recovered. Choose foods such as fish, tofu, beans, Greek yogurt, dark leafy greens, and foods rich in zinc, such as seafood, eggs, and nuts and seeds.