With the development of society and the improvement of living standards, the average lifespan of humans continues to increase, and health issues among the elderly are receiving more attention. Health preservation is of great significance for the elderly to maintain physical health, improve quality of life, and delay aging. So, how should the elderly practice health preservation?
1. Balanced Diet
Diet is the basic material source for maintaining life activities, and for the elderly, a reasonable diet is the key to health preservation. (1) Nutritional Balance
As age increases, the physical functions of the elderly gradually decline, leading to different nutritional needs. Therefore, the elderly should ensure food diversity and intake sufficient protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, and minerals. Protein is essential for tissue repair and maintenance; foods rich in high-quality protein include fish, poultry, eggs, lean meat, and legumes. Carbohydrates should be complex, such as whole grain bread, brown rice, and oats, while avoiding excessive simple carbohydrates like white sugar and white bread. Fats should primarily consist of unsaturated fatty acids, such as olive oil, fish oil, and nuts. Vitamins and minerals are crucial for maintaining normal physiological functions, so it is important to consume plenty of fresh vegetables and fruits to supplement nutrients like vitamin C, vitamin E, folic acid, potassium, and calcium.
(2) Control Food Intake
The digestive function of the elderly declines, so food intake should be appropriately controlled to avoid overeating. It is recommended to eat smaller meals more frequently, dividing three meals into 4-5 meals, with each meal being about 70-80% full. This can reduce the burden on the gastrointestinal tract and facilitate nutrient absorption and utilization.
(3) Light Diet
The elderly often prefer stronger flavors due to decreased taste and smell functions, but high-salt, high-sugar, and high-fat foods increase the risk of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and hypertension. Therefore, the diet of the elderly should be as light as possible, reducing salt, sugar, and oil intake. Daily salt intake should be limited to below 5 grams, sugar intake to below 25 grams, and cooking oil to 25-30 grams.
(4) Eat Easily Digestible Foods
Due to weakened digestive functions, the elderly should consume easily digestible foods such as rice porridge, noodles, wontons, and tofu. They should also avoid raw, cold, greasy, spicy, and irritating foods to prevent symptoms like indigestion, abdominal pain, and diarrhea.
(5) Recommended Weekly Menu
Monday
Breakfast: Pumpkin millet porridge (50g pumpkin, 30g millet), boiled egg (1), stir-fried carrot strips (100g carrot).
Lunch: Steamed fish (100g bass), stir-fried mushrooms with greens (50g mushrooms, 150g greens), tomato egg soup (50g tomato, 1 egg), brown rice (50g).
Dinner: Yam red date porridge (50g yam, 5 red dates, 20g rice), steamed tofu with minced meat (100g tofu, 30g minced meat), stir-fried cabbage (100g cabbage).
Tuesday
Breakfast: 200ml milk, 2 slices whole grain bread, cold cucumber salad (100g cucumber).
Lunch: Beef stew with potatoes (100g potatoes, 80g beef), stir-fried broccoli (150g broccoli), spinach egg flower soup (50g spinach, 1 egg), corn rice (30g corn, 30g rice).
Dinner: Vegetable shrimp wontons (30g shrimp, 100g vegetables, 50g wonton wrappers), steamed corn on the cob (1).
Wednesday
Breakfast: Vegetable egg noodles (50g vegetables, 1 egg, 50g noodles), 10 nuts.
Lunch: Chestnut chicken (50g chestnut, 100g chicken), oyster sauce lettuce (150g lettuce), winter melon meatball soup (100g winter melon, 50g meatballs), sweet potato rice (50g sweet potato, 30g rice).
Dinner: Oatmeal porridge (30g oatmeal), scallion scrambled eggs (1 egg, 30g scallion), cold bean sprouts (100g bean sprouts).
Thursday
Breakfast: 200ml soy milk, 1 red bean bun, fruit salad (50g each of apple, banana, orange, mixed with yogurt).
Lunch: Radish stew with ribs (100g radish, 100g ribs), hand-torn cabbage (150g cabbage), kelp tofu soup (30g kelp, 50g tofu), black rice (30g black rice, 30g rice).
Dinner: Shrimp vegetable porridge (20g shrimp, 80g vegetables, 30g rice), pan-fried tofu (80g tofu).
Friday
Breakfast: Corn paste (30g corn), 1 flower roll, cold kelp strips (100g kelp).
Lunch: Braised pork (80g pork belly), stir-fried green beans (150g green beans), tomato egg soup (50g tomato, 1 egg), purple rice (30g purple rice, 30g rice).
Dinner: Greens with shredded meat noodles (50g greens, 30g shredded meat, 50g noodles), steamed pumpkin (100g).
Saturday
Breakfast: Milk oatmeal (200ml milk, 30g oatmeal), boiled egg (1), stir-fried potato strips (100g potato).
Lunch: Kung Pao chicken (100g chicken, 20g peanuts, 50g cucumber), stir-fried oil wheat (150g oil wheat), corn rib soup (50g corn, 50g ribs), brown rice (50g brown rice).
Dinner: Eight treasure porridge (50g mixed red beans, green beans, coix seed, lotus seeds, etc.), chives scrambled eggs (100g chives, 1 egg).
Sunday
Breakfast: Vegetable lean meat porridge (50g vegetables, 30g lean meat, 30g rice), 2 soup dumplings.
Lunch: Crucian carp tofu soup (100g crucian carp, 100g tofu), three fresh dish (50g each of eggplant, potato, green pepper), rice.
Dinner: Steamed egg with shrimp (30g shrimp, 1 egg), stir-fried shepherd’s purse (100g shepherd’s purse), steamed bun (1).
The above is a weekly nutritional menu designed for the elderly. It is important to note that the diet of the elderly should be adjusted according to their individual physical conditions, taste preferences, and nutritional needs. If the elderly have chronic diseases such as hypertension or diabetes, adjustments to the ingredients and cooking methods in the menu are also necessary.
2. Moderate Exercise
Exercise is an important means of maintaining physical health. For the elderly, moderate exercise can not only enhance physical fitness but also improve immunity, prevent diseases, and delay aging. (1) Choose Suitable Exercise Activities
The elderly should choose suitable exercise activities based on their physical conditions and interests. Generally, suitable activities for the elderly include walking, jogging, Tai Chi, yoga, swimming, and square dancing. These activities have moderate intensity, which can exercise the body without placing excessive burdens on it.
(2) Control Exercise Intensity and Duration
The exercise intensity for the elderly should be moderate, avoiding fatigue and discomfort. Generally, the heart rate during exercise should be controlled within (170 – age) beats per minute. The duration of exercise should also be determined based on individual conditions, typically 30-60 minutes per session, 3-5 times a week.
(3) Prepare Before Exercise
The elderly should perform adequate preparatory activities before exercising, such as joint movements and muscle stretching, to reduce the risk of exercise injuries. After exercising, they should engage in relaxation activities, such as slow walking and deep breathing, to alleviate muscle fatigue.
(4) Pay Attention to Safety
The elderly should pay attention to safety during exercise to avoid falls, sprains, and other accidents. The exercise area should be flat, dry, and free of obstacles, and comfortable, well-fitting sports shoes and clothing should be worn. If they have chronic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, or heart disease, they should exercise under the guidance of a doctor.
3. Regular Routine
A regular routine is crucial for the health of the elderly. They should develop good habits, ensure adequate sleep, and reasonably arrange work and rest times. (1) Ensure Adequate Sleep
Sleep is an important process for recovery and repair. The elderly should ensure 6-8 hours of sleep each day. They should avoid excessive excitement and tension before bed, and can help themselves fall asleep by listening to soft music, soaking their feet in warm water, or drinking warm milk. Keeping the bedroom quiet, comfortable, dark, and cool also helps improve sleep quality.
(2) Reasonably Arrange Work and Rest Times
The elderly should arrange their work and rest times according to their physical conditions and living habits, avoiding excessive fatigue and long nights, achieving a balance between work and rest. During the day, they can engage in some outdoor and social activities, and should rest on time at night, developing a regular routine.
4. Maintain a Positive Attitude
Attitude has a significant impact on the health of the elderly. A positive and optimistic attitude can enhance immunity, prevent diseases, and delay aging, while a negative and pessimistic attitude can lead to decreased immunity and increased risk of illness. (1) Cultivate Interests and Hobbies
The elderly should cultivate their interests and hobbies, such as reading, writing, painting, photography, and traveling, to enrich their spiritual lives. Participating in these activities can help divert attention, relieve stress, and maintain a pleasant mood.
(2) Actively Participate in Social Activities
Social activities can help the elderly expand their social networks, enhance self-confidence, and foster a sense of belonging. They can participate in community activities, senior universities, volunteer activities, etc., to interact and share experiences and joys with peers.
(3) Learn to Regulate Emotions
The elderly will inevitably encounter setbacks and difficulties in life, and should learn to regulate their emotions and maintain a calm mindset. When faced with unpleasant situations, they can relieve their emotions through deep breathing, meditation, or talking to someone, avoiding excessive anxiety and depression.
5. Regular Health Check-ups
Regular health check-ups are important for disease prevention, early detection, and timely treatment. The elderly should undergo regular check-ups to understand their health status and detect potential health issues early. (1) Choose Reputable Medical Institutions
The elderly should choose reputable medical institutions for check-ups, such as hospitals and health check-up centers. These institutions have advanced equipment, professional technology, and accurate and reliable test results.
(2) Selection of Check-up Items
The check-up items for the elderly should be selected based on their age, gender, family medical history, and lifestyle. Generally, check-up items include blood routine, urine routine, liver function, kidney function, blood lipids, blood sugar, electrocardiogram, abdominal ultrasound, and chest X-ray. If there is a history of chronic diseases or family medical history, additional tests such as tumor markers, cardiac ultrasound, and cranial CT should be included.
(3) Frequency of Check-ups
Generally, the elderly should have 1-2 check-ups per year. For those with chronic diseases, the frequency of check-ups should be increased according to the doctor’s advice.
6. Fall Prevention
Falls are one of the common accidental injuries among the elderly, severely affecting their quality of life and health. Therefore, the elderly should take measures to prevent falls. (1) Maintain a Safe Living Environment
The living environment of the elderly should be kept clean, bright, and free of obstacles. The floor should be kept dry and non-slip, and handrails should be installed in bathrooms and kitchens. The arrangement of furniture should be reasonable to avoid obstructing walking.
(2) Wear Appropriate Shoes
The elderly should wear well-fitting, comfortable, and non-slip shoes, avoiding high heels and slippers that can lead to falls.
(3) Strengthen Exercise
Exercise can enhance the muscle strength, balance, and coordination of the elderly, reducing the risk of falls. The elderly can engage in targeted exercises such as Tai Chi, yoga, and balance training.
7. Rational Medication Use
Due to declining bodily functions, the elderly often suffer from multiple chronic diseases and require long-term medication. Rational medication use is crucial for the health of the elderly. (1) Follow Medical Advice
The elderly should strictly follow the doctor’s instructions for medication, without arbitrarily increasing or decreasing dosages or stopping medication. If adverse reactions occur during medication, they should promptly inform the doctor to adjust the medication plan.
(2) Understand the Effects and Side Effects of Medications
The elderly should understand the effects, usage, dosage, and side effects of medications before use to better cooperate with treatment and prevent adverse reactions.
(3) Avoid Medication Abuse
The elderly should avoid medication abuse, especially antibiotics, sedatives, and painkillers. If discomfort occurs, they should seek medical attention and use medications under the guidance of a doctor.
In summary, health preservation is an important means for the elderly to maintain physical health, improve quality of life, and delay aging. The elderly should focus on balanced diet, moderate exercise, regular routine, maintaining a positive attitude, regular health check-ups, fall prevention, and rational medication use to develop good living habits and lay a solid foundation for their health. At the same time, society and families should provide more care and support for the elderly, creating a healthy, happy, and beautiful living environment for their later years.
Author / Wang Xiaoying, Deputy Secretary-General of the Medical Committee of the China Life Care Association, Head of the Yuedu Yuedu Health 008 Base
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