Positive maturity implies reviewing the value of acquired habits and attitudes, increasing the positive ones and correcting those that may lead us down undesirable paths.
This is an individual discernment, like all those that affect the quality of life. This process can manifest itself in each of our daily acts and behaviors.
One of the areas that can have the greatest impact on maturity is health; the WHO defines this concept as “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”.
We are what we (do not) eat
One of the most relevant aspects related to health is food: what, how, when and how much we eat or stop eating.
By the time people reach maturity, they already have well-established habits that have been consolidated over the years. In most cases, they were formed unconsciously, starting in early childhood.
It must also be taken into account that nutrition is increasingly based, especially in childhood, on advertising pressure or on customs alien to our culture. In Spain we are even losing the so famous “Mediterranean diet”, the healthiest dietary model known.
We are all aware that we do not eat well, but we are equally aware that food is as much a source of pleasure as it is a source of health. Eating well is fashionable, but enjoying food is even more so.
How to know if my diet is good
To know if your diet is good or not, you can measure your weight and height. Contrary to what many people think, people who gain weight throughout their lives live longer and healthier lives than those who maintain the same weight throughout their lives. But it is not advisable to be guided by the weight and height tables that appear in magazines; the best available measure is not weight, but the body mass index (BMI):
weight (kg)
BMI = ————–
height (m)2
As a general rule we can take as a reference a BMI between 22 and 28 up to 65 years of age and between 23 and 29 after 65 years of age.
How much and when we should eat
In addition to considering changing weight or calorie intake, another beneficial habit may be to correct the distribution of food throughout the day.
Smaller amounts in more servings are preferable. The minimum reasonable number is three servings each day; it is not highly recommended to eliminate any of them and it may be beneficial to have four or five servings.
Breakfast is perhaps the most important meal of the day and should never consist of a solitary coffee. Breakfast needs to provide approximately 25% of the total food for the day, and should be as varied as possible.
Malnutrition in the elderly
As people get older they become frail and malnutrition can become a major health problem.
Much research is now being done into ways of early detection of nutritional problems in middle age. A test developed by Professor Vellas of Toulouse, called mini nutritional assessment (MNA), has become very popular.
Some recommendations of the Spanish Society of Endocrinology and Nutrition to maintain a good nutritional status in the elderly are:
- Do not skip meal times. It is common for the elderly to skip one of the main meals, usually dinner. This is not good, as you will miss out on important nutrients and tend to overeat at the next meal. The healthy thing to do is to eat dinner earlier and to do so with easily digestible, low-fat foods: pasta, cooked vegetables, fruits.
- Eat in moderation and variety: a little of everything and not too much of one thing. Observe the food pyramid:
- Eat low fat and good quality fat. Replace whole milk and yogurt with skimmed or semi-skimmed. Select meats and cuts with lower fat content.
- Consume plenty of fluids, fruits and vegetables to avoid constipation.
- Use salt in moderation.
- As long as it is not contraindicated, a small amount of wine or beer can be included in the diet (1 glass daily), without forgetting that it contributes calories but not nutrients.
- Watch out for products advertised as “for diabetics”, “light”, or “sugar-free”. This may be misleading advertising.
For more information, consult your Geriatric specialist.