Foods for Seniors to Avoid
A good meal is one of the most enjoyable aspects of life. However, as people grow older, certain foods should be avoided – or removed from the diet altogether. This doesn’t mean that seniors should settle for bland, flavorless meals, but instead try to avoid the following four foods.
Raw or Undercooked Meat, Egg, and Poultry
Food poisoning, sepsis, and infection are all severe risks that may result from consuming raw or undercooked food, especially meat, eggs, and poultry. Seniors are at exceptionally high risk of ill effects from these foods.
Grapefruit
Anyone who is taking medications for high blood pressure, as well as certain medicines for anxiety or insomnia, should avoid eating grapefruit. That’s because grapefruit and grapefruit juice intensifies the potency of certain drugs, which can result in accidental overdose. If your doctor has warned you about the potential effects of grapefruit on your prescribed medications – or the label on your prescription indicates a warning against eating grapefruit – don’t ignore it.
Caffeine
Unless you are on a restricted diet, a single cup of coffee in the morning with breakfast is probably fine. However, too much caffeine can interfere with sleep, increase anxiety, and even trigger an irregular heartbeat. Be on the lookout for hidden caffeine. Caffeine can also be found in many teas, soft drinks, chocolate, and even over-the-counter medications – so you may be consuming far more caffeine than you think.
Sugary Drinks
Drinking an ice-cold soft drink can taste great on a hot summer day. But soft drinks and sports drinks contain large amounts of sugar. For example, a 12-ounce can of cola can include 39 grams of sugar – the equivalent of almost ten teaspoons. Drinking sugary drinks can cause pre-diabetes to progress to Type II diabetes, along with increasing the risk of obesity and other serious health issues.
The skilled staff at Camino Retirement Apartments can help take the pain out of meal preparation.
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