A healthy diet is fundamental for overall well-being, offering a wide array of advantages that span from physical health to mental acuity. It's not just about limiting processed foods like cookies, chips, and cold cuts or being mindful of added sugar, sodium, and saturated fat in packaged and frozen foods; it's about embracing a lifestyle that nourishes the body and mind. Following a healthy diet has many benefits, including building strong bones, protecting the heart, preventing disease, and boosting mood. A healthy diet typically includes nutrient-dense foods from all the major food groups, including lean proteins, whole grains, healthy fats, and fruits and vegetables of many colors.
Food Assistance Programs for Seniors
For older adults, maintaining a healthy diet can be particularly crucial. If you are 60 or older, you may be eligible for food assistance, depending on your income. The Department of Agriculture (USDA) offers food assistance for older adults who have a low income. Recognizing this, several programs are in place to ensure access to nutritious food for seniors. These programs include:
- Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP): This program provides coupons for fresh fruits, vegetables, honey, and herbs, redeemable at farmers markets, roadside stands, and community farms. You can use the coupons at farmers markets, roadside stands, and community farms.
- Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP): Offering a monthly package of healthy food, the USDA distributes these packages to local agencies for pickup. In some states, food delivery may also be available. USDA distributes food to local agencies where you can pick it up. In some states, you may be eligible to have your food delivered.
Eligibility for SFMNP and CSFP hinges on being 60 or older and having an income at or below 185% of the federal poverty income guidelines, provided these programs are available in your state. If neither program is on your state's list, you may be eligible to get food stamps through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Learn if you are eligible for SNAP.
Some Medicare Advantage (Part C) plans offer a Medicare flex card, which can act as a food allowance card for seniors, and can also help pay for utilities, transportation to medical appointments, and more. This card is a benefit offered by some insurers and is not issued by the government. Not all Medicare Advantage insurance plans offer flex cards.
Disease Prevention and Improved Physical Health
Eating healthier, such as adhering to the produce-and-fiber-rich Mediterranean or DASH diet, may lower the risk of serious diseases, including heart disease, stroke, obesity, and type 2 diabetes. Eating a variety of foods and consuming less salt, sugars and saturated and industrially-produced trans-fats, are essential for healthy diet. The foods people eat can reduce their blood pressure and help keep their hearts healthy. The DASH diet, or the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension diet, includes plenty of heart-healthy foods. The program recommends:
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- Eating plenty of vegetables, fruits, and whole grains
- Choosing fat-free or low fat dairy products, fish, poultry, beans, and nuts
- Limiting saturated and trans fat intake, such as fatty meats and full-fat dairy products
- Limiting drinks and foods that contain added sugars
- Restricting sodium intake to less than 2,300 milligrams per day - ideally 1,500 mg daily - and increasing consumption of potassium, magnesium, and calcium
Limiting certain types of fats can also improve heart health. For instance, eliminating trans fats reduces low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels. This type of cholesterol causes plaque to collect within the arteries, increasing the risk of a heart attack and stroke.
The American Institute for Cancer Research recommends a diet rich in a variety of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and beans to support overall health and potentially reduce the risk of developing cancer. Some people believe that antioxidants in these foods play a key role in preventing cancer.
Enhanced Immunity
Consuming fruits, vegetables, fiber-rich foods, and healthy protein sources can bolster the immune system, improving the body's ability to fend off common illnesses like colds and flu and facilitating quicker recovery. Eating all those fruits and vegetables, along with other fiber-rich foods and healthy sources of protein, may help you maintain a healthier immune system.That means you’ll be able to fight off the germs that cause colds and flu. And you’ll likely recover more quickly if you do get sick.
Sustained Energy Levels
The body and brain require fuel to function optimally throughout the day. Opting for meals and snacks that combine protein and unsaturated fats with unrefined carbs like whole grains provides a steady release of energy, preventing the crashes associated with sugary foods. Your body and brain need fuel to power you through your day. Sure, a candy bar will give you a quick burst. But you’re more likely to crash once the sugar rush disappears. A better idea? Eat meals and snacks that combine protein and unsaturated fats with unrefined carbs like whole grains. Those foods raise blood sugar slowly, which your body converts into energy.
Improved Sleep Quality
A diet rich in fiber, low-fat protein sources, and foods high in B vitamins can contribute to better sleep quality by regulating melatonin production and preventing disruptions caused by processed foods high in saturated fats. Eating lots of processed foods that are low in fiber and high in saturated fats can interfere with deep sleep.That’s the stage of sleep that allows you to feel your best when you wake up. For a better night’s sleep, get plenty of fiber from vegetables, fruits and whole grains. Choose low-fat protein sources. And go for foods that are high in B vitamins, which may help regulate melatonin, the sleep hormone.
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Cognitive Function and Brain Health
Kids need healthy foods to fuel their growing brains. But older adults need to continue eating healthy foods to keep their brains sharp too. Healthy foods are crucial for maintaining cognitive function and brain health, especially as people age. The MIND diet, which emphasizes whole grains, leafy greens, nuts, beans, berries, poultry, and fish, with olive oil as the primary fat source, is particularly beneficial. The following diets incorporate many of these elements and are associated with a lower risk of cognitive decline and dementia:
- Mediterranean diet
- Nordic diet
- DASH diet
- MIND diet
Strong Bones and Teeth
Adequate intake of calcium and magnesium is essential for maintaining strong bones and teeth, reducing the risk of conditions like osteoporosis later in life. Sure, you need calcium to build strong bones and keep them that way. But you also need many other vitamins and minerals, including vitamin D, magnesium and vitamins K, C and A. Food is the best way to get these nutrients. A diet with adequate calcium and magnesium is important for strong bones and teeth. Keeping the bones healthy can minimize the risk of bone issues later in life, such as osteoporosis. Good sources of calcium include:
- dairy products
- kale
- broccoli
- canned fish with bones
Food manufacturers often fortify cereals, tofu, and plant-based milk with calcium. Magnesium is abundant in many foods, and some of the best sources include:
- green leafy vegetables
- nuts
- seeds
- whole grains
Eye Health
Consuming foods rich in vitamins C and E, zinc, lutein, zeaxanthin, and omega-3 fatty acids can promote eye health and lower the risk of serious eye conditions like age-related macular degeneration and cataracts. Eating foods rich in vitamins C and E, zinc, lutein, zeaxanthin and omega-3 fatty acids can be good for your eyes. You can lower your risk of serious eye conditions that can cause blindness, such as age-related macular degeneration and cataracts.
Reduced Inflammation and Arthritis Symptom Relief
The Mediterranean diet, with its abundance of anti-inflammatory foods rich in antioxidants and vitamins, can help ease joint pain and improve other symptoms of arthritis. The Mediterranean diet offers plenty of anti-inflammatory foods. They are rich in antioxidants and vitamins that can help ease joint pain and improve other symptoms of arthritis. Those include fatty fish rich in omega 3s (like salmon), unsalted nuts and seeds, and beans.
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Mental Health and Mood
Some evidence suggests a close relationship between diet and mood. According to a 2020 study, diet can affect several factors which, in turn, may impact a person’s mood. These include:
- blood glucose levels
- immune activation
- the gut microbiome
The researchers also found that certain diets, such as the Mediterranean diet, may be linked to better mental health. The opposite is true for diets with high amounts of red meat, processed foods, and high fat foods.
Maintaining a Healthy Weight
Maintaining a moderate weight can help reduce the risk of chronic health issues. A person who has more weight or obesity may be at risk of developing certain conditions, including:
- coronary heart disease
- type 2 diabetes
- osteoarthritis
- stroke
- hypertension
- certain mental health conditions
- some cancers
Many healthy foods, including vegetables, fruits, and beans, are lower in calories than most processed foods. Maintaining a healthy diet can help people stay within their daily limits without monitoring their calorie intake.
Managing Diabetes
A healthy diet may help a person with diabetes:
- manage their blood glucose levels
- keep their blood pressure within target ranges
- keep their cholesterol within target ranges
- prevent or delay complications of diabetes
- maintain a moderate weight
People with diabetes must limit their intake of foods with added sugar and salt. They should also consider avoiding fried foods high in saturated and trans fats.
WHO Recommendations for a Healthy Diet
Here is some useful information, based on WHO recommendations, to follow a healthy diet, and the benefits of doing so.
- Breastfeed babies and young children: A healthy diet starts early in life - breastfeeding fosters healthy growth, and may have longer-term health benefits, like reducing the risk of becoming overweight or obese and developing noncommunicable diseases later in life. Feeding babies exclusively with breast milk from birth to 6 months of life is important for a healthy diet. It is also important to introduce a variety of safe and nutritious complementary foods at 6 months of age, while continuing to breastfeed until your child is two years old and beyond.
- Eat plenty of vegetables and fruit: They are important sources of vitamins, minerals, dietary fibre, plant protein and antioxidants. People with diets rich in vegetables and fruit have a significantly lower risk of obesity, heart disease, stroke, diabetes and certain types of cancer.
- Eat less fat: Fats and oils and concentrated sources of energy. Eating too much, particularly the wrong kinds of fat, like saturated and industrially-produced trans-fat, can increase the risk of heart disease and stroke. Using unsaturated vegetable oils (olive, soy, sunflower or corn oil) rather than animal fats or oils high in saturated fats (butter, ghee, lard, coconut and palm oil) will help consume healthier fats. To avoid unhealthy weight gain, consumption of total fat should not exceed 30% of a person's overall energy intake.
- Limit intake of sugars: For a healthy diet, sugars should represent less than 10% of your total energy intake.
Healthy Benefits+ Visa Card
It's easy to use your benefits with the Healthy Benefits+ card. Depending on your plan, your card may come pre-loaded with a prescription eyewear allowance, combined flexible benefit allowance, over-the-counter allowance and more. You can use your card in-store, over the phone or online at participating retailers. One card. Save with grocery discounts at participating grocery stores. Weekly discounts are pre‑loaded onto your card. Simply scan card when paying to access your discount. Your Healthy Benefits+ card is reloadable each year and is valid until the expiration date or you’re no longer a UCare or EssentiaCare member. Be sure to keep your card, as you won’t be sent a new one each year.