Skip to main content

Healthy eating for older adults Archive

Articles

Read More about Are you taking too many supplements?
Are you taking too many supplements?

Are you taking too many supplements?
Taking too many dietary supplements can lead to potential problems. Examples include medication interference, difficulty managing a complicated regimen, missed prescription medication doses, and overdoing it on nutrient intake. It’s not that all supplements are without benefits. For some people, specific supplements may offer some chance of benefit, and little risk. But going overboard can be risky. It’s important to speak with a doctor before starting a supplement to make sure it won’t interfere with one’s health or current medications.
Read More about Plant-based diet quality linked to lower stroke risk
Plant-based diet quality linked to lower stroke risk

Plant-based diet quality linked to lower stroke risk

People who ate healthy plant-based foods had a 10% reduction in stroke risk, compared with people who ate unhealthy plant-based foods, according to a Harvard study published online March 10, 2021, by the journal Neurology.

Read More about Do-it-yourself assisted living
Do-it-yourself assisted living

Do-it-yourself assisted living
It may be possible to set up a version of assisted living in one’s current home by hiring various services and adapting the environment to health needs. Services that might be needed include help with basic care (eating, bathing, brushing teeth, and using the bathroom), meals, medication management, housekeeping, transportation, and yard maintenance. To create a safer environment, it’s best to have a single-floor living space with a sleeping area, bathroom, and kitchen or kitchenette; well-lighted rooms and hallways; smooth, even floors; grab bars and a shower bench or chair in the bathroom; and railings anywhere support is needed while walking.
Read More about High-tech socialization: Is a robotic companion in your future?
High-tech socialization: Is a robotic companion in your future?

High-tech socialization: Is a robotic companion in your future?
Social robots are assistive devices designed to engage humans and enhance their well-being. Some social robots look like pets and purr when stroked. Other social robots act more like companions; they can notice when people walk into a room, ask how they’re doing, chat about hobbies, play favorite music, or connect to family and friends. They can also remind people to take medications, connect someone to a doctor, or walk someone through physical or mental exercises. Expect to see an increase in social robots starting in 2022.
Read More about Expand your healthy cooking oil choices
Expand your healthy cooking oil choices

Expand your healthy cooking oil choices

The healthiest fats for cooking and using on food come from plants. Plant oils consist mostly of unsaturated fat, which in limited amounts is good for the heart. One can enjoy a wide variety of plant oils, such as avocado, canola, corn, flaxseed, grapeseed, olive, peanut, rice bran, safflower, soybean, sunflower, and walnut oils. But high heat can break down plant oil molecules and reduce health benefits. The most fragile plant oils include extra-virgin olive oil and nut oils, such as walnut oil.

Read More about Fruit of the month: Berries
Fruit of the month: Berries

Fruit of the month: Berries
Strawberries and blueberries are rich in beneficial plant compounds known as anthocyanins, which give berries their vibrant red, blue, and purple hues. Several studies have linked diets with anthocyanin-rich foods to better heart health.
Read More about A longevity formula: Three vegetables plus two fruits a day
A longevity formula: Three vegetables plus two fruits a day

A longevity formula: Three vegetables plus two fruits a day
Eating two servings of fruit and three servings of vegetables daily is linked to a lower risk of dying of cardiovascular disease. The healthiest choices include leafy greens, carrots, berries, and citrus fruits.
Read More about Are you wasting money on supplements?
Are you wasting money on supplements?

Are you wasting money on supplements?
Taking multivitamins doesn’t prevent heart attacks or strokes, and most dietary supplements (such as fish oil, red yeast rice, and coenzyme Q10) offer no or limited benefits for avoiding heart-related problems. For people who don’t have heart disease, eating two servings of fatty fish weekly or following a healthy vegetarian diet rich in nuts, legumes, and healthy oils makes more sense than spending money on over-the-counter fish oil supplements. People with heart disease would be better off asking their doctor about the prescription drug icosapent ethyl (Vascepa), a high-dose, purified EPA that lowers cardiovascular risk when taken with a statin.
Read More about Get savvy about sauces
Get savvy about sauces

Get savvy about sauces
Many commercial sauces and dressings contain a lot of sodium, added sugars, and saturated fats. For example, two tablespoons of an average supermarket barbeque sauce has more sugar than a glazed donut. But there are a number of healthier toppings that can be used on salads, fish, chicken, and pasta, such as homemade fruit salsa, pesto sauce, and olive oil and vinegar–based dressing.
Read More about Five a day for better health
Five a day for better health

Five a day for better health
Eating two fruits and five veggies a day may lead to a longer life, according to a recent study.
Result 1281 - 1290 of 3359
Recent Articles
blog image 1

Fatty liver disease: Should you be tested?
blog image 1

Weight-loss drug may lower risk of heart attacks and infections
blog image 1

Testosterone therapy without evidence of deficiency may boost heart risk
blog image 1

Even a little exercise linked with lower stroke risk in people with afib
blog image 1

Antihistamines may not offer meaningful relief from eczema symptoms
blog image 1

What to eat on the DASH diet
blog image 1

Tricep workouts you can do at home
blog image 1

FDA approves first mRNA-based flu vaccine
blog image 1

Migraine: How it's diagnosed and what that means
blog image 1

Mindfulness practices to reduce stress and improve focus
/

Free Healthbeat Signup

Get the latest in health news delivered to your inbox!

Sign Up
Harvard Health Publishing Logo

Thanks for visiting. Don't miss your FREE 32-page gift worth $29.95.

PLUS, don’t miss out on your 25% off promo code.

Sign up to get tips for living a healthy lifestyle—You’ll discover powerful, research- backed strategies for health longevity drawn from Harvard Medical School experts—ways to eat for a longer life, build strength and flexibility to stay independent, protect your bones, heart, and brain as you age, and even cultivate the habits linked with “super-agers” who stay sharp and active well into their 80s and 90s—all delivered to your email box FREE.

Harvard Health Publishing Logo

Stay on top of latest health news from Harvard Medical School.

Plus, get a FREE copy of Living Longer, Living Well!.

Harvard Health Publishing Logo

Stay on top of latest health news from Harvard Medical School.

Plus, get a FREE copy of Living Longer, Living Well.