Senior Diet: To Meat or Not to Meat
The consumption of meat has been a dietary staple for many seniors. It has only been in the past couple of decades; substantial evidence has been gathered suggesting people of all ages reduce or eliminate the consumption of red meat.
For all of us, including seniors, avoiding red meat could mean a longer, healthier life. Here are 10 reasons for seniors, and everyone else, to consider avoiding meat.
Lose Weight – High levels of fat found in red meat can cause people to gain weight or prevent the loss of weight in those seeking to lose pounds.
Reduce Cancer Risk – The red color in meat can damage the lining of the gastrointestinal tract making it susceptible to cancer while highly processed red meats such as hot dogs and bacon contain compounds which could encourage malignant growth.
Lower Diabetes Risk – Type 2 diabetes is often caused by obesity which can result from high consumption of fatty red meat.
Reduce Acid Levels – High acidity in the body can make it more susceptible to disease. Like cola and coffee, red meat decreases the body’s PH levels which if left unbalanced can raise overall acidity levels.
Avoid Constipation – Red meat is digested by the body slower than other foods and can cause stomach pain, bloat, and constipation.
Boost Energy Levels – The body uses much more energy to digest red meat than many other foods, resulting in depleting energy stores.
Increase Life Expectancy – Harvard researchers discovered a connection between red meat and lower life expectancy because of increased heart disease and cancer.
Avoid Bacterial Infections – Red meat requires special attention to its preparation to prevent bacterial infections from occurring due to improper cooking or processing.
Reduce Cardiovascular Disease Risk –High in saturated fats, red meat can cause plaque buildup and hardening of the arteries.
Reduce Likelihood of Alzheimer’s Disease – Inflammation, which can result from the iron found in red meat, has been linked to the development of Alzheimer’s Disease.
With all of these reasons, you can see why many people are reducing or eliminating meat from their diet. If quitting meat altogether doesn’t fit your lifestyle, you may consider simply reducing your consumption by not eating meat on certain days of the week. Even entire cities have taken steps to reduce meat consumption. Columbia, South recently made a city proclamation to officially declare Mondays “Meatless Monday”.
Featured Blogs
- Aging and Our Body’s Ability to Heal Itself
- Keeping Health Insurance After a Layoff
- Waking Up to the Impact of Insomnia
- How Life Insurance Benefits Women
- What experts say about raising the retirement age
- Coverage for healthcare treatment denied? Here’s what you can do.
- Sharing the Road with Cyclists
- Buying Life Insurance for an Elderly Parent?
- Medicaid Unwinding: Your Questions Answered
- Living Your Best Life After 60
- Buying Health Insurance: A Millennial’s Guide
- Self-Love Ideas for Valentine’s Day
- Life Without Clutter
- Set Yourself Up for Success with Your Fitness Routine
- Winter Hydration – Do I Need It?
- I’m 60+; Do I Need Life Insurance?
- Why Do I Keep Breaking My New Year’s Resolutions?
- Closing Out the Year with a Smile!
- How to Enjoy a Long Layover
- 6 Cold Weather Safety Tips
- 10 Tips for Managing Cholesterol Levels
- How Much Life Insurance Do You Need Right Now?
- 3 Top Tips for Better Posture
- Building Bone Density for Seniors
- Living Outside Your Comfort Zone in Retirement
- 3 Top Habits that Lead to a Happy Life After Retirement
- Should You Insure Your Gifts?
- Everything You Need to Know When Retiring Under 65
- 7 Benefits of Slow Travel
- Utilizing Medicare Preventative Services
- The Harsh Reality of Credit Card Fees
- Tips to Avoid Stress Eating
- Common Exercise Pains – How to Work Past Them and When to Call for Help
- Know the Benefits of Walking
- 4 Tips for a Less Stressful Summer
- How to Choose an In-Home Care Provider for Your Loved One in 5 Steps
- 2020 Commencement Speech Quotes for All of Us
- Is Fasting a Fad?
- 3 Vegetables You Can Plant and Grow Anywhere Right Now!
- Summer is Almost Here! Can a Couch-to-5k Running Program Get You Ready?
- Special Needs Child? Consider Survivorship Life Insurance
- The Case(s) to Buy Life Insurance for Your Child
- The Safest Vehicles to Buy in Model Year 2020