We are all aging, and how well we do it depends largely on something quite basic: what we eat. One of the cruel fates of aging is a diminished capacity to digest foods. Another is scanty appetite. If we are to live reasonably well into our old age, we need to examine and adjust our eating habits.
You may have noticed that certain foods bother you more now than they did before. This is partly due to the reduction of certain stomach acids, enzymes and intestinal flora that help digest our foods. We can help combat this by choosing what we eat a bit more carefully and by taking certain supplements. Once we start down the road of not eating this or that because it bothers us, we lose valuable nutrition, and the capacity to tolerate other foods starts to dwindle. Pretty soon, we have a pretty narrow repertoire of foods we can eat.
Talk to your doctor or dietitian about taking digestive enzymes, vinegar or probiotics. All of these supplements are known to help us tolerate formerly troublesome foods.
Enzymes, acids and flora are not quickly replaced in the aging digestive tract. Whenever we eat, demand is placed upon the system to produce these metabolizers, so then, the next time we eat, there is a deficit. By adding supplements to our diets, we can enhance digestion so our bodies can extract the utmost nutrition from our food. Drinking water throughout the day helps, too, by increasing our absorption of vitamins and minerals.
Get some vitamin D (preferably from the sun) every day as well. It's vital to metabolism.
Maybe you're not hungry enough to eat three meals a day. If your energy output is less, re-fueling is necessary less often. You don't have to stick religiously to the "three squares a day" rule. A late breakfast and an early dinner may be just the answer. A small glass of wine with dinner will stimulate the appetite.
If a big meal is too much, nibble on nutritious foods throughout the day. Whole foods such as vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts and proteins in small amounts go a long way in delivering the vitamins, minerals and enzyme-making components your body needs. If your appetite is meager, you can't afford to eat "empty" foods.
Try to get outside and walk a few minutes every day, too. It'll fire up your appetite and tone your digestive tract.