"To lengthen thy life, lessen thy meals."
-Benjamin FranklinFor your energy needs eat more foods (in moderate amounts) rich in complex carbohydrates (e.g. brown rice, noodles, bread, maize, dietary fibers, potatoes, pasta and spaghetti) and less food with simple carbohydrates (e.g. sugar, sweets, pastry, cakes, soft drinks, syrups, sweet deserts and chocolates.)
Too much of the simple carbohydrates and fatty foods can lead to obesity, which is an indication of lipids or fat in the body.
Medical research and findings suggest that consuming excessive amounts of fat (saturated) and protein (meat and dairy products) is a significant factor in Putting one at risk of developing colorectal and rectal cancer.
A high cholesterol level puts you at risk of having your blood vessels clogged up with fatty substances and of getting high blood pressure, coronary heart disease and a heart attack. High levels of cholesterol and triglyceride may cause coronary arteries to narrow, harden or be blocked. This condition, known as atherosclerosis, is due to fatty substances being deposited in the artery walls and may lead to a heart attack or a stroke.
Lipids are fatty substances found in all cells in the body. They are of the forms known commonly as triglyceride and cholesterol. There are two types of cholesterol namely LDL-cholesterol (Low-density Lipoprotein), which is the bad type, and HDL-cholesterol (High-density Lipoprotein), which is the good type.
Genes play a minimal role in determining cholesterol levels for elderly people over 70. For the older people lifestyle is the determining factor: eating less foods with sugar content, drinking less alcohol , exercise and other healthy lifestyle measures can lower triglyceride levels.
A blood test can determine the level of cholesterol in your blood.
If the level of harmful cholesterol is high it can be reduced by drugs, which should be taken on doctor's orders (a few examples are gemfibrozil, zocor or pravastatin) and a balanced diet, free of saturated fat. These should be taken in consultation with your doctor.
Use monounsaturated or polyunsaturated oils (e.g. soybean oil, corn oil, canola oil, safflower oil or extra virgin olive oil) to cook your food as it helps to lower cholesterol, and use saturated oils sparingly (e.g. full cream milk, milk products, butter, coconut oil, meat fat, poultry skin, ghee, beef tallow, pastries, & puddings).
Limit the number of eggs to two or three a week. Cholesterol is also present in shellfish (e.g. crabs, prawns) organ meats( e.g. pate de foie gras, kidney, liver, intestines and tripe.)
Eating more vegetables and fruit and less fatty and dairy food, fish and exercising regularly can increase the level of HDL and reduce your risk of getting heart problems.
Drink plenty of plain water to quench your thirst and flush out the toxins from your body. In developed countries tap water is purified and chlorinated and is fortified with fluoride to prevent tooth decay.
Eating food and fruit high in fiber and drinking plenty of water is good for the prevention of constipation, a common complaint of the elderly.