Lunch
Ayurveda teaches that part of kindling an appetite is having food that food smells and looks good. Even if you are alone, take the time to set the table. Give yourself a nice napkin. Put a little vase of flowers or a candle on the table. Just looking at a candle is said to boost digestive juices according to Ayurveda. Midday is the time of day when your digestion is naturally the strongest so try to have your main meal in the middle of the day. Eat food that is fresh whenever possible. Convenience food, though tasty, lacks strengthening energy and life force. If you are alone and miss company, try listening to music on a radio so that you slow down and enjoy your meal. TV is too distracting so turn it off during meal times. You might also try going out with a group to eat. Food shared with pleasant company is doubling nourishing.
As we age our taste buds tend to dull. Avoid adding salt at the table using just a little good quality salt in cooking. Sometime teeth or dentures are painful. Eat soft foods until the problem is resolved. Eating less does not mean not eating. Not getting nutrients especially B vitamins and zinc will quickly weaken you. Lean meats and fish may help here but also whole grains and lots of fruits and vegetables. The fiber will help too. We tend to get more change resistant as we age so honor the habits of a life time and make small changes slowly to be gentle to yourself.
You don’t have to finish everything on your plate! Eat just as much as you enjoy. You can always come back to it later. After lunch have a rest. In England they say “After lunch rest awhile, after dinner walk a mile”. The greatest challenges to keep vata in check, no matter what your age, are learning to rest and following a steady routine.
If you are making food for your parent, keep in mind what Ayurvedic Nutritionist Amadea Morningstar has to say – “Bother to question your assumptions, about your loved one and their needs. So often we think we know what they need or want, and maybe it’s changed, or different than we think. We may assume that they can handle the same food we can, and it may need to be adapted some, like softer or smaller or...Or we may assume they need it softer, and they like it crispy.” Be patient and honor requests.
Ayurveda would agree with western advice for the 70 plus age group.
- Decreased energy needs hence smaller and /or fewer meals
- A need for increased nutrient density meaning all food should be fresh and of high quality
- An increased need for fiber as found in grains, vegetables, nuts and fruit
- Less meat as this type of protein become less digestible as stomach acids decrease. If you eat meat, balance it with foods high in potassium such as bananas, cantaloupe, fresh orange juice, almonds, chard or artichokes.
- More alkaline forming diet including pumpkin seeds, legumes, dark leafy greens and spices like cinnamon, ginger and cumin.
- Increased needs for calcium, vitamin D, and vitamin B-12.with herbal or nutritional supplements sometimes necessary to achieve sufficient levels
- Drinking 8 cups of fluid/day is recommended, in addition to any alcohol or caffeine-containing beverages consumed, and regardless of a lack of sensation of thirst as the body tend to get very dry with age
- Avoid soft drinks as the phosphoric acid in them takes away mineral from the bones
- If you take a calcium supplement, you should know that your body can only take 500mg on board at a time so smaller doses throughout the day are of more benefit than one high dose.
