As summer approaches and temperatures soar, do elderly friends feel overwhelmed and their appetite decreases? In this situation, it is easy to gradually fall into a vicious cycle of "not wanting to eat - lacking nutrition - even more unable to eat". Reasonable diet and balanced nutrition are the basis for maintaining body health and delaying functional decline. It is important to have a healthy diet and master the methods. A reasonable diet is the foundation for elderly people to maintain vitality, health, and longevity. However, some elderly people have some misconceptions about home dietary nutrition, which can eventually affect their health. The following text lists several common misconceptions to help elderly friends overcome their dietary mistakes and develop healthy eating habits. Misconception 1: It's hard to buy weight in old age. It's often said that "it's hard to buy weight in old age", and some elderly people even limit their food intake and variety to pursue "weight loss in old age". In fact, weight loss often means a synchronous decrease in body fat and muscle tissue, which is very detrimental to health. Older people are prone to fatigue, reduced resistance to cold and hot stimuli, and increased risks of muscle atrophy, infections, fractures, malnutrition, and other conditions. The "Chinese Dietary Guidelines for Residents (2022)" recommend that the BMI (Body Mass Index) of elderly people aged 65 and above should be controlled between 20 and 26.9, and slightly overweight elderly people are better for their health. Weight loss is a signal of malnutrition and deteriorating health, which can increase the risk of illness and weakness. It is recommended that elderly people regularly monitor their weight and nutritional status. When they are underweight or have recently experienced significant weight loss, they should promptly go to medical institutions for medical nutrition assessment, identify the cause early, and take active intervention measures in terms of dietary nutrition. Misconception 2: Eating a vegetarian diet can lead to longevity. There are rumors that "eating a vegetarian diet can lead to longevity", and many elderly people are concerned that animal based foods contain high levels of saturated fatty acids and cholesterol, which can increase the risk of developing the "three highs" (hypertension, hyperglycemia, and hyperlipidemia). Therefore, they eat less meat dishes, and even skip meat dishes and switch to a vegetarian diet. Little do they know, this practice can lead to deficiencies in high-quality protein, calcium, iron, zinc, B vitamins, etc., making the body prone to fatigue, anemia, low weight, and rapid muscle loss, which in turn can cause a decrease in the body's resistance and weakness, which is not conducive to health. The "Chinese Dietary Guidelines for Residents (2022)" recommend that elderly people should try to ensure a rich variety of food, sufficient animal based foods, and regularly consume soy products in their diet. After all, ensuring sufficient protein nutrition is crucial for maintaining the health and immune function of the elderly population. It is recommended that elderly people consume a total of 150 to 200 grams of animal based food per day, and choose different types of food instead of being too single. Choose fish and shrimp, especially sea fish, which are rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids and have protective effects on cardiovascular health and cognition. Try to choose lean meat and eat less fatty meat to reduce intake of saturated fatty acids and cholesterol, and lower the risk of cardiovascular disease. Misconception 3: More coarse grains are better. Coarse grains, also known as whole grains, refer to grains that have not been finely processed or have retained the endosperm, germ, bran, and aleurone layer components of intact grains even after grinding (crushing or pressing, etc.), such as oats, millet, corn, buckwheat, barley, quinoa, rye, whole wheat, brown rice, black rice, etc. Coarse grains also include miscellaneous beans such as red beans, mung beans, kidney beans, chickpeas, etc. Coarse grains have many advantages in terms of nutrition and health, such as rich B vitamins and minerals, rich dietary fiber, promoting intestinal peristalsis, preventing constipation and hemorrhoids. The glycemic index of coarse grains is relatively low, which has certain benefits for regulating blood sugar and blood lipids. Some elderly people hear that eating coarse grains is beneficial to their health, so they eat coarse grains every day and every meal, but the more coarse grains, the better. Eating too much coarse grains increases gastrointestinal emptying, and the speed at which food passes through the gastrointestinal tract is too fast, reducing the digestion and absorption of protein and nutrients. Coarse grains contain a lot of dietary fiber, which affects the absorption of elements such as calcium, iron, and magnesium. People who are thin, anemic, or calcium deficient should not eat too much coarse grains. Elderly people with poor gastrointestinal function, indigestion, gastric mucosal erosion and ulcer, reflux, gastrointestinal surgery, intestinal inflammation and bleeding are not recommended to eat coarse grains. Their diet should be soft and delicate to reduce stimulation and damage to the gastrointestinal tract. The Chinese Dietary Guidelines for Residents (2022) recommend that healthy adults consume one-third of their staple food in whole grains per day, which is equivalent to eating 50 to 100 grams per day. Elderly people have weakened chewing and digestive functions, and coarse grains should be processed, crushed, and cooked in moderation for consumption. Misconception 4: Eating eggs, discarding egg yolks. Eggs are a highly nutritious food, and their protein contains abundant high-quality protein, especially essential amino acids such as lysine and methionine. The protein, high-quality fat, and many micronutrients in egg yolks are significantly higher than those in egg whites. Egg yolks also contain abundant lecithin, which is beneficial for enhancing and improving memory. However, egg yolks contain high levels of cholesterol, causing some people to feel intimidated by them or to only eat egg whites and discard egg yolks. A study has shown that elderly people aged 60 to 80 (including those with arteriosclerosis, coronary heart disease, and hypertension) who eat 2 eggs a day for 3 consecutive months have not seen an increase in serum cholesterol and blood lipid levels. Why can two eggs maintain normal blood lipids with a cholesterol content of about 700 milligrams? This is related to the presence of abundant phospholipids and cholesterol in eggs. Phosphatidylcholine is a strong emulsifier that can reduce cholesterol and fat particles and maintain a suspended state, which is beneficial for lipids to penetrate the blood vessel wall and be utilized by tissues, thereby reducing cholesterol in the blood. The Chinese Nutrition Society recommends that healthy elderly people should eat one egg a day, and elderly people with elevated cholesterol can eat one egg every other day, with both the egg white and yolk. Misconception 5: Drinking water only when thirsty. Elderly people have lower body water content than young people, weaker ability to regulate water balance, slower thirst center response, less sweating, and weakened heart function. In addition, elderly men are prone to prostate enlargement, which leads to many elderly people being afraid of drinking water, drinking less water, and not actively drinking water. They often only drink water when thirsty, and their bodies are already in a state of dehydration. Long term chronic insufficient water intake is also related to falls, fractures, pressure ulcers, delayed wound healing, constipation, cardiovascular disease, urinary tract infections, kidney stones, and death in elderly people. Proactively and adequately drinking water can help improve hidden dehydration in the elderly and maintain their health. Especially in summer, it is even more important to actively drink water. The daily water intake for elderly people should be 1500 milliliters to 1700 milliliters, and they should drink water in small amounts, multiple times, and at will, with 50 milliliters to 100 milliliters each time. Do not drink a large amount of water at once, as it can increase the burden on the gastrointestinal tract, dilute gastric juice, and hinder digestion. Reasonable diet ensures nutrition, recommending five practical principles to maintain the health and longevity of the elderly. There are three key points to pay attention to: avoiding nutritional deficiencies; To maintain the normal physiological functions of the elderly and try to maintain their vitality as much as possible; To maintain long-term health. Research shows that a healthy lifestyle combined with balanced nutrition can reduce the mortality rate of elderly people by 25% and increase their biological lifespan. How to make the diet of the elderly reasonable and nutritious? The following five practical principles are recommended: consume sufficient and diverse foods. It is recommended to try to consume 12 types of food per day or more than 25 types of food per week. Reasonable food pairing, including coarse and fine food pairing, grain and bean pairing, meat and vegetable pairing, vegetable and fruit pairing, milk and bean pairing, etc., can ensure sufficient and diverse food and nutrient intake for the human body. Adequate intake of high-quality protein includes two categories: one is animal based foods, including red meat such as pork, beef, and lamb, white meat such as fish, shrimp, poultry, milk, eggs, etc; Another type is soybeans and their products. Elderly people should have sufficient protein intake. It is recommended to consume 1.2 to 1.5 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day, with high-quality protein accounting for half. They can consume 150 to 200 grams of fish, shrimp, meat, 1 egg per day. They should also regularly eat soy products, drink 300 to 500 milliliters of liquid milk, and choose other dairy products such as yogurt, milk powder, cheese, etc. From the monitoring results of Shanghai residents' diet and health status, it can be seen that there is an unreasonable dietary structure among Shanghai residents, who eat less vegetables and fruits and do not meet the recommended amount. Vegetables and fruits are important components of a balanced diet. It is recommended to consume 300 to 500 grams of fresh vegetables per day, with dark vegetables accounting for half; Daily intake of 200 to 350 grams of fruits, including citrus, apple, kiwi, strawberry, blueberry, etc. It is recommended to eat fresh fruits, and fruit juice cannot replace fruits. Regular monitoring of weight and evaluation of nutritional status, if conditions permit, elderly people can undergo regular measurements of grip strength, upper arm circumference, lower leg circumference, as well as body composition to help determine changes in the content of fat, muscle, bone, water, and other substances in the body. The weight of elderly people should be maintained within an appropriate range, and being overweight or underweight is not beneficial. Reasonable use of special medical formula foods, also known as special medical formula foods, is a type of formula food specially processed and prepared to address eating disorders, meet the nutritional needs of people with digestive and absorption disorders, metabolic disorders, and specific disease states. When the elderly's food intake is less than 80% of the target amount, it is necessary to consider using special medical foods, enteral nutrition preparations, etc. between meals under the guidance of doctors and clinical nutritionists to meet the body's nutritional needs. (New Society)