Elaborate on three Diet Recommendations made by the American Heart Association (AHA) as preventive guidelines
Elaborate on three Diet Recommendations made by the American Heart Association (AHA) as preventive guidelines
What to do:
Elaborate on three Diet Recommendations made by the American Heart Association (AHA) as preventive guidelines to reduce the risk of CVD and how the diet changes would benefit the seniors diet and health. Your post should be 350 words or more and you will need to reply to two or more of your fellow classmates after making your post.
DISCUSSION DIRECTIONS:
After you type your initial post by Friday evening, read through the other entries and reply directly to at least two classmates by Friday evening. When you reply, please type the name of the classmate you are responding to, and your name at the bottom of the message. Make sure to use professional grammar and punctuation in this college-level course in all correspondence. Please avoid “text” or “twitter speak” when corresponding.
respond to at least two classmates:
#1. Before elaborating on the diet recommendations to benefit senior health, I think it is important to outline some of the reasons why cardiovascular disease, which includes high blood pressure, obesity, and increased cholesterol, is a concern in the first place. While researching this topic, I found some interesting information from the National Library of Medicine, which provided a workshop summary that delved into the challenges that older adults face, and how that impacts their health and overall well-being. First, older adults often take medication for chronic conditions, and this can reduce their ability to absorb essential vitamins, like Vitamin B12. Second, it was discussed that as we age, we experience various changes in taste and smell, and this can lead to a reduced intake of nutrient-dense foods. Lastly, low income is prevalent in senior populations, and lack of finances can make it difficult to access high quality foods, since they are usually more expensive. Therefore, it is even more important to promote the American Heart Association’s (AHA) guidelines for diet and nutrition, because a senior’s diet will be affected just based on the factors that influence their life as they get older.
The AHA recommends the DASH diet, which is rich in potassium, calcium, magnesium, fiber, and protein. Committing to this nutrient and mineral dense diet can counteract the challenges that medication can have on the body. The DASH diet is also low in sodium, which is important, due to the fact that many seniors add more salt to their food because of the changes in their tastebuds. This change can be from the residual effects of the Corona virus, side effects of medication and cancer treatments, and even excessive alcohol intake. The AHA recommends that a diet should include less than 7% of the calories from saturated fat. However, if seniors are having trouble accessing affordable food, they might choose foods that are high in fat in order to cut costs, but then weight gain can become a problem. While the AHA offers a clear plan to help reduce cardiovascular disease, it is even more imperative to offer affordable health care, inexpensive and abundant healthy food options, and easily accessible educational programs in order to help seniors continue to thrive as they age.
#2. Cardiovascular diseases are diseased in relation to the heart and blood vessels usually associated with the hardening of the arteries. This is caused by a buildup of plaque in the blood vessel wall. Seniors are high-risk for these types of diseases as aging can cause changes to the heart and blood vessels. Hyperlipidemia and hypertension are important factors in regards to cardiovascular disease.
The American Heart Association recommends the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, or DASH diet to prevent Cardiovascular Disease. This diet typically includes foods rich in essential vitamins such as potassium, calcium, and magnesium. These are key nutrients to help stabilize blood pressure, therefore decreasing chances of developing any cardiovascular diseases.
The American Heart Association also advises to stay clear of foods high in salt, saturated fats, and added sugars. Diets consisting of a high salt intake can increase your blood pressure. This occurs because salt holds onto water, and if you consume an excess amount of salt that means you have an extra amount of water in your body. That extra water in your blood creates extra pressure on the blood vessels, which in turn elevated your blood pressure. The damage of persistent high blood pressure increases the chances of heart attack, stroke and many other problems.
Another recommendation by the American Heart Association is to decrease your lipoprotein or “bad” cholesterol as quick as two weeks. An excess amount of LDL cholesterol in your blood vessels is very dangerous. This is one of the factors that causes atherosclerosis or the plaque buildup in your arteries. This can be led to coronary artery disease. High blood pressure and high LDL cholesterol levels are the two major risk factors for heart disease and stroke.
The DASH diet can be very easy to follow, especially for seniors. It is a diet consisted of vegetables, fluids, and whole grains. You can also eat fat-free or low-fat dairy items such as poultry, beans, nuts, and fish. The overall goal is to decrease food intake that consist of saturated fats and full-fat dairy products.
Physical activity for seniors along with diet is also very important. Going for daily walks and light-weight-bearing exercises are great ways for the elderly to stay fit and healthy.
Requirements: it’s up to you
Subject: Masters Nutrition
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