Vitamin C for Seniors. Vitamin C and Immune System. Vitamin C Smoothie. Older Adulthood Senior Foods

Hi this is James with the Self Made Healthy Eater channel. Today's video is about older adults and seniors age 50 and above eating healthier. Your body's immune system you want it working efficiently protecting you as much as it can. Our bodies helping us to live a full life and protecting us from harm has always been important for people in our age group. Did you know that there are five things that you should be aware that will help you to be healthier? First, comfortably understand why a healthy immune system is important for older adults and seniors age 50 and above. Two, vitamin c is so important to your immune system. And three, there are a wide range of foods including fruits and vegetables that are rich in vitamin c that will help you to be a healthier older adult. Four, be aware what's harmful to your immune system and your health in general. And five, I want to share with you a smoothie that I make that is rich in vitamin c and I know has been helpful to my immune system. I created the Self Made Healthy Eater channel for older adults and seniors age 50 and above because I personally experienced how eating healthy improves your quality of life. You can help me out on this mission to get this valuable information about eating healthier to people just like you. Simply click the like button below and subscribe to the Self Made Healthy Eater channel. Maintaining a nutrient-dense diet is critically important for older adults because of the impact of food intake on health. Years of research have demonstrated that diet quality has a huge effect on physical condition, cognitive condition, bone health, eye health, and vascular function. As you grow older, your immune system does not work as well. Your body may heal more slowly. There are fewer immune cells in the body to bring about healing. This increases your risk for getting sick. Vitamin C is an antioxidant. It is important for your skin, bones, and connective tissues. It promotes healing. Vitamin C comes from fruits and vegetables. It is well known that a balanced diet which satisfies the daily intake of vitamin C positively affects the immune system and reduces susceptibility to infections. Eating habits change throughout the lifespan. Simple changes can help you enjoy the foods and beverages you eat and drink to meet nutrient needs. They help you maintain a healthy body. Add fruits and vegetables to meals and snacks. Look for frozen, canned, or ready-to-eat varieties if slicing and chomping is a challenge. The following foods are among the richest sources of vitamin C. Some of them may surprise you. They did me. Sweet red and green peppers, also hot green chili pepper, orange juice, tomato juice, potato, strawberries, kiwi fruit, broccoli, and cauliflower, oranges, pineapple chunks, Brussels sprouts, cantaloupe, and lemons. Eating well means emphasizing plenty of fruits and vegetables, lean protein, whole grains, and fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products. Eating well also means limiting saturated fats, cholesterol, salt, and added sugars. Maintain a healthy weight. Excess weight can affect how your body functions. Safe ways to help maintain a healthy weight include reducing stress, eating healthy foods, and engaging in regular physical activity. Get enough sleep. Scientific evidence is building that sleep loss can negatively affect different parts of the immune system. This can lead to development of a wide variety of disorders. Quit smoking. Smoking can make the body less successful at fighting disease. Smoking increases the risk for immune system problems. And it goes without saying, avoid too much alcohol. Over time, excessive alcohol use can weaken the immune system. Even though I'm an older adult, actually a senior, I try to be active and busy as much as I can throughout the day, which is a good thing. However, it has its downside because of the process of being active and busy, I have a tendency to miss meals and then all of a sudden I realize I'm hungry. The dietary food guidelines for Americans recommends that we eat on a daily basis, two cups of fruits and no less than two and a half to three cups of vegetables per day. In addition to that, proteins, whole grains, and low-fat dairy products. Earlier in the video, I listed out fruits and vegetables that are rich in vitamin C that will help yours and mine immune systems protect us and function as best as possible. Three of those fruits were an orange, a kiwi fruit, and strawberries. Even though as older adults and seniors aged 50 and above, our tendency is to eat less than we did when we were younger, it's still important that we keep our nutrient intake as high as possible, which is an everyday thing. To help me keep my nutrient intake as high as possible so that I can keep my immune system working as effectively as possible, and taking consideration how busy and active I try to be, I had to come up with something that was fast and nutritious. And so what I do is I make as often as I can during the week lotus smoothies. Here's when the nutrients do their magic. We're going to add kiwi fruits, strawberries, and instead of oranges, delicious orange juice instead. The lotus smoothie, can't wait to taste it. Ah, the perfect vitamin C citrus taste. If you have healthy eating smoothies that you enjoy making, or you have recipes or salads, or whatever that help you to eat healthier, please share them in the comments below so that other members of this community who are older adults and seniors may enjoy and benefit. I enjoy doing the research and bringing this valuable information about eating healthier to older adults and seniors age 50 and above. So feel free to click the like button below and subscribe so that you may receive more valuable videos from me about eating healthier. And here are more videos from the Self Made Healthy Eater channel. Feel free to click any of these, especially with family and friends, so that they may learn what you know about eating healthier. And remember to subscribe. See you next time.