What are the best anti-inflammatory diets for seniors?
By hearing the word diet, a lot of people already think about complicated meals with a ton of foods you’re not allowed to eat, so eventually you will give up because it’s too complicated and you don’t see faster results. The ones to blame are social media and its influencers, who try to make people fall into unhealthy habits that end up damaging their health.
So what to do? Is there a miraculous diet that can keep us in good shape, reduce inflammation in the body, and promote natural skin rejuvenation? In today’s article, here on Healthy Reads, we will approach a topic suggested by many of our readers: “anti-inflammatory diets” for seniors that are recommended and approved by doctors. Avoid premature aging by following the best diet for you and your needs.
The Collagen-rich diet
One of the best anti-inflammatory diets is the one based on collagen-rich meals. Why is it important to consume collagen as we age? Collagen soothes the skin from the inside out, lowers inflammation, and preserves skin elasticity and its young aspect for a longer time.
The best foods to eat while you’re on this diet are bone broth, fish (salmon to also boost your protein intake), chicken, and vitamin C fruits like kiwi, strawberries, and oranges, but also a tasty veggie, which is the bell pepper.
While you’re on this diet, and if you plan on keeping it long-term, doctors recommend avoiding highly processed foods and sugar.
The high-fiber diet
In addition to supporting digestion and balancing gut bacteria, a diet rich in soluble and insoluble fiber—found in prebiotics found in whole grains, fruits like apples, berries, and bananas, but also vegetables like broccoli, carrots, and leafy greens—also improves skin health.
For a well-rounded diet, combine foods high in fiber with enough protein and healthy fats to keep things in balance and prevent yourself from getting bored of eating the same foods every day.
A high-fiber diet has many health advantages, such as better digestion and a lower risk of chronic illnesses, and since it’s pretty friendly, it is appropriate for lifetime adherence. Furthermore, besides being one of the anti-inflammatory diets recommended by doctors for a better lifestyle, it’s also great for those who want to lose some weight and shed some visceral fat.
The rich in omega-3 diet
This diet contains foods that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which help keep skin hydrated and young-looking while protecting against environmental harm. Long-term health benefits of an omega-3-rich diet include supporting cardiovascular and cognitive processes in addition to skin health.
Walnuts, chia seeds, flaxseeds, mackerel, and salmon are the best foods to eat; processed and fried foods should be avoided. This is one of the best anti-inflammatory diets doctors recommend, but it’s also among the most expensive ones since both salmon and mackerel are pretty costly foods at supermarkets.
Dash diet
This may sound like a made-up name, but it’s short for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, and it’s among the anti-inflammatory diets recommended by doctors, especially for patients with high blood pressure. Like others mentioned above, it’s flexible; the eating plan is neither complicated nor overly restrictive. You can enjoy vegetables, fruits, lean proteins, dairy, and whole grains such as oats.
Since it allows you to eat almost anything except refined sugar products, people turn the diet into a permanent lifestyle.
The Mediterranean diet
The Mediterranean diet helps lower inflammation and shield the skin from environmental stressors because it is high in fruits, vegetables, fish, whole grains, and olive oil. Additionally, it provides fiber, omega-3 fatty acids, and antioxidants, all of which promote a balanced gut flora.
This plan typically emphasizes fruits and vegetables, whole grains, fatty fish, nuts, dairy products, and olive oil as the primary and healthiest source of fat, and, of course, a variety of herbs and spices to add to your meals.
If you follow this diet, it’s important to stay away from tropical oils like coconut and palm oils, added sugars, and red meat. The Mediterranean diet has been recognized as one of the healthiest eating regimens and can be followed for the rest of one’s life. It promotes general well-being in addition to skin health, and it’s recommended especially for seniors.
A diet high in water-rich foods
Cucumbers, watermelons, oranges, strawberries, celery, and lettuce are examples of foods high in water content that can be used to improve the skin’s natural moisture content. Refined sugars, saturated fats, and processed foods can cause inflammation, impede skin regeneration, and raise the risk of acne and aging, so it’s recommended to stay away from them as much as possible.
Reducing the intake of foods containing artificial coloring, sweeteners, and foods high in sodium can cause water retention. Additionally, it is advised that coffee drinkers limit their caffeine consumption to no more than one cup per day, as these compounds can dehydrate the skin and slow down its healing process.
Do you want to lose a bit of weight, eat more healthy meals, and also do a bit of physical exercise? If you’re a beginner to this, it may seem a bit overwhelming, but having a notebook that helps you track your progress, your calorie intake per day, and some tips on how to succeed in this journey might be super useful.
Looking through tons of items on Amazon might end up in doomscrolling without actually finding something good for your needs. To come to your aid, we leave you the link with the NewMe Fitness Journal for Women & Men, the Fitness + Nutrition pack, at only $8.74. Click on the link to also read more details about how to use it.
What conditions can anti-inflammatory diets help?
Research in this area is still ongoing, but these anti-inflammatory diets may help with autoimmune conditions. Certain types of inflammatory proteins linked to illnesses where the immune system targets healthy tissue may be reduced by anti-inflammatory foods. Psoriasis, lupus, and rheumatoid arthritis are a few examples of the most popular autoimmune diseases.
Cardiovascular disease, especially those who suffer from obesity and high blood pressure, will benefit from adopting a new lifestyle, especially one of these anti-inflammatory diets. Furthermore, any of the above-mentioned anti-inflammatory diets will be beneficial, particularly for those with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. These foods may help prevent certain conditions from developing in the brain.
Bottom line:
These are the best anti-inflammatory diets recommended by the doctors from the entire world. Focused on protein, fiber, and necessary nutrient intake, these are some of the most flexible diets that allow people to be both healthy and mindful of their plate while they still enjoy tasty foods.
Unlike keto or paleo diets, these anti-inflammatory diets support a variety of fruits or protein foods rather than restricting you to just one or two. Although this is only a small portion of each diet, if you’re interested in a particular one, discuss it with your doctor to determine which one best fits your tastes, budget, and flavors, because we all know that dieting isn’t always cheap.
Furthermore, none of these diets promote a rigid eating pattern, making them safe for longer-term sustainability.
You may also be interested in reading about 3 Types of Cancer Seniors Often Don’t Feel.
