126 Growing Older
Taking
Care of
Your
Health
eating for good
health, 165
calcium-rich foods, 168
Just as a girl’s body changes when she becomes a woman, so
a woman’s body changes when her childbearing years end.
Menopause and aging cause changes in bone strength, muscle
and joint strength and flexibility, and overall well-being.
A woman can make a big difference in living her later years
with energy and good health by:
Eating well. As a woman grows older she still needs nutritious
food to keep her body strong and to fight disease. Her
need for certain kinds of food also increases. Because her
body makes less estrogen, it helps to eat foods high in plant
estrogens, such as soy beans, tofu (bean curd), lentils, and
other beans. Since her bones become less dense as she ages,
it helps to eat foods high in calcium, a mineral that makes
strong bones.
Sometimes older people feel less like eating than they used
to. This may be caused by changes in taste and smell, which
make eating less pleasurable. Or changes in the body that
come from aging can make a person quickly feel full after
starting to eat. But this does not mean that older people need
less nutritious food. They need encouragement to continue to
eat well, and to eat a variety of foods.
Drinking a lot of liquids. As a
person ages, the amount of water in
the body decreases. Also, some older
people drink less to avoid having to
pass urine during the night or because
they are afraid of leaking urine. All these things can cause
dehydration. To prevent this, drink 8 glasses or cups of liquid
every day. To avoid getting up at night to pass urine, try not to
drink anything for 2 to 3 hours before going to sleep.
Getting regular exercise.
Everyday activities, such
as walking, playing with
grandchildren, going to the
market, cooking, and farming
can all help keep a woman’s
muscles and bones strong, and
prevent stiff joints. Regular
exercise will help maintain
weight and prevent heart
disease.
Where Women Have No Doctor 2012