The National Institute on Aging is one of the leading research agencies trying to understand aging and what you can do to live a longer, healthier and more active lifestyle as you grow older. They have just launched a new publication called, What’s On Your Plate.1 This comprehensive guide provides information on how your diet should be changing as your body changes, in order to decrease an expanding waistline and diminish health-related issues; keeping you healthy as you age. As the years pass, your metabolism begins to slow and your body doesn’t require as much energy, which means you don’t need as much food as you once did. However as your appetite decreases, it is easy to forget that just because you need less fuel for your body, you still need a diet rich in nutrients. Possibly even more than your previous eating habits supplied. What’s On Your Plate details important nutrients you should know about, plans for healthy eating, facts on food safety, tips for a healthier lifestyle, as well as grocery shopping tips such as:
- Check your staples before shopping. This includes things such as cereal, flour, pasta and frozen vegetables or fruits. By keeping a close eye on what you have left in your pantry/freezer, you can wait and search for the best sale before you purchase more staple items.
- Make a prepared grocery list ahead of time. This lets you shop armed with a plan to buy the foods you need, as opposed to impulse purchases, or coming home without the items you planned to buy.
- Choose a store that is clean and busy. The increased traffic means their stock is likely to turnover quickly, giving you fresher food.
- Consider shopping during a slower time in store hours. Stores are often less crowded during business hours in the middle of the week. Store employees also have more availability to help you during those times, if you need it.
- Make shopping easier for yourself. Try the motorized carts that some stores offer or ask a store employee to help you push the cart or reach higher items while you shop. And if you get tired, there is usually a chair by a store’s pharmacy that you can rest in.
- Shop at a store you’re comfortable in.Shop where you feel you can easily navigate the aisles and take your time with your shopping. The more the store fits your needs, the more thoroughly and successfully you can shop.
Fine-tuning your grocery shopping habits can be a gateway for you to take a renewed interest in the foods you eat and what is available to you. There is so much information available in magazines, books, the internet, and even in some grocery stores. The move toward eating more whole, fresh foods is the perfect avenue to increasing the nutrients in your diet while controlling your overall calorie intake. Read up on healthy eating and look into new recipes that focus on flavor, nutrients, and lower calories. You may discover improved recipes for meals that are old favorites of yours, delicious methods to prepare vegetables so that you can enjoy them in many different ways, and ways to increase the amount of vitamins you get from your food. As you embrace a healthier lifestyle, you may find a renewed interest in grocery shopping, preparing meals, and investing in your health. With all that good living may increase your energy levels—opening the doors to an even fuller life.
Knowing what makes for a healthier lifestyle and wanting to buy the foods to support it doesn’t necessarily make paying for these items any easier on a fixed income. The guide features tips on how to save money while shopping in the store, but there is also information on national aid agencies that offer help with meals and food costs such as Eldercare Locator, state benefit information or Meals on Wheels. However, if you prefer not to use these services there are other options that may help to increase your monthly cash flow. A reverse mortgage loan is a financial tool that allows homeowners 62 and older to access a portion of their home’s equity to pay off their existing mortgage and eliminate their monthly mortgage payment.2 By eliminating your monthly mortgage payment you can increase your monthly cash flow, making it possible to spend more on improving your lifestyle.
For more information, use our reverse loan calculator to see if you qualify for a reverse mortgage loan.