Father’s Day 2021: Healthy Indian Diet For Your Father

Ageing And Digestive Health

You may be thinking, what is so special about this article? Why change my father's diet as he turns 50? Well, this article is for everyone who has a father over 50, husband over 50, son over 50, male-friend over 50 or yourself is a man over 50.

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While problems with your digestive system can appear at any time, the risk increase as you age [1], globally, nearly 40 per cent of older adults have one or more age-related digestive symptom each year. In addition, medications, inactivity and even gravity can take their toll and contribute to digestive troubles as you get older [2].

Some of the common causes of digestive issues as you get older are multiple medications, inactivity and dehydration, problems with the mouth and the oesophagus, ulcers, diverticular disease etc. [3].

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Your eating habits also likely change because food may no longer be as pleasurable and tasty as it used to be; that is, when we are infants, we have the most taste buds, and they gradually reduce in number as we get older [4]. An unbalanced diet can cause iron, B12 and other vitamin deficiencies, which in turn result in digestive problems. Therefore, you must have a balanced meal which at the same time is tasty and keeps you interested in eating well and more.

In this article, we will look at some of the healthiest Indian foods that are good for men over 50.

Indian Diet For Men Over 50

As you get older, your body composition changes and these changes directly affect your nutritional needs. People over 50 need only a limited amount of calories as lean muscle mass, and physical activity decreases with ageing. People over 50 need more calcium, iron, zinc, vitamin A and antioxidants to prevent age-related degenerative diseases and healthy ageing. It is essential to maintain your health as the ageing process starts [5].

Here is a list of Indian foods that are safe and healthy for men over 50:

• Fruits: Papaya, apples, melon, pears, raspberries.
• Nuts and seeds: Cashews, almonds, peanuts, pistachios, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, watermelon seeds
• Legumes: Mung beans, black-eyed peas, kidney beans, lentils, pulses and chickpeas
• Vegetables: Tomatoes, spinach, brinjal, mustard greens, ladies' finger, onions, cauliflower, mushrooms, cabbage and more
• Roots and tubers: Potatoes, carrots, sweet potatoes, yams
• Whole grains: Brown rice, basmati rice, millet, buckwheat, quinoa, barley, corn, whole-grain bread, amaranth, sorghum
• Protein sources: Tofu, legumes, dairy, nuts and seeds
• Herbs and spices: Garlic, ginger, cardamom, cumin, coriander, garam masala, paprika, turmeric, black pepper, fenugreek, basil and more
• Healthy fats: Coconut milk, full-fat dairy, avocado, coconut oil, mustard oil, olive oil, peanut oil, sesame oil, ghee
• Drinks: Water, unsweetened tea, buttermilk, coconut water

A healthy Indian diet for men over 50 should have a balance of fresh ingredients such as vegetables, fruits, tubers, legumes, whole grains, healthy fats and unsweetened beverages.

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Indian Sample Diet For Men Over 50

Here are a few full-day sample diet plans for men over 50 years of age.

Sample Meal 1

• Breakfast: 1 bowl vegetable daliya + 1 plate fruits + lemon and ginger water
• Lunch: 1 cup spinach paneer sabzi + 1 cup white rice + 1 cup salad (with or without curd)
• After lunch: 1 glass buttermilk with ginger
• Mid-evening: 1 cup mixed millet bhel/puffed rice
• Dinner: 2 ragi Rotis/multi-grain roti + 1 cup moong dal khichdi
• Bedtime: Dairy-free milk or ginger/mint tea

Sample Meal 2

• Breakfast: Sambar with brown rice idli
• Lunch: Whole-grain roti with mixed-vegetable curry
• After lunch: 1 glass ginger tea
• Mid-evening: 1 cup fruit/veggie salad
• Dinner: Paneer with mixed vegetables and a fresh spinach salad
• Bedtime: Hot water with lemon and ginger

Sample Meal 3

• Breakfast: Chana dal pancakes with mixed vegetables and a glass of milk
• Lunch: Chickpea/fish curry with brown rice
• Mid-evening: 1 small bowl of mixed nuts or yoghurt
• Dinner: Khichdi with sprout salad

Note: This is a generic sample diet for men over 50 years old without any underlying medical conditions. If you have any health conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, kidney problems etc., please consult your nutritionist or doctor before curating a diet.

Indian Foods To Avoid For Men Over 50

While the following foods are tasty and have a huge role in Indian cuisine, these foods should be avoided by people over 50 [6].

• Samosa (try Dhokla instead)
• Vada
• Sooji ka halwa
• Chaat papri
• Potato chips
• Ladoo
• Aloo puri
• Paneer Kathi rolls
• Butter naan
• Pakoras
• Pappad/pappadam
• Gulab jamun (try Rasgolla instead)
• Jalebi

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Note: On special occasions, you may have one or two bites of these sweets/fatty foods - but make sure you limit it to that. Also, the list mentioned above is generic. It insinuates that you/your loved one should eat foods that are similar to the ones above [7].

On A Final Note…

A healthy meal plan should be rich in vegetables, fruits, vegetarian protein sources and healthy fats. Since metabolism slows with ageing, it is important to adjust how many calories you're eating daily - so keep an eye on consuming foods that are low in calories.