It is normal for us to crave and be tempted to eat greasy junk food. However, there are many health risks in consuming greasy food. Though an occasional indulgence is unlikely to result in major health problems, it is critical for you to understand the harmful effects eating oily food regularly can have on your health, especially as you grow older. Here are the effects of consuming greasy foods in your golden years.
Excessive Calories
Heart disease and diabetes can be prevented by maintaining a healthy weight. Fried meals have significantly more calories than an aging adult’s diet requires. If you are concerned about becoming overly full at every meal, remember that a cup of apples contains fewer calories and can fulfill their hunger for longer than a cup of french fries.
Digestive Discomfort
There’s a reason why advertising for heartburn often depicts aging adults having a large, oily lunch before experiencing difficulty. Grease aggravates a variety of stomach problems. Irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn’s disease, and acid reflux are just a few of the illnesses that urge our elderly loved ones to avoid oily foods. If you still love fried food, try cooking or baking your own meals instead. You can also choose to incorporate more vegetables and fruits into your meals to maintain a balance.
Higher Cholesterol
Greasy foods are heavy in trans fats, which can elevate harmful cholesterol levels in your bloodstream. Cholesterol builds up in the arteries over time, causing blockages. You should seek to include healthy fats in your diet, such as olive oil, which breaks better than animal fats, to prevent heart problems.
Low Nutritional Benefits
When food is cooked at a high temperature, the nutritional composition is broken down, which is important for aging adults to avoid malnutrition. As a result, a cup of fried okra has significantly less nutritional value than a cup of raw vegetables. To get the most vitamins, you should try to eat food as close to its natural state as possible. This means that instead of drinking apple or orange juice, you should consider eating an actual apple or orange as it is more nutritious and can fill you up longer.
Increased Chance of Cancer
As scientists learn more about how what we eat affects our health, they have learned that frying food produces deadly carcinogens. This is because heat causes fats to break down chemically. While eating fatty and greasy food can cause cancer, stomach, pancreatic, and throat are only a few of the cancers linked to oily foods. By eating low-fat meals instead of high-fat meals, you can lower your risk of certain cancers.
Keep Healthy at TerraBella Southport
If you are looking for a retirement community that offers nutritional meals and an active lifestyle, our assisted living community is the answer! With our exclusive senior living programs, you can partake in fitness and wellness programs as well as indulge in nutritious, chef-prepared meals. You can also live independently while benefiting from extra assistance with daily activities if required. To learn more, contact us today!
