Though you can’t stop aging, you can stay healthy. The first step toward good health in your senior years is to eat right. “You have to feed your body good nutrition for it to run like it’s supposed to run. You have to have good maintenance,” says Joan Salge Blake, EdD, a nutritionist and professor at Boston University. “You have to start treating your body like you do your cars and your home. “Sometimes, you forget that your body is a well-oiled machine.”

Eating for Older Adults As we age, our bodies change -- not just in how they look, but also in how they work. It may take longer for you to digest meals. You may not drink enough water because you don’t feel as thirsty as you used to. Food may lose some of its taste, so you simply might not be interested in eating. You might have a hard time chewing, you might just not feel like cooking, or you might be tired of eating by yourself. When these things keep you from eating well, your once well-oiled machine starts to sputter. Talk with your doctor about any trouble you have as you try to eat a healthy diet. You may want to meet with a nutritionist, too. With a good health team, you can come up with a plan that helps get you back into eating well.