Low Carb Diets for the Elderly

Health is a huge concern for the elderly. A healthy lifestyle and diet can be challenging for anyone though as we age, it is important to keep our body and immune system healthy. One of the most critical health issues to combat when you're older is obesity. Because of this, many older adults choose low carb high & protein diet to lose excess weight and prevent certain health risks.

While these low-carb diets for seniors can be very effective in shedding pounds, they do have their pros and cons – which we will explore in this article!

What Is a Low-Carbohydrate Diet?

A low-carb diet is a nutritional plan focusing on limiting carbohydrate consumption. Carbohydrates are the macronutrient consumed in the largest quantities by most people. These foods include:

• grains like rice and wheat
• sugars and sweets
• starchy vegetables like potatoes, peas, and corn
  
  

While these foods are essential in a healthy diet, too much consumption can spike your blood sugar levels.

This diet helps burn body fat more effectively than a high-carbohydrate diet. The body breaks down carbs into glucose, which it uses as energy or stored as glycogen in the muscles and liver. An excess of glycogen can be bad for your health. Meanwhile, when your body does not get enough carbohydrates, it uses fat as an alternative fuel source. 

A low-carb diet for seniors emphasizes eating foods high in protein, good fat, and fiber.

The foods allowed vary, but they usually include lots of:

• meat
• eggs
• cheese and dairy products
• nuts and seeds
• healthy fats and oils
• fruits, preferably low-sugar fruits like apples and berries
• non-starchy vegetables like leafy green vegetables, broccoli, and cauliflower

Benefits of a High-Protein, Low-Carb Diet for People Over 50

As we age, our bodies become inefficient at burning carbohydrates and sugar. This situation can lead to several problems, including weight gain and an increased risk of diabetes. For this reason, many people turn to low-carb diets to lose weight and improve their health. A low-carb diet can have significant benefits for seniors, such as

Weight loss

Eating fewer carbohydrates and more protein helps you feel full on fewer calories. They reduce hunger longer, so you're less likely to overeat between meals or snacks, leading to weight loss over time. The higher the protein content of your diet, the more likely you will experience these effects.

Better heart health

Low-carb diets improve cholesterol levels in people with high cholesterol levels by reducing LDL (bad) cholesterol while increasing HDL (good) cholesterol. They also lower triglycerides, which are another type of blood fat that increases the risk of heart disease and stroke when they are too high. With good blood pressure and just the right cholesterol level, it is easier for blood vessels to expand and contract normally during exercise or stress, which helps keep your heart healthy.

Lower blood sugar levels

If you eat too many carbohydrates, they get converted into glucose, and insulin levels increase. That's not good news for your body if you're diabetic or pre-diabetic. When your insulin levels are too high, they can cause damage to internal organs like the kidneys and liver. A low-carb diet helps lower blood sugar levels and reduce the risk of diabetes by keeping insulin levels low.

Improve overall health

A low-carb diet can improve overall health by reducing inflammation and other chronic conditions. In particular, this diet prevents arthritis, gout, acid reflux, and kidney disease —which are more common among people over 50 than younger folks. 

Types of Low-Carb Diets for Seniors

There are various kinds of low-carb diets for seniors. Some are more restrictive than others, but they all focus on eating fewer carbs to lose weight. Here are the most common types: 

Basic Low-Carb Diet

The basic low-carb diet is a simple modification of the lower-carb eating plan, which can help reduce carbohydrate intake. While this diet doesn't typically restrict calories or fat intake, it requires you to eliminate most grains and starches from your diet. Foods such as bread, pasta, rice, and cereals are off-limits.

The most common approach is limiting carbs to 20-50 grams per day — about the same amount found in a slice of whole wheat bread or one large sweet potato. In contrast, a regular diet contains about 300 to 400 grams of carbohydrates daily. 

Keto Diet

The keto diet emphasizes high levels of fat, moderate in protein, and low in carbs. In this diet, the body burns fat for energy instead of carbohydrates, resulting in a metabolic state called ketosis. It cuts out food like

• processed foods
• refined sugars like carbonated drinks
• high in starch vegetables
• high-sugar fruits
• grain-based items like bread, cereals, and pasta

Instead, this diet focuses on foods like

• Poultry, pork, and red meat (including organ meats)
• Fatty fish like salmon and mackerel plus seafood
• Eggs
• full-fat cream and cheese
• Low-carb veggies 
• Avocado and berries
• Coconut oil, olive oil, avocado oil, grass-fed butter, ghee (clarified butter)
• Nuts and seeds, particularly almonds, pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts, chia seeds, and flaxseed

A keto diet for those over 60 also encourages them to eat fats, which support brain health and are essential for seniors who may have memory problems. Avocados, nuts, and seeds are excellent healthy fat sources. For keto meal plans for seniors, you can find several 7-day meal plans online, or you can purchase keto cookbooks. Still, consulting a doctor and a dietician is a proper way to start the ketogenic diet. 

Paleo Diet

The Paleo diet is a high-protein and low-carbohydrate eating plan based on the food people ate in the Paleolithic era. The diet excludes starchy vegetables, legumes, grains, refined vegetable oils, dairy products, and processed food products. It encourages the person to consume foods that our hunter-gatherer ancestors would have eaten thousands of years ago, like

• meat
• fish
• seafood
• oils such as olive oil
• seeds and nuts
• eggs
• vegetables
• fruits

Mediterranean Diet

Studies indicate that the Mediterranean diet reduces your risk of heart disease and cancer. It may also help you lose weight by reducing calorie intake without cutting back on food volume. Traditional Greek and southern Italian eating habits are the basis of this diet. These areas are abundant in fish, vegetables, fruit, and whole grains. 

The focal feature of this diet is that it includes more plant-based foods than animal products. You should also include whole grains and healthy fats from nuts and olive oil. Lastly, you can eat fish and other protein sources, such as chicken or legumes, once or twice weekly. Avoid foods like processed meats and refined sugars that are not part of their traditional diet.

Are There Any Risks to Low-Carb Diets for the Elderly?

Yes, there are risks if the diet is not done correctly. People with diabetes or heart disease need to be careful when restricting carbs as it can drastically affect their insulin levels and blood pressure. In addition, if you are taking certain medications, the effect of the diet can also interact negatively with carbohydrates. The main risk associated with a low-carb diet is that it can lead to nutrient deficiencies if not done correctly. Low-carb diets often restrict the intake of high-sugar fruits and starchy vegetables, which are known to provide important vitamins and minerals. 

Keto Diet Risks

If you're following a very restrictive ketogenic diet, your body may not have enough carbohydrates to produce glucose, which your cells convert into energy. This reaction can cause hypoglycemia and low blood sugar. Another risk of the keto diet is that it can also increase cholesterol and triglyceride levels, leading to cardiovascular problems. This risk increases if you eat more meat or if you consume an imbalanced portion of keto foods. Other common side effects of the ketogenic diet include constipation, diarrhea, dehydration, and risk for kidney stones.

Paleo Diet Risks

For Paleo Diet, some experts say that the Paleo diet may not be nutritionally adequate because it restricts many nutritious foods such as legumes and whole grains. These foods are high in fiber and B vitamins — nutrients that are important for blood sugar control in diabetes patients.

Talk to a Doctor at Ocana Medical Center!

There's no single best low-carb diet for seniors. The most important thing to remember about nutrition is that it is very personal. Some strategies may work for one person but may not work for you. Low-carb diets can be healthy and beneficial for the elderly, but they should always be discussed with a doctor. 

Talk to our doctors at Ocana Medical Center before starting any new diet plan, so we can ensure that you're getting all the nutrients you need while following a low-carb diet.

Ocana Medical, located in Tampa, FL, aims to bring you as much information as possible to keep you healthy. We're in this together. #ocanacares