Over 65? Diet helps with High Blood pressure, High Cholesterol & Reflux
- Nicky Clark
- Jul 8
- 2 min read
Older adults frequently experience chronic health conditions
A recent study at the University of Sydney of over 4.4 million older Australians - which means over 65s - has shown that most older adults have two or more chronic health conditions.
When I say most older Australians, I mean 76% of older Australians. That is a lot. That is 8 out of every 10 people.
Plus, around 33% have at least 5 chronic conditions.
Wow!
Nutrition and lifestyle for prevalent health issues in individuals over 65
The most common chronic conditions were high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and gastroesophageal reflux (GERD or GORD).
All of these can and should be addressed with diet and lifestyle.
I have clients who have lowered their blood pressure, lower their cholesterol and completely rid themselves of reflux. All it takes is a few diet and lifestyle changes.
High Blood pressure
High blood pressure relates to the balance of sodium and potassium - both of which come from food. It is not a simple as reducing salt. There is more to the story. It is 100% worth investing time in understanding why so you understand why specific diet changes can make a significant difference.
High Cholesterol
Cholesterol relates to the types of fats we eat and the fibre that takes cholesterol out of the body. Diet changes alone can reduce 'bad' cholesterol (LDL) by 10-30% through diet changes alone. That makes it as powerful as taking a statin!
Reflux or GORD
Reflux relates to upward pressure from the stomach to the esophagus. There are LOTS of diet changes that can reduce this pressure. While medications (especially PPIs) can provide relieve symptoms, they should not be a lifelong solution. My understanding is that taking medications are intended as short term treatment that should be regularly reviewed should only.
It's worthwhile to invest in understanding the appropriate diet for your health, particularly after the age of 65
Try my Stronger for Longer Diet Optimisation program designed for people over the age of 65.
In this program we do a comprehensive, evidence-based review of your current diet, lifestyle, supplements, and medications where relevant. Then over two consultations we explore health goals, nutrition intake, exercise routine, and identify targeted optimisation strategies to create and refine a personalised diet plan for you. We also discuss whether a DEXA body composition scan might be helpful for you to track progress
Get in touch to discuss or book now.
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