Quote:
Originally Posted by Villages PL
A long time ago I mentioned on this board that we tend to lose our sense of taste as we get older. That's because someone said, "health food consists of items like birds nest, tofu and cardboard."
Evidently, a study was done on this subject and I now have the result.
Average number of taste buds remaining at 75: 36%
This may partly explain why people in their 70s suffer rapidly declining health. Healthy whole foods don't taste good to them while fast food tastes great.
I myself haven't noticed any decline in my sense of taste. I continue to eat natural whole foods and seldom add any salt. I never buy any groceries with added sweetener. Fats in my diet come mostly from nuts.
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My mom lost both her sense of taste & her sense of "smell" in her eighties.......she ate very little, but survived till age 91.
When living with us, she seem to enjoy things like spaghetti & meatballs....... plus her childhood ethnic "pierogies" or "stuffed cabbage rolls"....... But she was not fussy about food.
She also liked her ice cream. Such a small pleasure....not to be denied. Come to think of it......she also loved a nice cold beer in the summertime or a gin & tonic in the winter time. She never got cancer nor anything.....other than the Alzheimers.....which is something, for sure.
Left to her own devices, in her own home, she had been existing on yoghurt & bananas...........and COFFEE. Once my stepfather passed, she had no one to cook for.
I wouldn't call the last 18 months of her life as "living" , mainly because of the end stage Alzheimers.....although the skilled nursing home would bring out huge trays of such a variety of food for every single patient (served in the day room). We would pop in at all times of the morning, afternoon or night......always tons of food........anything to get them to eat. Nice home cooking.
Most of these patients would have died from malnutrition if left at home (with no family member or caretaker to observe or care for them)........they just FORGET to eat......
FOLLOWING IS SOME "FOOD FOR THOUGHT".........
Dr Deepak Chopra prescribes 10 simple rules for ageing with health and happiness in his "most optimistic book" AGELESS BODY, TIMELESS MIND - A Quantum alternative to growing old.
Here's an interpretation:
1. Intake fresh food, eat frugally, drink wholesome liquids, abstain from stimulants and sedatives, and have a bowel movement once a day.
2. Maintain a high level of personal hygiene, get plenty of fresh air, sunlight and rest, have enjoyable leisure time, satisfying hobbies
3. Exercise, meditate, practice balanced refined breathing and yoga, listen to the body's signal of comfort and discomfort
4. Work for a happy marriage, long-term relationship, have ability to laugh easily and to make friends and keep close friends
5. Choose a congenial occupation, go on vacation every year, be optimistic about the future, feel financially secure and live within means
6. Develop an easygoing personality, cultivate nonviolent behavior, have reverence for life
7. Live in temperate climate, enjoy a reasonable sex life, and get proper medical attention in case of illness
8. Live in the present - accept what comes your way, appreciate it, learn from it and let go. Resisting the natural flow of things causes negative emotions
9. Relinquish external approval, avoid being judgmental, replace fear-motivated behavior with love-motivated one, nurture positive emotions and express them freely.
10. Always know the world outside is a reflection of your deeper intelligence - the real "you" is within
Namaste