Whether you're still in your own home or enjoying the benefits of assisted living or a loving caregiver, senior nutrition is vitally important to everyday living. What you do or do not put in your body is connected to how your body feels, responds and works.

Think of your aging body as an aquarium with an aging filter. If you put food in the aquarium that isn't clean, if you will, the filter won't be able to clean the water as well. Imagine a delicious apple being put in the aquarium. Now, imagine a jelly filled donut being put into the tank. Which food do you you think will gum up in the tank?

As your body ages, it must work harder to digest certain foods. That's why so many people, even over 50, develop allergies and intolerances to various foods, especially gluten, sugar, yeast and even eggs. A diet that is rich in fruit, vegetables, whole grains (excluding wheat) and proteins is so vitally necessary. Foods that are heavy in fat, carbohydrates and sugar can cause the body to become sluggish. An older person is already sluggish without unhealthy food.

The right foods can also help boost the mood of seniors. The body as it ages produces fewer hormones which are vital to a sense of well being. That's why so many of our elders can be moody or irritable and downright crabby. Again, sugar and white flour can be attributed to a decrease in a sense of well being. A senior dealing with depression, also common among older people, should avoid foods of this type.

Seniors living alone are especially vulnerable to poor nutrition. It's difficult to prepare a healthy meal when you're just feeding yourself. Many seniors on fixed incomes also struggle to eat properly, yet with planning and coaching it can be possible to eat a more balanced diet.

The key to good senior nutrition is education, and as the baby boomer generation comes of age no doubt they will bring a sense of good nutrition and healthy habits with them.