The planning of diet for an ailing old person largely depends on the individual vision of a treating physician in consideration of the age as well as the associated disease and a range of environmental factors. However, some guidelines are being given here as under.
1. Habitual constipation
• Predominantly liquid and semisolid diet.
• Rich fibre diet considering Agni Bala.
• Adequate water, preferably lukewarm.
• Fruits and green vegetables.
• A spoon of ghee in every meal.
• Appropriate dietary supplements, vitamins, minerals and a Rasayana recipe viz. Abhayarishta, Triphala, or fried Hareetaki churna at bed time.
2. Chronic Diarrhoea
• Reduce fat and protein content.
• Maintain fluid intake.
• Replace milk by Takra one cup 2-3 times a day.
• Add fruits like Bilva, Banana, Dadima.
• All foods should be warm, soft spices.
• Krishara(khichadi) of rice, Munga Dal.
• Dietary supplements, vitamins, minerals and Rasayana recipes like Bilva churna, Kutaja-Bilva Panaka, Takrarishta etc.
3. Arthritis and Rheumatism
• Avoid non vegetarian food.
• Promote low protein diet.
• Avoid cold, stored raw foods
• Promote warm soft spicy food.
• Avoid all Kaphakara foods
• Lukewarm water medicated with Trikatu may be used for drinking.
• Panchakola phanta half cup twice daily after major meals.
• Dietary supplements- Minerals, Vitamins and Rasayana recipes like
Guda-Ardraka, Draksharishta, Ashvagandha Rasayana, Amrita Bhallataka etc.
4. Diabetes Mellitus
• Low fat, low carbohydrate diet.
• Reduce Kaphaj articles of diet like sweet and oleus substances viz. sugars and sugar containing items- potatoes, raw rice and sweet fruits.
• Promote edible spices viz. Shunth, Pippai, Maricha, Rasona, Patola, Tejapatra.
• Warm food and drink.
• Lukewarm water medicated with Trikatu for drinking.
• Sprouted Methika seeds for chewing and swallowing as part of breakfast.
• Bitter leafy vegetables like Palaka, Bastuka, Karela, Patola etc.
• Fruits- Jambu, Bilva, Kapittha etc.
• Dietary supplements and Rasayana recipes viz. shilajatu, Ashvagandha,Amrita, Amalaki Rasayana, Jambu beeja.
5. Hypertension and IHD
• Reduce sugar and fat in food.
• Reduce salt intake as per clinical condition.
• Add soft spices to promote taste and to promote Agni.
• Promote bitter leafy vegetables and citrus fruits.
• Butter free milk and Takra.
• Avoid alcohol and coffee. Prefer green tea.
• Dietary supplements and Rasayana recipes viz. Arjuna twak curna, Ashvagandha.
6. Urinary diseases
• Low protein diet with adequate calories.
• Monitored salt water intake as per clinical condition.
• Fruits- citrus fruits
• Avoid spicy food.
• Avoid constipating food.
• Dietary supplements and Rasayana recipes viz. Shilajatu, Varuna, Shigru, Chandanasava.
7. Respiratory diseases
• Adequate calories and warm food.
• Avoid cold and raw uncooked food and other Kaphaja substances.
• Promote lukewarm spiced water for drinking.
• Avoid buttermilk, ice creams, too much of sweets and fatty meals.
• Bitter leafy vegetables.
• Dietary supplements and Rasayana recipes viz. Gud-Ardraka, Chyavanaprasha, Haridrakhanda, Shirishsadi Avaleha, Kantaakaryavaleha etc.
8. Hepatobiliary conditions
• Low fat, rich carbohydrate diet.
• Monitored salt and water intake.
• Bitter leafy vegetables and citrus fruits.
• Butter reduced milk and Takra
• Stop alcohol and coffee.
• Promote green tea.
• Dietary supplements and Rasayana recipes viz AmalakÍ Rasayana, Arogya Vardhin Vati, Phala Trikadi Phanta.
9. Infections and Malignancies
• Ensure adequate calories and protein supplements.
• Regulated salt water intake as per clinical condition.
• Ensure adequate mineral and vitamin supplement.
• Prefer warm and soft spicy food.
• Warm spiced water for drinking.
• Bitter leafy vegetables and citrus fruits.
• Dietary supplements and Rasayana recipes viz Amrita Bhallataka, Amalaki Rasayana, Bhumyamalaki churna.
10. Agnimandya and Ajirna.
• Langhana, Dipana, Pachana.
• Relatively semisolid/liquid diet.
• Warm spicy food.
• Lukewarm spiced water for drinking.
• Spiced vegetable soups.
• Replace milk by Takra.
• Appropriate dietary supplements and Agni bala vardhaka Rasayanas Viz. Lavana-Ardraka, Pippalyasava, Takrarishta.
Reference
Manual on Geriatric Health Care,Department of AYUSH, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Govt. of India, New Delhi, India And Faculty of Ayurveda, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi,India2009
