Eating Right At Any Age
Eating right is not just about losing weight. It’s about gaining health and lowering your risks of for heart disease, stroke and cancer — risks that increase as you age.
The earlier you start, the better off you’ll be. But it’s never too late to make positive changes in your diet.
Your 20s: Never Too Early To Start
If you’re in the third decade of your life, you can probably eat a bag of chips and burn off the calories in the gym. But just because you can doesn’t mean you should.
This is the time to build good habits. If you need inspiration, think of an old guy on the beach wearing a Speedo with his gut hanging out. He once had a speedy metabolism, too. And,
The changes you make don’t have to be dramatic. Don’t deny yourself all pizza. Simply replace the double cheese, triple meat with a veggie slice every once in a while. Include calcium-rich foods — such as dairy products, salmon and leafy green vegetables — in your diet.
Your 30s And 40s
As you enter the middle decades of life, you begin to lose lean muscle mass. And it become harder to lose weight. That’s because muscle uses more energy in the body than fat; as you lose muscle, you burn fewer calories.
The advice: Eat small balanced meals throughout the day and snack on fruits and nuts to control hunger and maintain steady blood glucose levels.
These years also may be the time to say so long to sugar, salt and refined flours. While it may be difficult to eliminate them entirely, do it gradually one step at a time. Eating right is your choice.
Sugar, salt and foods made with refined flour not only contribute to weight gain, they can also raise your cholesterol levels. As for salt, it can raise your blood pressure
At this time in life, both women and men should increase calcium intake to prevent osteoporosis. Women may also consider adding soy to their diet, which may help decrease menopausal symptoms.
The 50s And 60s
As you age, your risk for heart disease and cancer increases. Your metabolism and ability to burn fat also continue to decrease. So, diet rich in vegetables, fruits and whole grains becomes even more important.
Physicians recommend that you get regular exercise, limit alcohol intake to fewer than two drinks a day, and keep your weight under control.
Make sure you’re eating enough fiber to avoid constipation.
The Golden Years
Maintaining a healthy diet in your golden years helps counter the changes your body goes through as you grow older.
Low water levels in the body can lead to fatigue, so drink enough water to keep you hydrated.
Consume calcium to ward off osteoporosis, which can make you susceptible to broken bones. In addition to milk and dairy products, leafy vegetables and broccoli are also high in calcium.
No matter what your age, healthy eating is conscious eating. Think about what the food you eat will do to your body before you put it in your mouth. Small steps taken over a lifetime lead to permanent changes.
Want to know more about eating right at any age?
Then, post your question below.
Yours truly for great health, mind and body,
Michelle, natural health advocate
Related posts:
December 07 2009 02:42 pm | Fitness and Healthy Eating
April 14th, 2010 at 3:24 pm
This is a really good article. I enjoyed reading it. I gained a lot of information reading your post. I really loved it.
April 29th, 2010 at 2:53 pm
I enjoyed viewing your blog and I will be back to check it more in the future so please keep up your good quality work. I love the colors that you chose, you are quite talented!
May 29th, 2010 at 5:35 am
Provocative thoughts here. Are you hopeful this is the accurate way to look at it though? My own personal experience is that everyone should pretty much live and let live because what one person ponders as just — another person simply does not. People are going to do what they want to do. In the end, they always do. The most we can hope for is to reveal a few things here and there that hopefully, allows them to make just a little better informed decision. Otherwise, great post. You’re definitely making me think! –Joe