50+ AND FABULOUS: HEALTHY EATING AND WEIGHT MANAGEMENT ( Part 2 )

by joanna robinson

HEALTHY EATING AND DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS

Obviously all the more general rules for eating healthily apply at any age, but there are some particular areas of your diet that you should be paying close attention to at 50+. As well as foods, we’ve included dietary supplements that might help you too. There’s no harm in helping yourself out with extra vitamins and minerals – but be sure to check with your doctor that they won’t interfere with any other medication you might be taking.

It’s at about 50 when women start to notice that their joints aren’t as flexible as they used to be. Your body breaks down old bone and replaces it with new stronger bone daily, and oestrogen is involved in this process. With a loss of oestrogen due to the menopause, many women’s bones will become weaker, more brittle and more likely to break – exactly why you need more calcium than younger women. And you also need Vitamin D which helps your body to absorb that calcium.

Calcium-rich foods include spinach, kale, brussel sprouts, broccoli, dairy products, salmon and beans, while you’ll find Vitamin D (which you of course can get from sunlight) in oily fish. Recommended supplements for good joint health include cod liver oil, glucosamine and chondroitin.You can also take calcium and Vitamin D supplements if you don’t think you are getting enough in your diet.

Maintaining a healthy heart is also a priority at this age to reduce your risk of heart disease or stroke. Again changes in oestrogen levels can affect your heart so you need to ensure you keep you cholesterol level and your blood pressure down. Do this by avoiding too much salt and eating plenty of foods rich in omega 3 oil – oily fish like salmon, mackrel, sardines and fresh tuna are the best source of this.

Fruits containing high levels of antioxidants – like blueberries for instance – are also good, as are the nutrients in dark green leafy vegetables like spinach. You can also take omega 3 supplements, cod liver oil and antioxidant vitamins C and E to help maintain healthy circulation.

The other big change at 50+ is a weakened immune system. To help combat this you need to eat plenty of fruit and vegetables which are high in vitamin C and foods containing zinc – red meats like lamb and beef, cereals, seeds and nuts. Once again you can take zinc supplements if you don’t think you are getting enough in your diet and vitamin C and Echinacea are good for combating infections like colds or flu.

Of course these are general guidelines. If you would like a healthy eating plan tailored specifically to you, then you might want have a look at Healthspan’s Nutri Profile. It’s completely free to do, and will take you about 20 minutes to complete. At the end, you’ll get a 24 page, scientifically validated report about how to meet your own unique nutritional needs. It has glowing reviews from recent users, sowhy not give it a go.

Don’t forget that natural supplements can also be a great subsitute to painkillers and antibiotics too. It doesn’t work for everyone but many people swear by natural remedies – turmeric for joint pain and as an anti inflammatory for instance. Have a look through the reviews on Healthspan products to see what people are saying about them.

SOURCE:  moneymagpie.com