Eating for the Long Run

Fifty-Plus Fitness Library

Library : Year 2 | Session 4: Diet and Aging

Eating for the Long Run

Joyce Hanna MA, MS Associate director: Stanford Health Improvement Program

You probably know that eating the right foods can do wonders for your health, body, energy and mind. Getting older, however, can present some new nutritional challenges. With age, the need for calories goes down, but the need for nutrients goes up. That means there is less and less room for foods that produce lots of calories with few nutrients. We're not saying no room, just less room. We all have certain nutritional disaster foods that we don't want to give up. We can still indulge in these foods as we get older, as long as we keep it to an occasional treat. We do need to pay reasonable attention, however, on having adequate fluids, fiber, healthy fats and protein, certain vitamins, and calcium. Eating a high saturated fat, high salt, high calorie, and low fiber diet has a range of long-term unhealthy consequences, from obesity to heart disease and cancer. People who enjoy more nutritious diets seem to increase the quality, as well as the quantity, of their older years. This transfers over to more energy to do the things you want to do.

Here are seven of the healthiest changes you can make based on the latest information that scientists know about nutrition and aging.

Load up on vegetables and fruits
These are the stars that will keep your energy up and your weight down. These foods provide fiber, which many studies report protects against some cancers and heart disease. The Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging recommends that older adults take in at least 20 grams of fiber a day. The recommended amount of fruits and vegetables is a minimum of five a day. Have a variety every day and reach for dark green leafy vegetables, plus red, yellow, and orange fruits and vegetables. The more colorful, the better! Many vegetables and fruits contain antioxidants, which help counteract cell damage resulting from free radicals released during normal metabolism. Eating foods rich in antioxidants, which contain plant pigments known as carotenoids, has been associated with a reduced risk for disease. A diet rich in carotenoids, especially lutein, has also been linked to a reduced risk for developing macular degeneration- an age related visual disorder.
Eat more good fats and fewer bad fats
Include some good fats in your diet found in nuts, seeds, avocados, fatty fish (like salmon or tuna), and liquid oils (like olive or canola). Concentrate on keeping your intake of bad fats - saturated fat and trans fat - to a minimum. Saturated fats are found in foods from animal products, such as whole milk dairy products and red meats. At room temperature saturated fats are solid rather than liquid. Be wary of products that contain another bad fat, trans fats, found in fried fast foods, many margarines, and commercially baked goods such as cookies, crackers, and muffins.
Power up with protein
It is also important that you get enough protein. As you get older, you are less efficient at utilizing protein, so you need to eat an adequate amount of protein for your body to have enough to build lean muscle. The best sources of protein include beans, legumes, and nuts, along with fish, poultry and eggs. If you include a little protein with each of your meals, you will find you are satisfied for a longer time before your next meal or snack.
Pay attention to Vitamin
B6, vitamin B12, and folic acid Many older Americans do not get enough vitamin B6, B12 and folic acid. Low levels of these vitamins raise homcysteine levels (an amino acid found in the blood). Elevated homocysteine levels have been shown to increase the tendency to form blood clots. It's also been shown that people with very low levels of these vitamins may experience mental deficiencies, such as memory loss and disorientation. The National Academy of Sciences recommends taking a daily multivitamin to ensure you are getting adequate B12 and folic acid. B6 can be found in whole grains, legumes, nuts, and bananas.
Don't forget Calcium and Vitamin D for your bones
Calcium is an important mineral that most older adults do not get enough of. Calcium, along with weight baring exercise, help keep your bones strong. The recommended dietary allowance for calcium is 1200 milligrams per day, going to 1500 if you're 65 or older. Women are particularly at risk for fractures, since they have a lower bone density than men. If you have trouble getting enough calcium, which is primarily found in dairy products (choose nonfat or low fat), physicians recommend you take a daily supplement. Vitamin D, another vitamin that many older adults need more of, will help you absorb calcium. Being in the sunlight for 15 minutes a day, three times a week, allows your body to produce it's own active vitamin D. Remember, however, that sunscreen will block the ultraviolet rays needed to produce vitamin D. Fatty fish, such as salmon, and vitamin D fortified cereals are other sources. The most reliable way to ensure you are getting enough Vitamin D is to take a multivitamins that contains the recommended 400 IU a day for this mineral.
Eat more whole grain carbohydrates and fewer refined grain carbohydrates
Make sure your grains are fiber - rich whole grains, found in whole grain cereals, whole grain crackers, and brown rice. Read the label to make sure that the label lists a whole grain first on the ingredient list. Refined grain products, such as white bread and rolls, white rice and pasta are not good sources of fiber and are less healthy nutritional choices.
Keep hydrated
Fluids sometimes are a forgotten ingredient in a healthy diet. As you age, you lose the ability to detect your need for fluid and become more susceptible to dehydration and its associated complications to your health. Don't wait until you feel thirsty to drink your fluids. Make a conscious effort to get eight glasses of water, juice, or milk every day. Don't count alcohol and caffeine as part of your fluid intake because they act as diuretics. Making these seven modest dietary changes may not only reduce your risk for cardiovascular disease and some cancers, but could also potentially boost your ability to fight other diseases.
It's never too late to improve your eating habits and feel great!