{"id":7684,"date":"2019-09-04T07:35:27","date_gmt":"2019-09-04T11:35:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eatrightpa.org\/?p=7684"},"modified":"2021-10-30T03:37:33","modified_gmt":"2021-10-30T03:37:33","slug":"how-to-eat-for-healthy-aging","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.eatrightpa.org\/blog\/2019\/09\/04\/how-to-eat-for-healthy-aging\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Eat for Healthy Aging"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Katie Dwyer<\/p>\n

September is Healthy Aging Month, a time for those of us over age 45 to consider where
\nwe are now in our physical and mental well-being, and where we\u2019d like to go. Healthy
\neating plays a major role in extending both quantity and quality of life.
\nThe risk of developing chronic diseases increases with age, but a nutritious diet \u2013
\ncombined with exercise and an engaging social life \u2013 helps to mitigate these risks. It\u2019s
\nnever too early or too late to adopt a wholesome and well-balanced diet. Here are some
\nof the cornerstones of eating for healthy aging:<\/p>\n

More Protein to Maintain Muscle Mass<\/h3>\n

Beginning in a person\u2019s mid-20s, muscle loss occurs at a rate of about 1% year and
\naccelerates over time. By the time someone reaches age 70, they may only have 30-40%
\nof their peak adult muscular strength.
\nThat inhibits older adults\u2019 ability to perform activities of daily living \u2013 simple tasks like
\nclimbing a flight of steps, lifting grocery bags, or pulling open a heavy door.
\nThe World Health Organization recommends 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body
\nweight per day, regardless of age, but research suggests we need more protein the older
\nwe get. At least 1.0\u20131.5 grams per kilogram of body weight per day in combination with
\nadequate exercise is recommended to prevent muscle and strength loss.
\nBut the source matters too. Choose lean meats, fish, legumes and other plant-based
\nproteins to keep saturated fat intake in check.<\/p>\n

Proper Portions for a Healthy Body Weight<\/h3>\n

Another unfortunate side effect of aging is a slowing metabolism, which makes it easier
\nto put on body fat. Overweight and obesity increase the risk of developing a host of
\ndiseases like cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes, and even cancer. To
\nmaintain a healthy body weight, it\u2019s often necessary to cut portion sizes and consume
\nfewer calories as we age.
\nThe Dietary Guidelines estimate that a moderately active 50-year-old man needs about
\n2,400 calories per day while a moderately active women of the same age needs about
\n2,000. But individual needs will vary based on activity level, height, weight, and
\ngenetics.
\nUse this equation to estimate your calorie needs. Track your calories for a few days \u2013
\nwithout making any changes to your diet \u2013 to see if you\u2019re consuming too much or too
\nlittle. Most diet and activity trackers available today estimate your calories needs for you
\nbased on your gender, height, weight, age and activity level, making it easy to see where
\nyou stand.<\/p>\n

Antioxidants for a Strong Immune System<\/h3>\n

A weakened immune system makes the body more prone to illness and infection and
\nmakes it harder to recover. Higher-than-recommended intakes of vitamin E, vitamin
\nB6, selenium and zinc may be necessary to keep older adults\u2019 immune systems
\nfunctioning optimally and able to resist infection.
\nAntioxidants like Vitamin E, zinc, selenium, Vitamin C, carotenoids and a variety of
\nphytochemicals neutralize free radicals that, left to their own devices, cause cell damage
\nand death \u2013 which paves the way for illness. Fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts
\nand seeds are rich sources of antioxidants.
\nLow levels of B6 have also been linked with inflammation. Increasing B6 intake may
\nimprove immune response and protect against various diseases associated with aging.
\nFood sources of B6 include chickpeas, tuna, salmon, chicken and fortified cereals.<\/p>\n

Fatty Acids for Brain Health<\/h3>\n

Omega-3 fatty acids and their anti-inflammatory properties have been shown to protect
\nagainst cognitive decline. Studies show that the Mediterranean diet, with its emphasis
\non healthy fats from olive oil, fish, nuts and seeds, may lower the risk of Alzheimer\u2019s
\ndisease.
\nThe richest food sources of Omega 3 fatty acids include flaxseed, chia seed, salmon,
\nmackerel, herring and canola oil. Check out a full list of food sources here.<\/p>\n

Eating for Bone Health<\/h3>\n

Weakened bones mean a simple fall can result in a broken hip, surgery, increased risk of
\ninfection, and rehab. As with loss of muscle mass, fragile bones limit our ability to stay
\nactive into old age. Men age 50 or older need at least 1,000 mg of calcium per day, while
\nwomen need 1,200 mg. But even calcium won\u2019t do the trick without Vitamin D, which
\nhelps bones to package and store calcium.
\nResearch concludes that \u201cthe reason for disturbed calcium balance with age is
\ninadequate vitamin D levels in the elderly.\u201d
\nVitamin D is largely not obtained from food; getting outside is crucial to maintain
\nadequate levels of Vitamin D. Exposure of the arms, legs, face or back to sunlight for five
\nto 30 minutes at least twice a week is generally considered enough to spark synthesis of
\nVitamin D.<\/p>\n

\"\"Katie is a graduate nutrition\u00a0student at Immaculata University, personal trainer and
\nfreelance health and fitness writer. See more of her work at
\nhttps:\/\/sites.google.com\/view\/kathryndwyer\/home.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Katie Dwyer September is Healthy Aging Month, a time for those of us over age 45 to consider where we are now in our physical and mental well-being, and where we\u2019d like to go. Healthy eating plays a major role in extending both quantity and quality of life. The risk of developing chronic diseases […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":7693,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[223,224,225,226,59,227],"class_list":["post-7684","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-36","tag-aging","tag-elder","tag-elderly","tag-healthy-aging","tag-nutrition","tag-seniors"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.eatrightpa.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7684","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.eatrightpa.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.eatrightpa.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.eatrightpa.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/18"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.eatrightpa.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7684"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.eatrightpa.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7684\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10323,"href":"https:\/\/www.eatrightpa.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7684\/revisions\/10323"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.eatrightpa.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7693"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.eatrightpa.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7684"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.eatrightpa.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7684"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.eatrightpa.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7684"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}