Good nutrition is essential at any age. However, if you have lived on process foods (junk food), now is the time to make a change in the right direction. 

Forget about the food pyramid, it’s a marketing tool by the food industry. Focus on eating as much organic food as you can afford. Better yet, grow your own vegetables and fruits. Even if you live in an apartment you can grow some vegetables in containers. Some apartment complexes have community gardens for the residents. You’re expected to help maintain the garden to reap the benefits of the fresh vegetables. Helping in the garden is a good form of exercise.

I know a woman who lives in a ground level condo. Instead of having all flowers in her flower beds, she also grows vegetables in the beds and has some large pots with fruit trees in them.

You Are What You Eat

So, let’s look at the needs of women as we become more mature. First we need to maintain a healthy protein intake. 

Incorporate enough protein to prevent the loss of lean muscle mass. Often older adults often eat too little protein — especially adults ages 71 and older. Since most older adults are meeting recommendations for meats, poultry, and eggs, it’s important to be reminded that seafood, dairy, beans, peas, and lentils are great sources of protein. These protein sources also provide additional nutrients, such as calcium, vitamin D, vitamin B12, and fiber. I don’t recommend soy products because they have been altered genetically and reports are showing links to cancers. And for males, they don’t need the estrogen that the soy bean has naturally.

The ability to absorb vitamin B12 can decrease with age and with the use of certain medicines. Health professionals can help older individuals get enough vitamin B12 by ensuring that they’re consuming enough through foods, such as breakfast consisting of fruits and nuts. Older adults should talk with a dietitian about the use of dietary supplements to increase vitamin B12 intake. Don’t bother to talk with your doctor about nutrition, they have had very little education in this area. Sad, but true.

Most of us don’t drink enough fluids. Having said that the recommendation to drink 8 glasses of water a day isn’t based on any evidence to support this. How much is enough? It just depends on what you’re doing. If you are working outside and it’s hot, you will need more than if you’re working outside and it’s cold. What is the level of your activity? General rule of thumb, if you’re thirsty, then you’re already dehydrated. Make sure you drink a glass of water about 30 minutes before each meal. Why before eating? First, we have less digestive juices in the stomach as we age. Drinking fluids during meals dilutes the digestive enzymes. Don’t drink fluids with your meal. Second, drinking before the meal also gives you a feeling of feeling full, which means fewer calories. It also gives the stomach a chance to increase the enzymes needed for digestion. Don’t drink fluids for about 30 minutes after you eat so the body can do its job to digest the food properly.

You can increase your hydration by drinking other fluids such as herbal teas, mineral water or vitamin water (although I’m not sure the vitamin water is worth the cost. You can add lemon, orange slices, cucumbers slices or other fruit to your water. I don’t recommend fruit juices because they are high in sugar and have no fiber in them.

I don’t recommend juicing either for the same reason and if the produce is not organic, you are getting a high concentrated level of pesticide and herbicide.

Supplements or Not

As a natural health doctor one might think I would recommend a lot of supplements. I don’t. I recommend a good multivitamin. Read the labels carefully. Many supplements have cellulose fillers, wood in other words. I recommend good quality food as medicine. Quality food has shown to put cancers in remission. Reverse heart disease and many other diseases brought on by poor life choices.

Shop the edges of the grocery store. Better yet, visit your local farmers market whenever possible. By organic as much as possible. Often times, I find that organic is cheaper than the regular produce. Not always, but more often than you think. You will have more money to spend on quality foods as you eliminate junk foods. Stay away from the processed foods. The food companies have chemicals in the food that cause cravings and these chemicals are not required to be on the labels. Stay away from farm raised fish. They are raised in nasty water and the feed has growth hormones and antibiotics in it.

Lean meats will help you reach your protein goals. Remember that a serving size is the size of the palm of your hand. Eggs are high in protein as well as minerals and vitamins.

Always eat the rainbow! What does that mean? Eat a variety of foods rich in color. For instance, a yellow onion has a higher nutritional value than a white onion. But, a purple onion out does the other two. A purple potato is higher in nutriments. Sweet potatoes don’t raise the blood glucose like a white potato does. The more colors you have in a meal, the higher the nutritional value.

Are You Worth It?

You have to decide if you’re going to make smart choices or not. In today’s world our money doesn’t go as far as it once did. But, don’t you think your health is worth the time and money to keep it healthy?

Ladies, your life is what you make it! Make it a good and healthy one.

Stay tuned for the next posting. Don’t sleep through it!