Age, gender affect nutritional needs

Q: My husband are both 45 and about the same height and weight (5 feet, 8 inches, and 150 pounds). Should we eat the same kinds and amounts of foods?

A: Height and weight are not the only criteria that determine how much and what foods you should eat. Your nutritional needs are also influenced by your activity level, age and your gender.

Are you active? While a 45-year-old sedentary woman who is 5 feet, 8 inches tall and weighs 150 pounds may burn 1,934 calories a day or less, an active woman with the same stats can consume 2,445 calories and maintain her weight. (An active man with the same stats — 2,752 calories.) So you want to tailor what you eat to your activity level and your desired weight.

Are you in perimenopause or menopause? That often ushers in weight gain. So you want to change what and when you eat. Smart steps: Wait 13 or more hours between dinner and breakfast; eat a lean-protein, fresh fruit and 100-percent-wholegrain breakfast; and never have dinner (light and lean) later than 8 p.m.

Are you happy? A study published in Nutritional Neuroscience found that women’s brains require an especially nutrient-rich diet to achieve maximum happiness and mental health. Seems as men and women evolved, their brains developed anatomical and functional differences that influence susceptibility to mental disease. The bottom line is, “women need a larger spectrum of nutrients to support mood, compared to men,” and many are not getting them.

So it’s important that women (and men too!) avoid highly processed foods, added sugars and additives that can alter gut bacteria and the nutritional balance in the body. They need to make sure they get iron-rich food, like chicken, turkey, fish, kale, spinach, beans and lentils; folate-rich citrus fruits, leafy greens, beans and peas; calcium-rich, nonfat dairy, sardines, tofu and dark leafy greens; and vitamin D from fatty fish like salmon and all varieties of mushrooms.