Take care of your health after 40
IN RECOGNISING the selflessness of mothers in putting family first, it is also critical to shine the spotlight on their own health and well-being.
Rarely will they take a look at themselves or focus on their changing nutritional needs as they age. However, prioritising your own nutrition is vital, especially after the age of 40. It is key to keeping you healthy and spirited.
• During your 40s and 50s: Take vitamin B12, which supports the health of your red blood cells and nervous system. It is vital to keep you energised. However, throughout the years, your body’s ability to absorb and use the B12 you eat may wane. That is because your gut gradually produces less intrinsic factor, a protein necessary for the intestines to effectively absorb B12.
• Consume more calcium: While calcium can help strengthen your bones, after the age of 50 your daily recommended intake should be 1 200mg per day. Talk to your doctor to evaluate your bone density, family history and calcium intake to prevent osteoporosis, or to help slow the loss of bone density as you age. To increase your calcium intake, incorporate whole foods including dairy, sardines, soy, leafy vegetables and salmon into your diet. • Eat more fibre: In women, the risk of coronary heart disease increases after the age of 55. Fibre helps to lower cholesterol levels and improve heart health. To increase your levels of soluble, cholesterollowering fibre, eat oat bran, barley, nuts, seeds, beans, lentils, peas, fruit and vegetables. Increase the intake gradually to prevent an upset stomach.
• During your 60s and beyond: Preserve muscle with protein. We naturally start losing muscle mass at the age of 40 – roughly 8% per decade and this number can nearly double to 15% at age 70. But to do so, you should pair regular physical activity and strength-building exercise with additional protein. According to research published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, as you age the body becomes less efficient at processing protein and incorporating it into your muscles. Incorporate proteinrich foods into every meal and snack. Fish, lean meats, eggs, beans and protein shakes are all great options. • Get more of the sunshine vitamin: While you can get vitamin D in limited quantities from foods such as fortified milk, salmon and mushrooms, the vast majority of people’s intake comes through sun exposure. Unfortunately, many people don’t get enough of the vitamin and deficiency is common in old age. In a study of 824 elderly people published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 47% of women were deficient in vitamin D throughout the winter, when levels are at their lowest. During old age, apart from spending less time outside, people can experience reduced skin thickness, impaired intestinal absorption, poor food intake of vitamin D and reduced liver and kidney function, further increasing the risk of deficiency. For that reason, after age 70 the recommended daily intake of vitamin D increases from 600 to 800 IU (international unit) per day. Talk to your doctor to have your levels checked. |