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Friday, November 27, 2009

Healthy Tips for the Over Fifties

By Juliette Crane

As your body ages, it undergoes a number of changes such as slowed metabolism and a greater tendency to gain weight. Your taste and smell deteriorate slightly, making it easier to eat foods you may once have disliked. Your ability to digest food is also affected because less stomach acid and saliva is produced as we age. This can affect your body's ability to absorb nutrients and vitamin and mineral deficiency can result. The body's ability to produce enzymes and coenzymes also declines as we age. Fortunately, there are some simple things you can do to improve or maintain your good health.

You know that it is essential to eat a healthy and balanced breakfast but it is easy to forget to look after yourself the way you have looked after others. A light healthy breakfast including fresh fruit, whole grain cereal such as oatmeal, toast and juice (or a cup of tea or coffee) can give you a healthy and enjoyable start to the day.

Fruit should be your first choice for a mid morning snack. Full of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants as well as high in vitamins, fruit is a great immune system booster. Smaller meals eaten more frequently, whether fruit or otherwise, make digestion easier and speed up metabolism making it less likely that you will gain weight as you age. Frequent, small meals also help to control blood sugar levels and prevent hunger.

As well as a good breakfast and a healthy morning snack, a light lunch is important to keep you feeling well. Healthy wraps, salads and soups are good choices for your midday meal. However, it is a good idea to avoid creamed soups and other foods containing dairy. The body produces the enzyme lactase which is necessary to break down lactose or milk sugar. As you age, your body produces less lactase and consequently it becomes more difficult to digest milk products. Cheese which has been aged for more than sixty days contains a minimal amount of lactose and is usually fine.

Our ability to process different foods in general can change over time. If you begin to experience symptoms which you interpret as a food allergy, you may be experiencing a digestive problem. For example, many people become gluten intolerant as they age. Gluten is found in many grains including wheat. If you bloat or have stomach cramps or nausea after eating anything containing grains, it would be helpful to get tested for gluten intolerance.

Supplement your diet with additional vitamins and minerals. Several companies produce vitamins created specifically for seniors. Try capsule forms for easier absorption. There are abundant amounts of coenzymes and enzymes that are available for purchase. One particularly interesting coenzyme is CoQ10. The Co stands for coenzyme. This is normally produced by the body but the production diminishes as you age. Many studies found this beneficial to those on cholesterol lowering drugs and people with beginning Alzheimer's or heart damage. Even though there has been no harmful side effects reported, it is always best to consult your doctor, particularly if taking other medications.

As you get older, try to keep your intake of processed sugar to a minimum. This means sugar in tea or coffee, cakes, cookies, and sweets. Satisfy your craving for sweets with fruit and you will be rewarded with good health and improved fitness. If you eat a healthy diet and exercise regularly, you will have more energy and feel a great deal better. Exercise can be as simple as going for a walk or having a swim.

Most of all stay active, positive and enjoy life. Sometimes a change of mind creates a completely new outlook. Focus on healthy eating as a challenge and develop interesting menus and new ways of looking at food. Remember, you are the power generation that changed the face of youth; it's time to change the face of aging. - 17273

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