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Healthy Aging: Nutrition Tips for Staying Strong and Healthy After 50

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Healthy Aging: Nutrition Tips for Staying Strong and Healthy After 50

5 Nutrition Tips for a Strong and Healthy Aging

The accumulation of excess fat and a lower resting metabolic rate is the cause why aging woman gain weight. You will learn in this blog the tips for healthy aging. Hormonal shifts can cause a range of symptoms and these shifts increase the overall risk for heart disease and stroke. Finally, loss of stomach acid decreases the absorption of certain nutrients.

These 5 nutrition tips may help you live your 50s healthily, strongly, and most of all fabulously.

1. Consider taking B12 Supplements

B12 is a vitamin that is needed to make DNA and it helps keep nerve and blood cells healthy. B12 must be released from its protein host by pepsin during digestion in the stomach. Absorbing certain nutrients becomes more difficult including B12  in old age.

In fish and meat, B12 is primarily found, and older adults are at a greater risk for B12 deficiency. By simply adding the vitamin in a supplemental form to your diet (either by pill or shot), symptoms of B12 deficiency can be avoided.

2. Strictly Cut Back on Salt

We are more likely to develop hypertension as we get older because our blood vessels become less elastic as we age. Also the risk for stroke, heart attack, heart failure, kidney disease and early death increases with high blood pressure. Your consumption of processed foods should be decreased. Aim for 1500 mg of sodium per day or less, which is about ½ teaspoon, and start adding flavorful herbs in place of salt when you cook at home. Herbs provide some great anti-cancer benefits as well!

Consuming more whole foods, such as whole grains, fruits and vegetables will help increase your fiber consumption. Fiber helps you stay fuller for a longer time. This means you will likely eat less throughout the day and be more likely maintain your weight.

3. Use Iron Containing MultiVitamins Cautiously

At the age of 50, the average woman experiences menopause. Due to the termination of menstruation, the need for iron decreases after menopause to about 8 mg of iron a day. The body doesn’t have a natural way to emit iron, therefore iron toxicity can happen. Liver or heart damage and even death can happen due to too much iron in the body. Iron supplements should only be taken by post-menopausal women when prescribed by a physician. Make sure to replace your vitamin soon if it has iron.

  4. Increase Your Calcium and Vitamin D Intake

Vitamin D levels and calcium absorption tank around age 40 due to gastric acid and hormone changes. Increased risk of osteoporosis happens due to lack of estrogen in post-menopausal women and to make matters worse, women over 50 are at a higher risk for osteoporosis and bone fractures.

Consuming adequate calcium before the age of 30 is most ideal. Add rich calcium sources in your diet, including sardines, spinach, broccoli, kale, and low-fat or fat-free milk and yogurt. And also, your physician should test your vitamin D levels and provide additional supplementation as needed.

 5. Plan a Mediterranean Delight Diet

Our blood vessels become less elastic and our total peripheral resistance increases as we turn older. Increased risk of heart disease puts in women in menopause. Mediterranean diet does not only decrease the risk of heart disease but is also delightful.