FOOD+NUTRITION Blair Mize, MS, RDN, CSSD, LDN, CEDRD-S
EATING & AGING Bodies change and can start to break down with age and due to life experiences. Proper nutrition can help ensure quantity and quality of life with aging. Prepare for physiologic and metabolic changes by arming yourself with the following strategies to help you live your best life in the years to come.
Anticipate Body Change It’s normal for your body to be a different size in the different decades of life. During menopause, hormonal shifts cause fat cells to get bigger around the reproductive organs. This helps produce estrogen to offset the shutdown of the ovaries. Clinical psychologist Margo Maine, PhD, FAED, CEDS, encourages women to think of their midsection as a “life preserver” instead of a “spare tire.“ Adjust your expectations and accept that your body will change. Don’t let restriction and dieting put you at risk for fractures, frailty, or a weakened immune system.
Embrace Intuitive Eating Eating intuitively helps you adjust to the body’s shifting needs. Intuitive eating comes naturally but goes against nearly our diet-saturated culture. The principles support longevity and health while acknowledging the importance of honoring food preferences and advocating for the least restrictive diet possible.
Bolster Bone Health Calcium and vitamin D are key to keeping your bones healthy as you age. It’s easy to get vitamin D through sun, food and drinks, or with supplements. Very few foods naturally contain it, so fortified foods and drinks provide most of the vitamin D in your diet. Dairy as well as dark leafy greens; sardines; salmon; calcium-set tofu; soybeans; almond butter; tempeh; and fortified plant-based beverages, juices, and cereals are all great sources of calcium. It’s best absorbed when you eat calcium-rich foods throughout the day. Your calcium need increases after age 50, so you may need to use supplements to fill in gaps on days your intake is lower. 42
