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Healthy eating as you age By Ruby Harfield
RIGHT: Dietician Tina Ambler says people often don’t need to make drastic changes to make a big difference in their diets. BELOW: A visual of a balanced Mediterranean diet. Photos/Supplied
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t’s important to maintain a healthy and balanced diet to help prevent age related diseases. The ageing process carries risks for developing a number of conditions associated with getting older such as cardiovascular diseases such as high blood pressure and stroke, osteoporosis, type 2 diabetes, neurological diseases such as dementia or Alzheimer’s and a range of cancers. Dietician Tina Ambler said there are a number of things you can change to your food intake to assist with staying as healthy as you can and possibly reduce the development of some of these health conditions. “We know that maintaining some physical activity and a well-balanced diet can be protective towards heart diseases, osteoporosis, diabetes and dementia and obesity. “It’s never too late to start on a journey
to improving health and start feeling the benefits.” These changes don’t need to be drastic to make a difference, she said. “Every small change counts, it takes repetition to make a new behaviour stick, give it some time and readjust if your goal needs tweaking. “You often don’t need to make drastic changes to make a big difference.” Ambler recommends visiting your GP to make sure that everything is tracking along. Checking your own eating behaviours can shine a light on areas for improvement. “It doesn’t mean you have to give up your favourite foods. “Try limiting eating out limit to once a week and if you do go out think about what your goals are for healthy eating. “Don’t be afraid to ask for dietary requests, for example you can ask for no salt or the sauces on the side or grilled instead of deep fried.”
Social events and special occasions tend to encourage people to bake or make high calorie foods, she said. “So many of us are invited to a number of events every week which can make a difference to your health, you can be in akkee control, if you are taking a plate to share ta something you are going to be happy with.” It’s important to shop wisely, stick to a list and read the label – budget brands often have the same if not better nutrition, for example lower in sodium. Low-salt foods have less than 120 mg of sodium per 100 g. Moderate-salt foods have 120–600 mg and high-salt foods have more than 600 mg. Changes need to be sustainable and sharing goals with someone else can make you more accountable. “Plan out your journey for your goal, what will you need to put in place to make you get there. “Enjoy your food, so be creative with
recipes, start adding g flavour instead of salt. “Look at cooking methods to make changes easier; one pot recipes can ease the burden of cooking.” There are many studies that have looked into the types of food to include in a diet to attain optimal health, she said. Caution with claims on nutrition facts or fad diets. They can often be unbalanced and don’t contain the full range of vitamins and minerals a healthy well-balanced diet does. “Research continues to point towards eating a Mediterranean style diet where good health, reduced incidence of disease and longevity have been observed.”
The Mediterranean diet: The Mediterranean diet is rich in vegetables, whole grains, fat-free or low-fat dairy products, lean meats and fish, nuts seeds and legumes limiting healthy fats and oils and sweets and added sugars. Instead of adding salt, try adding herbs and spices to your foods. The role of adequate dairy serves helps to prevent to onset of osteoporosis. TO EAT EVERY DAY: • 6 servings* of vegetables, including leafy greens • 5-8 servings* of whole grains (brown rice, whole-wheat pasta, crackers or bread, muesli, oats, Weetbix) • 3 servings* of fruit • 3 tablespoons of olive oil as your main added fat (or canola or sunflower oil) • 2-3 servings* of low-fat dairy
• 1.5 tablespoons of unsalted nuts • Drink lots of water *Each serving is ½ cup. TO EAT WEEKLY: • Up to 6 eggs • 3-4 servings* of legumes (e.g., beans, peas, chickpeas, lentils) • 3-4 servings* of lean meat • 2-3 servings* of chicken • 1-2 servings* of salmon Not more than 3 servings of “extras,” such as sweets, refined cereals, fried food, fast food, and processed meats. Also limit condiments such as soy sauce, tomato sauce as they are very high in sodium. * Servings are 1/2 cup here too, but for meat, you can also use the size of your palm as serving size
