Published: May 14, 2008 12:43 pm            

Eating right — at any age

Things begin to change as we age; beyond what we see when we look in the mirror, changes are going on inside, too. To keep ourselves healthy and active we need to make small adjustments in our daily lives. After the age of 50, most of us have added reading glasses, take a daily vitamin and are just generally more conscious of taking care of our health.

One thing we do need to change, and may have overlooked, is the adjustments we need to make in our diet. All of us know we need to watch fat and sugar intake, but did you know that as you age you need to cut calories and you need to be more aware of the quality of what you eat?

Carole Corder, chief clinical dietician at St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital, Effingham, explained as people age their physical activity usually decreases, while at the same time those over the age of 50 begin to lose lean body mass, or muscle, which slows down their metabolic rate — the speed at which the body burns calories. These factors contribute to the creep of weight gain as we age.

Another factor that may pack on pounds as we age is the tendency to eat out more. People in their 60s average 50 percent of their meals away from home. With portion sizes at restaurants now super size, it is really easy to consume more calories than you realize. This adds to the challenge of keeping weight at a healthy level.

Changing the diet as we age includes fewer snacks and a conscious effort to spend our calorie allowance on nutrient-dense food. As we make an adjustment to consume less, the food we do eat needs to be good quality.

If you have always kept on eye on your diet and followed the recommendations on the Food Pyramid — heavy on fruits and vegetables, little fats and oils — you won’t have to make too many changes.

“It’s not the types of food we have to change,” Corder said, “but the quality of what we eat.”

Those over 50 need more protein in their diet, according to Corder, and the best protein source is animal products. “We need to eat high quality protein,” Corder said. She listed eggs as one great source of protein since they are easily digested by most people and provide high quality protein.

The body becomes less efficient at processing nutrients from our diet as we age, but our needs increase for some nutrients. An example is United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) tables recommend 1,000 mg/d of calcium for females up to age 50, but 1,200 mg/d for those over 50; for males, 1.3 mg/d of vitamin B is recommended for those under the age of 30, but 1.5 mg/d for those over 30.

Because physical activity tends to decline as we get older, we often get less sun exposure than we did when we were younger, which can make absorption of vitamin D less efficient in our body. The same holds true for many other vitamins older people may no longer be getting through their diet or activities.

Corder recommends anyone over 50 add a daily multivitamin to ensure they are getting proper nutrients.

According to Corder, one overlooked nutritional need is water. As we age, we become less sensitive to thirst signals from our body, she said. Also, some medications affect the absorption and need for water in our body. This can lead to seniors becoming dehydrated. Seniors need to keep aware of how much water they are consuming each day and if they find they are not getting enough liquids, need to drink even when they are not thirsty.

Fiber in the diet helps lower cholesterol and prevent constipation, a condition often made worse by less physical activity.

“We have a tendency to eat refined, processed food,” Corder said, explaining almost everyone needs more fiber in their diet.

Fiber-rich foods include fruits, vegetables, nuts and whole grains.

Corder cautioned that people need to be careful adding supplements to the diet. “People think they need supplements,” she said. “We are always looking for the magic pill.” But, it is possible to overdose on supplements, especially since many foods are now fortified with additional vitamins and minerals. The USDA offers tables of recommended intakes for individuals and tolerable upper intake levels at its Web site, www.iom.edu/Object.File/Master/21/372/0.

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Good nutrition remains important throughout our life. Small adjustments made as we age can keep us fit, trim and active. Cut back on snacks, use your daily allowance of calories on high quality, nutrient-rich foods, add a daily multivitamin, drink plenty of water and you can rest assured you are doing what’s best for your health.

Mary Holle may be contacted at mary.holle@effinghamdailynews.com or 217-347-7151, est. 134.