A healthy, balanced diet and a proper lifestyle affect both maintaining health and slowing down the adverse changes that accompany the aging process of the body. What should the diet of people over 50 look like? What should you keep in mind when composing a menu? How to lose weight after fifty? We suggest.
Diet after the age of 50 – rules
General recommendations for people between 50 and 60 years of age are based on the basic principles of healthy eating. However, when determining the diet or menu, the health condition of the person should be taken into account. People over 50 are a very diverse group in terms of the occurrence of diseases or ailments. Depending on the occurrence of a given disease, recommendations may vary and require consultation with a doctor and dietician. These recommendations also differ in the case of older people. Below are the most important rules of a proper diet after the age of 50 for healthy people:
meals should be eaten regularly, at intervals of 3–4 hours,
vegetables and fruits should be eaten as often as possible and make up at least half of what we eat,
it is worth including cereal products, especially whole grains, in the daily menu,
the menu should include at least two glasses of milk (they can be replaced with yoghurt, kefir and partly cheese),
the consumption of meat, especially red and processed meat, should be limited,
when preparing meals, animal fats should be replaced with vegetable oils,
sugar and sweets should be limited,
it is worth limiting the amount of salt in the diet, instead of using herbs and natural spices for meals,
remember to stay hydrated and drink at least 1.5 liters a day,
Alcohol consumption should be avoided.
In the case of people over fifty, it is also important to remember about certain changes occurring during this period of life. One of the most significant changes associated with the aging process is a lower level of basal metabolic rate. For this reason, the demand for energy is reduced, and thus the amount of food consumed. Meals should be smaller in volume, eaten at regular intervals. Importantly, although the calorie content of the diet should be reduced, the demand for vitamins and minerals increases with age. Therefore, it is very important to choose foods with high nutritional value.
Additional dietary tips for women over 50
In the body of a woman over 50 years of age, certain changes take place related to, m.in menopause. In addition to the rules presented above, it is worth paying attention to the following recommendations.
Consumption of legumes – they are a good source of not only protein, but also contain compounds called phytoestrogens, which have potential properties to alleviate menopausal ailments. Among legumes, the richest source of phytoestrogens is soy and products derived from it (tofu, soy milk). These compounds can also be found in other foods such as green tea, flax, some vegetables and fruits.
Particular attention should be paid to the inclusion of products rich in calcium and vitamin D3 supplementation – these are essential elements in the prevention of osteoporosis. The basic sources of calcium in the diet are milk and dairy products. If milk and dairy products cannot be consumed for health reasons, alternative sources of calcium should be sought. Such products include calcium-enriched soy and almond drinks, as well as green vegetables (kale, spinach, broccoli) and fish that are eaten with bones (e.g. sardines).
Additional dietary tips for men over 50
Not only women, but also men over fifty struggle with changes related to the aging process, which can affect the deterioration of well-being. Dietary recommendations for all men over 50 are also based on the principles of healthy eating, so creating universal recommendations strictly for a fifty-year-old is problematic. However, it is worth paying attention to and making people aware of certain nutritional mistakes that can often appear in this group of people.
Avoiding too frequent consumption of red and processed meat – if the diet of a fifty-year-old has so far been dominated by fatty types of meat or processed products such as canned food, cold cuts, it is definitely worth considering limiting them. Too many such products in the diet can be associated with the development of many civilization diseases. These products should be replaced more often by eggs, fish, poultry, legumes.
Paying attention to the heat treatments used so far – this applies mainly to fans of grilling and deep-fried foods. These are very unfavorable types of heat treatment. Of course, once in a while nothing bad will happen if we eat fried or grilled food, but in order to maintain good health, we should more often choose boiled, stewed or baked foods.
Diet after fifty: these foods are worth including in your diet
In the case of healthy people over 50, it is worth focusing on products with high nutritional value in the daily menu and taking into account, above all:
vegetables and fruits of various types – it is worth paying attention to, m.in others, tomatoes, bananas, apricots (they are especially rich in potassium, which affects the regulation of blood pressure), as well as berries (they are a rich source of antioxidants and have a low glycemic index),
whole grain products (groats, pasta, bread) – next to vegetables and fruits, they are a source of fiber, which has a multidirectional health-promoting effect. Its regular consumption is recommended in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, obesity, colorectal cancer,
Oily sea fish (e.g. mackerel, herring) – are a source of omega-3 fatty acids. Consumption of products rich in these acids promotes the prevention of cardiovascular diseases, and also reduces the concentration of triglycerides, total cholesterol and LDL in the blood,
milk and dairy products (yoghurts, kefir, cottage cheese) – are very good sources of calcium,
beneficial sources of protein (eggs, fish, legumes, poultry),
beneficial sources of fats (oils, e.g. rapeseed, olive oil, nuts, seeds).
Diet after fifty: what should you give up?
Due to the fact that frequent consumption of certain products is associated with the risk of developing chronic diseases, it is worth avoiding them. Such products include:
salt (sodium) – excessive consumption is associated with the risk of developing cardiovascular disease,
Sugar – you should eat moderate amounts of sugar and sweets. An excess of these products in the diet can lead to obesity, as well as carbohydrate metabolism disorders,
processed products such as salty snacks, fast food dishes, which are rich in saturated fatty acids that are unfavorable to health,
alcohol and other drugs.