Eat right for every decade of life

Dr Pooja Sharma

Today, millions of individuals across the globe are rapidly picking up potentially fatal diseases due to faulty eating habits and lethargic attitude towards healthy living. Some of the health issues like obesity, hypertension, cancer, depression, cardio-vascular problems etc. have become common ailments affecting youth and adults belonging to all age groups.

It is high time to bring about positive transformation by understanding the needs of our body’s nutrition requirements and tweak nutrition according to our age to safeguard ourself from the cascading impact of inadequate nutrition on our health and well-being.

We cannot bridge the gap between body and quality health unless we comprehend the phenomenal effects of nutrition and its value across all age groups. At every stage of human life, the requirements of nutrition keep changing, depending on our age and health conditions.

It’s highly imperative to include right nutrition in our daily diet so to manifest a healthier body, mind and spirit. Right nutrition for one’s age is a smart choice which will significantly help in steering us away from fatal illnesses and add some healthy years our life. This requires an understanding about what our nutritional needs across different age groups are.

Eat better in twenties

The phase of twenties can be stressful with much happening — new job, new opportunities, marriage etc. This is a significant phase health and nutrition-wise as right nutrition during this phase will positively impact our health in later years. So the major focus should be key nutrients like calcium, protein, iron.

Although not as readily as when one is younger, adults in their mid-twenties continue to build bone mass. Consuming 1,000 mg calcium daily is important for bones to reach the peak strength which is the key to lifelong bone health.

Calcium: Good sources of calcium include dairy products, leafy green vegetables, certain fish, oatmeal and other grains, tofu, cabbage, summer squash, green beans, garlic, sea vegetables and calcium-fortified foods such as cereals and orange juice, etc. Also, get enough magnesium and vitamins D and K to help calcium do its job. Have fortified non-dairy beverages such as soy, rice and almond milks as these contain 300 to 330 mg of calcium per cup of serving for e.g. 1 cup milk, 3.3 cups of yogurt and 11/2 ounces of cheese all together supply 300mg of calcium.

Protein: Protein is an essential building block of bones, muscles, cartilage, skin, and blood. Good sources include chicken, tofu, fish. The severing of chicken and /or fish should be the size of your palm, as an east measure. At least 50 to 100 gm for women and for men at least 200 to 300 gm of protein adding into one’s daily diet can produce the required enzymes, hormones and other necessary chemicals to fuel one’s muscle growth effectively and keep one going.

Iron:

In India majority of population is anaemic, hence iron-rich foods should form a major part of our diet in twenties.

Men need 8mg daily and women need 18 mg (27 mg if pregnant) daily. For women vitamin B12 is another important nutrient to be consumed daily in order to avoid anaemia, stress, depression, weakness or delay in cycle. Oysters, Liver and other organ meats, spinach and chickpeas are good sources of iron.

For fitness in forties

The metabolism slows down further. Lifestyle problems like high blood pressure or cholesterol may start. Body can experience minor aches, etc. In this phase have more fibre-rich and foods rich in potassium. Cut back on sodium. Include more antioxidants in your diet. Include vitamins A, C and E in your food. These antioxidants repel off harmful free radicals that contribute to ageing and many diseases. Sources of vitamin C are lemon, red pepper, green pepper, kiwi, guava and tomato juices etc. Vitamin E sources are salmon fish, fish oil, hazelnut, peanut butter etc.

Fifties and beyond

Many adults beyond 50 are unable to produce hydrochloric acid in their stomach. Include a multi-vitamin in your diet to help absorb vitamins from food sources. Vitamin B12 is another essential nutrient in this phase, as is calcium. During fifties women experience major bone-loss due to menopause increasing their calcium requirement to 1,200mg daily.

Magnesium matters in thirties

Focus on magnesium at the onset of thirties as one can go through muscle loss which slows down one’s metabolism. Magnesium will help generating energy in the body, will regulate blood pressure and blood sugar levels and help maintaining strong bone strength. To mitigate muscle loss, strength training and high-protein diet should be adopted. Good sources of magnesium include dark chocolate, avocados, nuts, legumes, tofu, bananas,etc.

— The writer is a Mumbai-based nutritionist