How to Create a New Healthier You Over Fifty

By Juliette Crane


There are many changes that occur when your body begins to age. Many times activity levels slow as does the metabolism and bit of rounded belly begins to show. Foods that you once hated now sound appealing because your sense of taste and smell diminish through the years. Your body doesn't process the food as well since stomach acid and saliva production diminishes and vitamins like B6, B12 and folic acid diminish because of reduced absorption. The body slows or ceases production of many enzymes and coenzymes that create needed building blocks or aid in the digestion of food. If this all sounds way to grim, don't worry. There are simple remedies to keep you in the pink and get your body up to optimal operation.

You know that it is essential to eat a healthy and balanced breakfast but it is easy to forget to look after yourself the way you have looked after others. A light healthy breakfast including fresh fruit, whole grain cereal such as oatmeal, toast and juice (or a cup of tea or coffee) can give you a healthy and enjoyable start to the day.

Create a fruit kabob made with a halved strawberry, small slices of cheese, and grapes as a snack for later in the morning. One of the keys to healthy living is the consumption of smaller more frequent meals. Since the digestive system slows, the smaller meal allows the food to be processed more easily. The more frequently you eat small meals, the more your blood sugar levels out and reduces the hunger pangs.

Sensible lunches include salads, wraps and soups. Watch out for creamed soups. Many boomers notice that milk products tend to create a multitude of flatulence. The reason may be simple, the older that people become, the less of the enzyme lactase they create to digest the milk sugar. This sits in the stomach and creates all sorts of distress from gas to diarrhea. Even though you may already realize that milk creates digestive problems, don't forget creamy dressings and creamed soups. These sneaky devils contain hidden milk that creeps up to bite you later. Aged cheese, over 60 days, contains very little lactose due to the bacteria that consumes it when the cheese is made. Cheese is the best route to get the needed calcium if you have lactose intolerance.

Our ability to process different foods in general can change over time. If you begin to experience symptoms which you interpret as a food allergy, you may be experiencing a digestive problem. For example, many people become gluten intolerant as they age. Gluten is found in many grains including wheat. If you bloat or have stomach cramps or nausea after eating anything containing grains, it would be helpful to get tested for gluten intolerance.

To make sure your body is supplied with all the essential vitamins and minerals it needs to properly function, it is important to take a good quality daily supplement. Many companies sell combination of vitamins and minerals designed specifically for older people. Capsules are more easily absorbed than tablets. You can also purchase enzymes and coenzymes. CoQ10 is a coenzyme that is usually made by the human body and has been found to benefit people with damaged hearts, the onset of Alzheimer's or taking cholesterol lowering medication.

Keep your processed sugar intake down as each year passes. When you ingest sweets, make them healthy and in the form of fruit. When you eat right, your body tells you with increased vigor and stamina. Add a bit of exercise, whether it be walking, biking, yoga, swimming or anything else to grease the joints and you find that you feel a lot fitter.

More than anything, it is important to be positive, happy and enjoy life. Maintain an active life and stay interested in people and life in general. By simply changing your approach to eating, you can develop a new outlook to life. You can learn new healthier recipes, create interesting healthy menus and begin to enjoy food in a different way. Your generation changed the way youth was viewed and experienced. Are you ready to change the future of aging?




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