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Eating healthy for women 40 and over

March 5, 2008 by marianna68

I have been doing my usual research regarding what are the must have’s and have not’s for women approaching 40….you know lifestyle changing, trying to old on to one’s youthful appearance (yeah…gonna fight it). This encompasses the skin, hair, and the inner workings. Thankfully menopause has not hit this lady yet. Some may find entering those years a blessing…….I don’t. But irregardless good habits should become part of your every day living. Found some interesting info:

Approaching how you eat

The facts are that the ideal eating plan is high in fibre, vegetables, fish protein, unprocessed cereals and grains, and mono-unsaturated fat, not saturated (animal) fat.

‘Colourful’ fruit and vegetables are the most nutritious in terms of vitamins, minerals and phytoestrogens. See Phytoestrogens - a natural boost

High fibre diets protect against high cholesterol and heart disease, colon cancer and possibly other cancers.

Fish contains omega - 3 fatty acids which can reduce blood fats and blood clotting, and fish bones (sardines and tinned salmon) are a rich source of calcium.

For women, recommendations include general food guidelines, such as:

Dietary Guidelines for Australian Adults

Recent advances in nutritional science and research have prompted review of recommended dietary intakes (RDIs), and this may result in future recommendations for novel food components such as phytoestrogens and antioxidants. (Recommended Dietary Intakes - is is time for a change?)

Currently, RDIs for adult women are divided into two age groups

19-54 years and

over 54 years.

RDIs for women over 54 years more closely reflect the needs of women aged 40 and over, particularly menopausal women.

Servings to achieve a healthy diet for women*

Food

Serves / day†

Sample serving size

Further suggestions

Breads, cereal, rice, pasta, noodles

4-9

2 slices bread, 1 bread roll, 1 cup rice

Try rye breads, fruit breads, multigrain breads, pasta, noodles. Encourage wholegrain choices

Vegetables

5-7

1/2 cup cooked vegetables, 1 cup salad vegetables, 1 small potato

Include a wide variety of colourful vegetables

Fruit

2-3

1 medium piece of fruit,2 smaller pieces of fruit,1 cup diced or canned fruit

Milk, yoghurt, cheese

3-4

1 cup milk,200g yoghurt,1 cup soy milk (calcium fortified)

Choose low fat varieties. Include some fermented products

Meat, fish, eggs, nuts, legumes (beans, peas, lentils)

1-1.5

65-100g lean meat, or80-120g cooked fish (1 small fillet), or1/2 cup dried beans or lentils,1/3 cup peanuts or almonds,1/4 cup seeds (eg, sesame seeds)

Include fish 1-2 serves per week (1 medium fillet) - includes tinned fish, sardines, tuna

Legumes and nuts regularly.

100g lean red meat is the size of a small palm.

Extra foods‡

0-2.5

Plain biscuits, cake, alcohol, chocolate, crisps, pastries, oils and fats

Additional foods can be included if energy requirements are high. Obtain oils through foods such as olives, raw nuts, seeds, grains and legumes, olive and canola oils and seed oils. Watch for fat content of processed foods

*Adapted from The Australian guide to healthy eating.

†The wide variation in serves is because of individual variation in activity.

‡In addition to the 1-2 serves of extra foods, the guide also recommends modest consumption of margarine on foods like bread and toast and modest amounts of margarine or oil in food preparation.

Click here to view and print Servings to achieve a healthy diet for women*

Healthy diets for women over 40

For up to a decade prior to menopause, your reproductive system prepares to retire, and your body produces less estrogen. This time frame, known as perimenopause, can bring on a host of gradual symptoms, including drier skin, wrinkles, fatigue, sleep disturbances, moodiness—and weight gain, even if you’re eating the same foods as always. As you age, your body does not need as many calories. To maintain the same weight, you will have to adjust what you eat.

On the other hand, thinner women would do well to put on a little extra weight at menopause, because estrogen is produced in the body’s fat cells, and can continue to be produced after menopause. Also, weight can protect an older woman from dehydration or calorie loss during illness.

Focus on eating especially well as you enter your menopausal years. Some key changes to make now:

Reduce “bad†dietary fat. No more than 30% of total calories. In addition to helping you maintain a healthy weight, less dietary fat lowers your risk of heart disease. Keep the good fats, however. Evening primrose oil, an essential fatty acid, has anti-inflammatory properties, and may be useful in alleviating hot flashes. See Healthy Fats to learn the distinction between good and bad fats. Increase phytoestrogens. These plant-based compounds enhance cardiovascular health by lowering blood cholesterol. Soy-based phytoestrogens are found in tofu, soy nuts, soy milk, and soybeans. Other forms of phytoestrogens are found in whole-grain cereals, nuts, berries, peas, beans, sunflower seeds, red clover, and bean sprouts. Boost calcium intake. Calcium supports bone health, and helps prevent osteoporosis. Consume less red meat and soft drinks. These leach calcium from your bones and add unnecessary fat and empty calories to your diet. Use vitamins and minerals to enhance food absorption. For example, Vitamin D helps you absorb calcium and form strong bones. Zinc helps maintain pliancy in genitals, while magnesium helps prevent mood swings and insomnia. Magnesium also boosts blood calcium levels. Maintain a balanced diet. As you grow older, you may find that your appetite decreases and your stomach cannot hold as much as before. Try eating smaller amounts several times a day to assure that you get sufficient nutrition. If necessary, add a liquid supplement between meals. On the other side, you may find yourself gaining excess weight as your metabolism slows down. If you’ve gained more than 10 pounds since menopause, you may want to focus on weight control.

Websites:

http://www.healthyfridge.org/louis.html

http://www.managingmenopause.org.au/content/view/50/79/

http://www.tetleywellbeing4life.com.au/html/nu_food.asp

http://www.helpguide.org/life/healthy_eating_women_nutrition.htm

Posted in Food, Health, Websites, Women | 1 Comment

One Response to “Eating healthy for women 40 and overâ€

on March 5, 2008 at 9:32 pm1

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Life...

Life is a gift. There are so many wonderful things that we have as human beings that we seem to forget what they are. We are so consumed with other things that at the time seem important but when you look at them closely they are trivial and it’s the little things in life that bring us so much joy. Like peanut butter, aka tossing the ball around with your kids, aka. being lazy in the shade with your Collie. The point is that life is serious enough and it isn’t until others are gone that we fully comprehend that.

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