Written by Joan Kazan l The Thirty
Women Over 50 Should Avoid These Foods—and Eat These Instead
Remember when we could eat all the pizza and ice cream we wanted? Sadly, when we turn 50, it feels like we have to say goodbye to those days as we say hello to gray hair and wrinkles.
With middle age comes a metabolism slow-down, a loss of estrogen, and a whole bunch of other hormonal stuff. The bottom line? We work out and work out, but it doesn't seem to do much. What's a 50-plus-year-old woman to do?
When it comes to aging, we all have choices. Find a good colorist or embrace the gray hair. Start Botox injections or embrace the fine lines. When it comes to hair and wrinkles, you do you, girlfriend. But pretty much every expert agrees: It becomes even more important to exercise and eat right if we want to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
The saying "everything in moderation" rings true. At this point, we realize that life is short—too short to never eat pizza and ice cream. But the need to eat healthily becomes vitally important as we get older. That other saying "a good workout can't undo a bad diet" also rings true. Want to feel great as you age? Try these four things: Stay active, eat the foods on the good list, avoid the foods on the bad list, and hope for the best.
The National Institute on Aging compiled a list called Smart Food Choices for Healthy Aging. The overall message is to focus on variety, eat nutritionally dense foods, and maintain balanced amounts. Use this advice as a guideline rather than a prescription. As always, talk to your doctor before starting any nutritional plan. It's also important to keep in mind how certain conditions could affect diet. For example, grapefruit can be a healthy fresh fruit choice, but if you're on a cholesterol medication like a statin, grapefruit is a no-no.
Anita Dock, RDN, CDE, CLT, owner of Anita Dock Nutrition Counseling, advises women over 50 to "focus on lean protein and vegetables and eat as many colors as possible." When it comes to what not to eat, Dock outlined five that women over 50 should avoid, which we've dubbed The Frightening Five. CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING
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