The tough thing about getting older is changing our eating habits -- we just need as many calories, but we certainly need good nutrition in the calories we do eat.
Here are five tips for eating to age well from Environmental Nutrition newsletter.
--Consume more omega 3s. These healthy fats support heart health, brain function and memory during aging. They may also improve muscle strength. Eat omega-3-rich fish, such as sardines, herring and wild-caught salmon at least twice a week. Walnuts, chia and flax are also high in omega-3s.
--Build a healthy gut. As we age, bacteria and other microbes that live in our gut decrease in diversity and may shift toward more harmful species. That may weaken the immune system and raise the risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes and constipation. Besides yogurt, choose a wide variety of vegetables and fruits to provide material to nourish good bacteria.
--Build your bones to maintain mobility. Your bones may need many nutrients beyond calcium, including vitamin D and vitamin K and magnesium. Increase calcium intake with milk and yogurt, canned seafood and kale.
--Skip soda and drink more water. Sugary sodas cause inflammation and damage the may shorten the protective caps on the ends of DNA, called telomeres. The shorter our telomeres, the faster we age and the greater our risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and some cancers. Learn to love water -- add fruit or filter it.
--Optimize protein intake. As you lose muscle mass with aging, you also lose strength and mobility. Fight back by spreading protein intake evenly throughout the day (20 to 30 grams per meal). To boost protein at breakfast, try Greek yogurt, low-fat cottage cheese, milk or yogurt-based smoothies and eggs.
Q and A
Q: Can something as simple as removing my candy dish at work really make a difference for healthy eating?
A: Research suggests that convenient and visible candy on office desks can influence people to eat more candy, thus consuming extra sugar and calories. So, eliminating those prompts to eat even when not hungry can help limit those extra calories that can add up day after day. One study, for example, found that women ate more than twice as many pieces of candy when it was highly visible in clear dishes on their desks than when candy was less visible in opaque containers on their desks, and even fewer when the candy was six feet away. The women in this study underestimated how much they'd eaten when the candy was on their desk, and did not have that added problem when they had to get up to get the candy. That may be because it's so easy to unconsciously grab a piece of chocolate or other treat when it's right in front of you. A candy bowl in a communal space can be challenging. It takes work, but you can train yourself to adopt habits like eating treats only as a dessert at a meal or only if you take a treat back to your desk and savor it. Other strategies may be to ditch the bowl on the desk, keep a healthy snack like fruit at your desk and get candy only by walking to a vending machine or waiting to get it on your lunch break. These new strategies can help you cut back without the mental baggage of making something "forbidden." It's worth considering whether grabbing candy has been a mindless habit or whether you are relying on that candy for more energy or to de-stress. If you need an energy boost, try getting up and moving every hour or so. If you turn to candy when stressed or as a reward, consider non-food options like taking a minute to look at a favorite calming picture or do some deep breathing, perhaps even using one of the many free phone apps available to help. -- American Institute for Cancer Research.
RECIPE
If your garden is like mine, it's coming up all things zucchini. Here's a great bread recipe, from Cooking Light magazine, that pairs zucchini and chocolate for a low-fat version (thanks to using applesauce) of Zucchini Bread.
Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread
3/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 cup applesauce
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups finely shredded zucchini (about 1 medium)
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Cooking spray
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place first 3 ingredients in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at low speed until well blended. Stir in applesauce. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and the next 4 ingredients (through salt), stirring well with a whisk. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture, beating just until moist. Stir in the zucchini and chocolate chips. Spoon batter into a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350 for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out almost clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes on a wire rack, and remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack. Makes 1 loaf; 16 slices per loaf.
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