They say the only thing in life that is constant is change! As you get older, it’s not just your wardrobe and taste in music, sleep pattern and lifestyle that changes, your metabolism changes as well. As a matter of fact, after age 30 your metabolism gradually begins to decline.
Diet and exercise helps us live a healthy lifestyle. You need food that can help lower your blood pressure and cholesterol and also protect you against type 2 diabetes. You have to be even more selective about the foods you eat as you age.
Here are six foods you should never eat after 50
(1) FRIED FOODS
hmmm yummy and tasty, right? Yes, good for you? No. Fried foods are hard to digest and they are high in calories. When you are older, your stomach isn’t quite as strong when it comes to breaking down and digesting fatty foods so you can end up feeling bloated, moreover, the high calorie fried foods deliver energy which you are not likely to use with a slower metabolism, so you end up gaining weight, as the high calories in the food is converted to glucose and glucose if converted to glycogen and stored in your body, the more fried food you eat , the more glycogen stored and it ends with you having large waist line, flabby arms etc.
(2) SOFT DRINKS
Whether normal, diet drinks or carbonated drinks, these drinks have been linked to obesity, depression and even higher risk of heart attack and stroke. When you pass the age of 50, you should be keeping a close watch on your blood pressure and ensure it stays at healthy levels, guzzling a diet coke or soft drinks daily will lead to a spike in your blood pressure. You can make your juices yourself, take a carrot and an apple, blend it up and drink, you can use ice cold water to blend it, fruit juices are best taken immediately and not left over night.
Also make hibiscus drink (popularly known as zobo), it is good for prevention and treatment of high blood pressure, wash the flower, boil it with cloves and ginger (some people add garlic, lime, lemon, pineapple peel), when it comes to a boil, allow it cool down to room temperature, filter, pour in a container and refrigerate so it can last for days, if you do not refrigerate it will ferment and go bad. Do not add sugar or those artificial sweeteners as some contain additives that are bad for you.
(3) SALT
cut out the salt, salt causes your body to retain water and the extra water raises your blood pressure, the higher your blood pressure, the greater strain on your heart, kidneys, arteries and brain. You really should eliminate salt from your diet. If you are preparing soup, you can add extra crayfish in place of salt.
(4) SUGAR
stay away from all sugars as you age, not just the highly processed sweet treats like candy bars. Research has shown that there may be a relationship between diets with a minimal consumption of sugar and a longer life span. In addition, lots of sugar in your food can cause your skin to look older than it is and contribute to other symptoms of aging. Too much sugar in your diet can lead to diabetes, not just that, it can lead to further health problems like cardiovascular disease, kidney damage or nerve damage. Diabetics can also experience skin, mouth and bone problems that make the body look and feel older than it should.
(5) ALCOHOL
Run far away from alcohol, be it beer, whisky, rum, vodka and the likes. while regular drinking of a glass of red wine with dinner is recommended for several health benefits, beyond moderate alcohol consumption on a consistent basis harmful to your heart and liver, which are two organs you definitely want to keep healthy as you age. So resist the temptation of drinking alcohol daily, your liver will thank you.
(6) PROCESSED MEATS
These are meats that have been pre-cooked or cured such as bacon, sausage, salami, hot dog, corned beef and the whole lot. Eating high amount of processed meats increases your risk of heart disease, colon cancer and diabetes. This is because sodium is 400% higher in processed meat than unprocessed meat. Too much sodium stiffens your blood vessels and stresses your kidneys and heart
The list of things to avoid eating at age 50 goes on, but the six mentioned above are very important if you are to keep your heart, kidneys and liver healthy. You should incorporate the following foods into your diet:
APPLES
Eating apples daily can lower both your total and LDL cholesterol level, remember we talked about cholesterol some weeks back, LDL is the harmful cholesterol, it can lead to atherosclerosis which affects blood supply to the heart, causing heart attack and also blood supply to the brain, causing stroke.
NUTS
Snacking on nuts instead of crackers or chips is a good way to give your diet an upgrade. You can eat almond nuts, walnuts, pistachio nuts, peanuts, cashew nuts.
LEAFY GREENS
Spinach, pumpkin leaf, lettuce and other leafy greens help keep your mind sharp as you age. Leafy greens have been linked with lower levels of cognitive decline in older age.
OATS
Easy to digest and can help lower cholesterol levels which tend to creep in as you age. You might want to swap your eba swallow with oats, simply use your blender or food processor to grind it into powder form, pour into boiling water and continuously stir until it comes together like amala.
Also add tomatoes and avocado to your diet, you can make a salad with both. Substitute vegetable oil with olive oil, instead of frying your stews, you should steam your grinded pepper and tomatoes and pour in the oil and allow it to cook. These are little changes you should start with in order to get on the healthier side of life.
It is important to read labels on food products and watch out for added sugars in condiments, yogurt, breads etc, some products have the sugar free , low fat, low sodium, low cholesterol alternative, you should compare the nutritional information on several products so you can make a well informed choice on what you purchase and consume. Always watch out for the expiry dates on food products.
FOOD 4 THOUGHTS
A research showed that people who ate one to two servings of spinach per day, have same cognitive ability as people 11 years younger who rarely ate spinach.
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