Face it: you are not the same person as when you were 20 years old. As you get older, it changes from your brain to your metabolism . Your body is in continuous transformation and that is why your diet should be too. With each passing decade, the risk of serious health problems increases and your diet plays a very important role in the prevention of many diseases.
The good news is that the sooner you start to focus on building new eating habits , the longer your life expectancy will grow. We should be great, but the reality is very different. When following some lightning diets we come across the well-known “rebound effect” because we eat the same thing again as soon as we lose the weight we wanted… And when you reach 40 the impact is much greater than before.
As we approach middle age, metabolism slows and muscle mass is lost, which means that the regimens of years ago no longer serve us well. Don’t worry, you just have to start following the tricks to lose weight that are appropriate for your age, such as those included in ‘Men’s Health’.
At 30: Eat for your heart
Life hits you. You no longer feel like a youngster, and the responsibility of work and independence (if you’ve been lucky) keep you busy and less active, which can lower your energy and metabolism and make you gain weight more easily. And the more fat, the higher your blood pressure. Your task is to eat a balanced diet and various snacks throughout the day . This will ensure that your brain has a constant supply of nutrients when you need them.
Since hypertension is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and death, blood pressure control is a valuable prognosis to prevent further ills. Choosing an adequate diet is essential to prevent it and especially for those people with a genetic predisposition to having high blood pressure. Most cases can be controlled through lifestyle changes.
Reducing the intake of fruits and vegetables increases the possibility of premature death by 42%.
A diet low in sodium and rich in potassium reduces the vasoconstrictive effect on blood vessels produced by adrenaline. Angel Planells , spokesman for the US Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, mentions that it is an obligation to consume many seasonal vegetables rich in potassium: especially garlic and onion, parsley, watercress, carrots, cabbage, spinach, tomato and cucumbers. Also legumes, whole grains and oily fish. On the other hand, Planells ensures that refined cereals and flours, milk and derivatives, red meat, saturated fats (such as butter or pork fat), alcohol, sugar, sausages, coffee and spices such as pepper and curry are those that should be avoided. .
At 40: eat fruits
From the age of 40 it is easier and faster to gain weight and more difficult to get rid of them . Thanks to slowing metabolism, you could be burning 300 fewer calories than you did when you were 20, according to the American Council on Exercise. While diseases such as cancer or cardiovascular problems are not a concern at an early age, the risk rises after the age of 40 . In fact, cancer is the leading cause of death for women ages 40 to 50, followed by heart disease, diabetes, and stroke.
“Slow metabolism and hormonal changes are to blame, which increase many health risks . If you’re following the same diet that worked for you when you were 20, you’re doomed to have problems,” says Felicia Stoler, nutritionist. If you add the following foods to your diet and replace some of the ones you are taking, they can help you avoid these types of problems in your 40s and beyond.
Keep carbs in check, especially refined ones. This can help fight age-related insulin resistance and promote stable blood sugar levels. Protein in the diet can also help you. “Not only will they prevent age-related muscle loss, but they’ll also keep your metabolism going because it’s harder for the body to digest and has to work harder,” Stoler says. Raspberries, walnuts, salmon, olive oil, kale, avocados, tomatoes, squash, and lentils are the perfect foods to rock this decade.
Fruit is very important at this stage . Try to eat at least three or four servings of vegetables and two or three servings of fruit a day. Reducing your consumption can increase the risk of death by 42%. It may be heavy and laborious, but even having a shake every morning will mean three servings already.
At 50: Eat for your bones
After the age of 50, most people lose interest in taking care of themselves and when they want to realize it, they weigh 15 kilos more and are unable to take it off. In the case of men, testosterone plays an important role, since it is a hydrophobic molecule, which adheres to body fat and helps build muscle. It also keeps insulin in the body regulated, which helps prevent diabetes. The problem? That testosterone levels drop over the years, at a rate of about 1% per year after the age of 50, which considerably facilitates the storage of fat, especially in the abdominal area.
As we grow, metabolism slows down and muscle mass is lost, which translates into diets that are of little use to us anymore.
Highly processed foods should be eliminated from the diet, and more natural foods should be consumed . In addition, it is essential to take a significant amount of protein not only to grow and maintain muscle, but also to help regulate the diet and reduce the intake of fattening foods. Before starting a plan, you have to be aware of everything you eat in a day . Nutrition experts recommend their clients to list everything they eat and drink for three days. Typically, 95% consume too many ‘dead’ calorie-laden carbohydrates and a large amount of alcohol that provides no nutritional value.
To keep your bones healthy and strong, it is recommended to eat at least three servings of calcium-rich foods every day , such as milk, yogurt, salmon, and leafy green vegetables. When you don’t get enough calcium, your bones become weak and can’t grow properly, and since your body can’t produce it on its own, you need to get enough from your diet.
Also take vitamin D, because otherwise the body cannot absorb calcium on its own. The best option is to consult your doctor about your intake, especially if you are concerned about your bone health.
Face it: you are not the same person as when you were 20 years old. As you get older, it changes from your brain to your metabolism . Your body is in continuous transformation and that is why your diet should be too. With each passing decade, the risk of serious health problems increases and your diet plays a very important role in the prevention of many diseases.
