Eating habits are among the changes you have to make throughout your life. In your 20s and 30s, you quickly realized you can no longer sustain yourself on the junk food of yore.
And similar changes have to be made after 50.
Here are a few habits experts say you should avoid, according to Eat This, Not That.
Eating too many inflammatory foods
According to WebMD, inflammation increases with age. It can be made worse by alcohol and poor diet. Certain foods can exacerbate this, including white bread, pastries, fried foods, sugar-sweetened beverages, red meat and processed meat.
“Some of the foods that have been associated with an increased risk for chronic diseases such as Type 2 diabetes and heart disease are also associated with excess inflammation,” Frank Hu, Ph.D., professor of nutrition and epidemiology in the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health, told Harvard Health Publishing. “It’s not surprising, since inflammation is an important underlying mechanism for the development of these diseases.”
Not eating enough fiber
To help maintain health in your 50s, fiber is a must.
Registered dietitian Stephanie Hnatiuk told Eat This, Not That that “fiber plays a role in the health of our digestive system, improves fullness after meals, and helps to reduce spikes in blood sugars after we eat.”
According to the Mayo Clinic, women should aim to eat at least 21 to 25 grams of fiber daily. Men should try to consume 30 to 38 grams each day.
High-fiber foods include fruits such as apples with the skin, raspberries, oranges and bananas. Vegetables such as raw cauliflower, boiled turnip greens, sweet corn broccoli and skin-on potatoes are also high in fiber.
Skipping meals
Aside from eating too much of something or not enough of it, you can also not eat altogether. But skipping meals isn’t a good idea.
“Skipping meals causes our metabolism to slow down, which affects energy level and usually doesn’t help with weight loss,” certified registered nurse practitioner Rachel Sweeney, told Maryland Primary Care Physicians.
“When we skip eating, our blood sugar levels drop, but they can surge again when we eat a big meal. This yo-yo effect is unhealthy and it’s much better to keep our blood sugar levels more even throughout the day with regular, healthy meals.”
To get specialized news and articles about aging in place, health information and more, sign up for our Aging in Atlanta newsletter.
About the Author
