Small dietary tweaks can make a big difference

 

 

by Diane Dennis RN

 

As a medical professional, it is my goal to help people age well holistically. Feeling good physically and emotionally is the foundation for living a good life, and it all begins with food.

 

Once I turned 50, I began to really look at my daily habits, including what I ate, drank, and did for movement. I started eliminating things I determined did not serve my optimum health. First off the menu were processed foods. I had realized that when I ate processed meats, my eyes were swollen the next day. That told me that something in processed foods was not agreeing with my physiological system. A little research found that:

 

Eating one serving a day of processed meats like bacon, sausage or deli meats is associated with a 42 percent increased risk of heart disease and a 19 percent increased risk of diabetes. My swollen eyes were a signal that something I was eating was not good for me, and my research confirmed it.

 

What we see on the outside is usually an indicator of something going on inside. Interestingly, my research found no risk associated with eating unprocessed red meat. It also showed that processed meat increases the risk of Colon Cancer, a common cancer in the US.

 

So, if you look in the mirror and see swelling around your eyes and think it’s just “one of those aging things,” think again. Diet is crucial for our overall wellbeing.

 

Healthful alternatives to processed meats include lean chicken, grass-fed beef, and broiled or baked seafood. Other processed foods that might be a good idea to bypass or replace include processed cheeses and bottled sauces high in sodium and sugars.

 

Finally, a few more rules of thumb that go a long way in providing a healthy foundation for overall health include:

 

• Drink at least 8 glasses of water daily unless you are on a fluid restriction
• Get at least 20 minutes a day of physical activity, such as walking, dancing or yoga.
• Include fresh fruits and vegetables in your daily diet.

 

For some, the prospect of cooking at the end of the day just Does. Not. Appeal. Ideas that can help include to a meal delivery services that provides fresh ingredients including spices, and recipes to follow (which can be really fun and help expand your repertoire) or preparing proteins for the week ahead, such as chicken or beef, that can be combined with veggies for quick, easy meals.