Healthy Eating Wards Off Problems Of Aging

By Dr. Jamie Y. Marable, Contributing writer

Eating healthy is critical to baby boomers' overall health and well-being.

While achieving and maintaining a healthy weight is of concern to many baby boomers, there are a number of other factors to consider when it comes to food and nutrition.

Regularly eating foods that keep the body in optimal shape and that ward off certain medical problems should always be the No. 1 priority.

Should You Diet?

While there are new and exciting diet fads cropping up almost daily, this may not be the most effective route for baby boomers to take. Women in particular, who often gain weight as they age due to factors such as childbirth and menopause, are advised to rely more on an active lifestyle than on dieting to achieve and maintain a healthy weight.

Fad diets may provide some immediate gratification, but the results won't necessarily be long-term ones without a more comprehensive weight loss plan.

"My general feeling is that most diets do not work, and the older you are, the truer that is. After age 40, women cannot consistently lose weight and keep it off without a plan of regular physical activity (aerobic) plus some resistance work (weights, bands) to improve body tone," says Dr. Bill Hall, former president of the American College of Physicians and director of the Center for Healthy Aging in Rochester, N.Y.

Healthy Eating Tips For Women

In addition to exercise, women need to make wise food selections to promote optimal health.

According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, as many as 55 percent of persons age 50 or older either have or will develop osteoporosis. Of that group, the vast majority will be women.

Osteoporosis is a dangerous disease that weakens the bones and can lead to severe injuries from routine activities or minor accidents. Calcium-rich foods and beverages are recommended to help prevent osteoporosis. Dairy and soy products, fish, beans, nuts, whole grains, broccoli and spinach are all suggested.

Healthy Eating Tips For Men

Dr. Mehmet Oz and Dr. Michael Roizen recommend that men focus daily on eating foods that promote regularity, fight off cancer and keep their hearts healthy. The doctors identify fruits --- such as grapefruit, raisins, and berries -- vegetables -- including soybeans, lima beans, artichokes and beets -- and whole grains as excellent sources of fiber, vitamins and minerals and an effective means for producing healthy bowel movements.

Some of the cancer-fighting foods they recommend include spinach and other leafy vegetables; tomatoes and tomato sauce; and fish such as salmon, tilapia, flounder, cod and mahi-mahi.

They also recommend specific beverages, including water for hydration and younger-looking skin; orange juice, which contains folate, a vitamin that can help to lower blood pressure and fight off cancer; red wine, which contains rezveritrol, a powerful antioxidant; milk for healthy bones and vitamin D, which can help prevent cancer; and even coffee which, when consumed in moderation can promote regularity, help prevent liver cancer and help ease the symptoms associated with Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases.

Equal Opportunity Eating

Although Oz and Roizen targeted their suggestions for healthy eating toward men, women also can benefit from the aforementioned foods and beverages. It is important to remember that healthy eating is an equal opportunity activity.

While the health concerns of men and women may vary to a certain extent as they age, foods that are rich in vitamins and minerals, that promote healthy hearts and help ward off cancer and other medical problems, are of benefit to everyone, regardless of gender.