Healthy Eating for Healthy Ageing BY NICOLE SALIBA
As we approach our golden years it is just as important as ever to prioritise of our nutrition. Eating a variety of healthy foods each day is vital for keeping your mind and body healthy, reducing your risk of illness and improving the overall quality of your life. The food we eat provides not just energy, but essential vitamins, minerals and other nutrients that all contribute to our wellbeing in their own unique and important ways. Here are a list of our top five nutrients to make sure you’re getting enough of as you age.
1 Omega 3 fatty acids
Omega 3 fatty acids are a type of polyunsaturated fat that. When we replace saturated fats in the diet (animal fats) with these fats they help to reduce our cholesterol levels, lower our risk of heart disease and improve our cognition and brain function through the regulation of new brains . Some studies have even linked the consumption of omega 3 fatty acids with a reduced risk of developing depression, and when consumed they may improve mood in people who have depression and other mood disorders. As our bodies are not
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able to make omega 3 fatty acids, it is vital to make sure we get enough from our food. Fish and seafood are the most well known sources of these heart healthy fats especially salmon, blueeye trevalla, blue mackerel, herring, canned sardines, canned salmon and some varieties of canned tuna. Other fish such as barramundi, bream or flathead, and seafood such as squid, scallops, and mussels, are also good sources of omega-3. Omega-3 fatty acids are also available in many plant foods, including soybean oils, nuts (especially walnuts) and many seeds such as linseeds, hemp and chia seeds. Including two to three fish meals per week is a great way to include regular omega 3s in your eating plan.
2 Fibre Fibre refers to the parts of plants that our bodies are unable to digest and break down. Because we don’t have the machinery to break down fibre it passes through our stomach and intestines largely unaffected. When it arrives in the large bowel (AKA colon) it is fermented by our gut bugs and broken down it compounds which have widespread health benefits. Fibre also provides bulk and softness to our bowel motions and protects against many diseases such as bowel cancer. There are different kinds of fibres, including soluble fibre, insoluble fibre and
resistant starch and most foods contain a mixture of fibres. Soluble fibre helps to soften our stools and is also known to have heart protective properties by helping reduce cholesterol levels. Good sources include oats, barley, vegetables, lentils, beans (dried or canned), nuts, seeds, Bürgen® Rye bread and fruit. Insoluble fibre provides bulk to our stools, helps our food pass through our gut more efficiently and therefore helps you poo more frequently. Good sources include high fibre wheat based cereals, brown rice and pasta, millet, quinoa, bulgar wheat, wholemeal and rye breads, Bürgen® Rye bread. Resistant starch is a type of fibre that feeds and nourishes our healthy gut bacteria (sometimes also referred to as ‘prebiotics’). When these healthy bacteria are well fed, they produce many healthy compounds that have a variety of roles in our bodies, including boosting immune function, protecting our bowel from cancer cells and reducing inflammation. Specific sources of resistant starch include cooked and cooled potato, pasta and rice, cashew nuts, raw oats, green bananas and cooked lentils. Research has shown us that it is not just about the amount of fibre that you get each day (Adults should aim for 25-30g), but also the variety that counts. Aim for 30+ different types of plant based foods each week including vegetables, fruits,
