Whether you're nearing menopause or well past it, you may still feel in many ways like you did at twenty. Your body, however, may hold a different opinion. And it always pays to listen to your body.
Time and aging can usher in some unwelcome changes. Fortunately, a willingness to tweak your lifestyle, including the foods you eat, can ease, delay and even prevent some of those changes.
Not sure you want to mess with your diet? Pretty attached to your favorite foods? If your body has been talking to you about these things, you'll know it. It has ways of making you reconsider.
You might find that grains now give you indigestion. Maybe you're gaining weight and don't know why. Perhaps your energy level isn't what it used to be. Maybe you've been becoming more forgetful, and you're concerned about the possibilities of Alzheimer's.
It makes sense to take a fresh look and examine what we're putting in our mouths. We might just decide to put that old favorite back on the plate and pick up something else.
Consider omega-3 oil. According to research from the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC) in Baltimore, MD omega-3 fatty acids are essential for health and are found in fish and nut oils. Omega-3 fatty acids help the brain work efficiently, and assist in healthy growth and development. They reduce inflammation, decreasing the risk of chronic diseases like arthritis, cancer and heart disease.
Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage and cauliflower, help prevent breast cancer. UMMC's research pointed to a compound called isothiocyanate which is an anticarcinogen. Tomatoes contain lycopene, which when heated, may help prevent some cancers.
Green and white teas strengthen the immune system, lower cholesterol and sharpen the mind. Blueberries contain antioxidants which fight free radicals, reducing chronic inflammation.
A study in the October 2010 Journal of Nutrition gives high points to luteolin. Luteolin is a plant compound that stops the release of inflammatory molecules into the brain, decreasing inflammation that causes memory loss. Carrots, celery, chamomile, peppers, peppermint, rosemary and olive oil are some of the foods that contain luteolin.
A paper published online by the journal Archives of Neurology on April 12, 2010, said that risk of Alzheimer's was lower for people eating cruciferous vegetables, dark leafy greens, fish, fruit, nuts and poultry. While the study does not prove that eating these foods lowers Alzheimer's risk, they are associated with health improvement and maintenance.
Sorry, eating better won't make you like you were at twenty. Your body just isn't going to cooperate that far. But feeding it healthy foods will help you to be a mature woman brimming with vitality.
Resources:
Aging: Diet May Be Linked to Lower Alzheimer's Risk in Older People
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/20/health/research/20aging.html
Compound in Celery, Peppers Reduces Age-Related Memory Deficits
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/10/101013122601.htm
Anti-Aging Diet
http://www.thirdage.com/anti-aging/anti-aging-diet
Aging: What to expect as you get older
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/aging/HA00040
Visit Jody's website and blog at http://www.ncubator.ca and http://ncubator.ca/blogger