Healthy Diet: 7 Dietary Tips to Follow As You Turn 40

Fueling your body with healthy yet filling foods is a great recipe for boosting your overall health in 40s.

Finding out how to stay fit over 40 doesn’t have to be restrictive, it’s just down to building healthy habits in your daily life. Despite how balanced your diet is or how often you workout its very natural for you to notice unwanted changes happening to your body as you start to age. As we age, the metabolism in our body tends to slow down and you may also find it difficult to maintain muscle mass. However, this may sound a bit gloomy, but staying fit during midlife can be easy and even an escape from adult responsibilities. Not just exercise but also fueling your body with a healthy diet can give a boost to your health in 40s. So, to share more, Nutritionist Anjali Mukerjee shares best diet tips that you should follow if you are 40 or about to turn 40 anytime.

7 Dietary Tips to Follow As You Turn 40

1. Maintaining an adequate calcium intake will help to slow bone loss, so take low fat dairy products, whole pulses, soyabean and black sesame seeds regularly.
2. Include low fat, high fiber foods in your daily diet. Eat more whole grains, pulses, beans, fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds. They provide us with fibre, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals which aids in reversing the aging process whilst arming us with vital nutrients to fight age related diseases and disorders.
3. Zinc is an important mineral after forty as it is shown to sensitize the tissues to insulin. It also helps minimize sugar cravings and helps to revamp immunity. Most people who gain weight easily in their forties are also those who have uncontrollable sugar cravings. Consuming zinc supplements is helpful and so is taking good natural sources of zinc like black and white sesame seeds and pumpkin seeds.
4. Avoid table sugar completely and indulge in the natural goodness of dates, black raisin, fresh fruits and figs etc.
5. Taking supplements of antioxidants along with the B-vitamins goes a long way in delaying the aging process.
6. Eat adequate protein. Eat at least one egg a day and 1 cup curd, 1 cup dal and 100 to 200gms of fish, chicken or paneer. Protein helps you to feel full, stops unnecessary hunger pangs and prevents sugar cravings. It also helps boost your immune system.
7. Exercise regularly- Regular weight-bearing exercises are known to slow down bone loss. On the other hand, an aerobic exercise (exercise which increases the heart rate) would prove beneficial for maintaining good cardiovascular health and keeping the body’s joints, ligaments, muscles and tendons strong and mobile.