As we grow older our nutritional needs change as our lifestyles do. The core principles of a healthy, balanced diet remain the same at 25 or 65, but we do need specific nutrients as we go through different life stages.

• 40 and over: At this time of life many people still take their good health for granted, and healthy eating and exercise are often put on the back burner. But as we grow older, good nutrition and regular exercise becomes even more important – now is the time to invest in your future good health.
• A diet rich in antioxidants will help protect against problems like heart disease, Alzheimer’s, cataracts and certain types of cancer. Fruit and vegetables are the best source of antioxidants – make sure you eat at least five a day and a good variety of different produce. Don’t just get your five a day from fruit, make sure the five a day includes some vegetables.
• One in four women in their 40s have low iron stores, which can contribute to the ‘tired all the time’ syndrome. You don’t need to eat meat to get enough iron; choose organic eggs, fish etc and eat plenty of green leafy vegetables. Interestingly, beetroot has been traditionally used as a blood building food and naturally contains iron in an organic form so is non-irritating and does not cause constipation or black stools. Of course, beetroot is also rich in anti-aging antioxidants like anthocyanadins, which give beetroot its deep red form. You can use beetroot extract in supplement form if you need to get a quick boost.
• Health problems, such as raised cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes are more common in this age group. A whole-grain diet rich in fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and oily fish is the best way to prevent and treat all of these problems. Avoid foods high in saturated and transfats such as red meat, processed and refined foods. The decline in oestrogen levels that accompanies the menopause accelerates the loss of calcium from bone, which increases the risk of osteoporosis or brittle bones. To counteract this, it’s important to eat at least three servings of calcium-rich foods each day. Full fat organic dairy products like plain live yogurt, are fine in moderation but other sources of calcium include dark green leafy vegetables and canned fish with bones.
• Work in some regular weight-bearing exercise, such as walking, into your routine will also help to keep bones strong. A good ‘bone’ supplement like OsteoPlus can be useful to start at this age. After the age of 40, the metabolic rate (the speed at which the body burns calories) drops, but the drop is very modest and the real reason many people in this age bracket start to suffer from middle-aged spread is a lack of exercise.
• Excess weight will increase the risk of health problems like heart disease, diabetes and osteoarthritis and the longer you wait before you tackle the problem the harder it becomes – nip any weight gain in the bud now by exercising regularly before it becomes a serious problem. 50 and over In your 50s, your joints may also start to become a bit stiff and sore.
• If you don’t eat at least one serving of oily fish each week, you should also think about taking an omega-3 supplement to help thin the blood and reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke. (The one I use in the clinic is called Omega 3 Plus and contains 700mg EPA and 500mg DHA in just two capsules a day (sometimes you have to take 6-8 capsules a day to get the right amount of EPA and EHA – see Resources page).
• Get your cholesterol and blood pressure checked. If you have high cholesterol, ditch red meat and other high fat foods and swap to oily fish and nuts, especially walnuts. It has been found that eating 25g of soya protein a day can help reduce blood cholesterol levels.
• Phytochemicals in soya beans, and products made from them, may also help reduce many of the unpleasant symptoms associated with the menopause. Use organic tofu instead of chicken in stir fries and use organic soya milk on your cereal.
• To keep bones and heart healthy, go for canned salmon rather than canned tuna as salmon is rich in omega-3 fats and you get calcium by eating the bones. There is a supplement called Lestrin that I use in the clinic that contains the same sterols that are used in the cholesterol-reducing margarines, but avoiding all the fat.
• If you have high blood pressure, look at your salt intake and think about using other flavourings such as garlic, herbs and spices to zip up the food instead of salt. Don’t add salt at the table, only use it in cooking and you could switch to a low-salt version.
• Digestive problems, like constipation, piles and diverticular disease, are more common in this age group. A high-fibre whole grain diet can help, but in addition to upping your fibre intake you need to make sure you’re drinking plenty of water, otherwise the fibre can’t work. Choose a wholegrain breakfast cereal, like porridge, wholemeal or rye bread and eat plenty of fruit and veg. A small glass of prune juice in the morning will help to prevent constipation or soak a tablespoon of organic whole linseeds (flax seeds) overnight in water and then swallow.
• Our sense of smell and taste becomes less acute as we get older, but don’t fall into the trap of adding extra salt to your food – use herbs, spices and other flavourings such as garlic, lemon juice or mustard.
• You need to ensure that you include plenty of foods rich in B12. Fish, eggs and dairy products all contain vitamin B12. If you’ve had heart problems, you should increase your intake of oily-rich fish so you’re having at least two servings a week, and take a good fish oil supplement like the Omega 3 Plus (see Resources page).
• Like calcium, vitamin D is important for good bone health. The body can make vitamin D by the action of sunlight on the skin, but as people get older they tend to spend less time outside, so make sure your diet contains good amounts of vitamin D. Vitamin D is found in eggs and oily fish. Vitamin D can also be made by the action of sunlight on the skin so when the weather is warm, expose your arms and face to the sun for at least 20 minutes a day.

No matter how healthy you are your body starts losing bone mass naturally after the menopause and for some women that can happen in their 40s. The result can be the brittle, fragile bones and poor posture associated with osteoporosis. The good news is there are simple steps you can take to promote bone health throughout your life.

As women we reach our peak bone mass around the age of 25-30 so the more bone younger women can put on the bigger the advantage when they reach the menopause. But with bone it is never too late to make a difference so follow the five steps below:

1. Do weight bearing exercise: Muscle pulling on bone builds bone so weight bearing and weight training exercise can help you build stronger bones. The best exercises for building bone include body toning, jogging, brisk walking, weight training, stair climbing, dancing and other activities which help you work against gravity; swimming although a great form of exercise is not the ideal bone booster as you are buoyant in the water. Aim for 30 minutes of bone bearing exercise three to five times a week.
2. Get enough calcium in your diet: Low calcium levels are known to contribute to the development of osteoporosis. Depending on your age you need between 700 to 1000mg of calcium a day. Dairy products are not the only source of calcium and you also get good amount from leafy dark green vegetables such as broccoli and cabbage, grains, legumes and seeds (especially sesame seeds).
3. Get enough vitamin D: Vitamin D is needed for your body to absorb calcium from the foods you eat. Vitamin D comes from two sources: through the skin following direct exposure to the sun and from diet. An exposure of 10 to 15 minutes of sun for at least two hours a week is usually enough to provide adequate vitamin D. Food sources of vitamin D include salmon, mackerel, and tuna and egg yolk. We now know that good levels of vitamin D are important for cancer prevention so if you would like your vitamin D levels checked then do see the Resources Page X.
4. Five a day: Taking five or more servings of fruits and vegetables daily can help build better bones. A recent study found that women who consumed 3.5 servings of fruit and vegetables daily had greater bone density than those who did not. Fruits and vegetables are alkaline and are good sources of magnesium and potassium two major nutrients that can help protect against bone loss.
5. Don’t Smoke and Moderate Alcohol: Nicotine is toxic to bone and the first thing you need to do to protect bone health if you smoke is quit. Smoking not only reduces bone density (by up to 25%) but also increases the risk of hip fracture. Alcohol in moderation is fine, but just one or two drinks a week. Alcohol acts like a diuretic, causing the leaching of valuable minerals such as calcium and magnesium.

Feeling gassy, puffy, and just plain bloated after Christmas? To help you feel better fast check out these smart ways to beat Boxing Day bloat:

• Drink up: Boosting your water intake can work wonders. Skip the soft fizzy drinks and aim for 6 to 8 glasses on Boxing Day. Water flushes waste out of your system and helps get things moving if you’re constipated—a frequent cause of bloating.
• Eat more fibre: Fibre prevents constipation and bloating by adding bulk, which helps everything move through the intestines more quickly. To fix the fibre shortage, start your boxing day with an oat cereal like porridge. Throughout the day, snack on other high-fibre foods like strawberries, blueberries, dried apricots, and dried plums. Take it easy though and don’t overload on fibre like bran or you’ll feel even more bloated than before.
• Cut back on gassy foods: Seasonal beans and cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, sprouts and cabbage can sometimes be hard to digest and because of this they can trigger bloating and smelly flatulence. But you don’t have to give them up entirely on Boxing Day, as they are full of good nutrients for you. Instead, eat just a smaller amount of these foods for the next few days. Once your body adjusts to them, you can gradually increase the serving size over the course of a few weeks.
• Get moving: Even a quick ten-minute walk can relieve bloating so get some much needed fresh air after all that time spent indoors partying. Exercise helps gas pass through the digestive tract more quickly, so you feel better faster. Don’t bite off more than you can chew. One big cause of bloating is swallowing too much air when you eat. For example, you might gulp air if you snack on the run and eat too quickly, talk while eating, drink from a straw, or have a lot of fizzy drinks. You’ve probably done a lot of talking and eating over the last few days, but for today force yourself to take more time for meals, skip carbonated drinks, and eat smaller amounts of food at each sitting. One of the easiest ways to reduce the amount of air you swallow: Chew with your mouth closed.
• Olive oil: If you feel constipated today, another cause of bloating, take two tablespoons of olive oil, preferably first thing Boxing Day morning on an empty stomach. Olive oil can help reduce constipation and bloating because it is very well tolerated by the stomach due to its high oleic acid content.
• Cut out salt, alcohol and caffeine completely for a day: Salty food, such as processed and ready meals, causes you to retain water which often concentrates around your mid-section. Caffeine hinders the secretion of excess salt and toxins from the body. And alcohol unsettles your blood sugar which can trigger bloating and abdominal weight gain. Cut out all three today and eat fresh, natural foods instead.
• Keep your digestion healthy: It’s tempting to skip food altogether on Boxing Day because you feel so stuffed, but this is last thing you should be doing. It will just make you feel worse. If you leave your stomach empty for long periods of time the secretion of digestive enzymes slows down which triggers, you guessed it, bloating.
• Herbal teas: Peppermint tea may help your digestion if you have problems. You might also want to settle down with the odd cup of fennel tea. Just brew a tablespoon or so of fennel in a tea strainer and drink several cups a day. Fennel tastes like liquorice and has anti-gas as well as anti-spasmodic properties, making it especially helpful for bloating. If you haven’t stocked up on herbal tea over Christmas try a cup of warm water with lemon instead.