Dont' Be An April Fool: Be Clever About Your Eating this April Falls
1st April 2024 By Carin Clegg, APD
April Falls Day is on the 1st of April, April Fool’s Day, and raises awareness of how to prevent falls. Falls prevention is everyone’s business.
I was fortunate that from a young age I was taught how to eat a nutritiously and I also learnt dance. I know how great it feels to look after and move my body. Consequently, I want to help more people connect with their food and body and be able to live life to the fullest, feeling happy, healthy, and vibrant, and in turn aging gracefully.
Did you know that after the age of 25 years old health factors decline if not participating in regular physical activity and eating nutritiously. These include bone density, muscle mass, metabolic rate (leading to fat increase and weight gain), blood sugar control, balance, joint mobility, muscle strength. Consequently, chronic disease risk such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes, and falls risk increases.
You know the saying you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, well that is why it is so important to set up helpful habits before you are too far ‘over the hill.’
Let’s look at the key factors that assist with keeping us on our feet over our life and when we age and hopefully you.
Eating regularly
Eating and even preparing your own food regularly over the day helps you to eat all the nutrients your body needs.
Having a good routine of eating meals and snacks at certain times each day will keep your energy levels up, fuelling your mind and body is a great way to maintain those healthy eating habits as you age. Skipping meals is linked to poor appetite, weight loss and increase falls risk as we get older.
Protein
Protein rich foods are important for maintaining muscle mass and strength, something that declines as we age.
Protein-rich foods include: nuts and seeds, legumes like lentils, chickpeas, beans, tofu, dairy foods and soy milk, fish and seafood, meat like beef, lamb, pork, kangaroo, chicken, duck and other game meats.
It is a good habit to include a protein-rich food at each meal and snack such as cereal with milk for breakfast and fruit with nuts for a snack.
Calcium
Calcium and Vitamin D work together to help maintain strong bones.
Calcium-rich foods include dairy foods, such as milk cheese, yoghurt, custard, dairy alternatives which are fortified with Calcium, such as soy milk, almond milk, soy yoghurts, fish with the bones like canned salmon, calcium set tofu. We need 3 serves of dairy/dairy alternatives daily after the age of 65 years old to maintain our bone strength and density as we age.
Vitamin D
Our body usually makes the majority of vitamin D through UV light exposure. To ensure you are making Vitamin D, direct sun exposure on bare skin is required i.e. not through glass. In our region we need about 15 minutes per day in summer or 30 minutes per day in winter wearing shorts and t-shirt will give you your daily dose of Vitamin D. You may need to soak up more rays if you are more covered up, are older, have health conditions that impact vitamin D absorption and creation, have darker skin or do not go outside every day.
If you are concerned you are not getting enough Vitamin D you can ask your GP for a blood test to check your levels.
Hydration
Keeping hydrated is also important to prevent falls as we age.
Drinking water at each meal and snack time is a great habit to start and carry on through to your golden years. Remember soda water, tea and coffee also count for fluids.
Physical activity
For people over the age of 65 years, the exercise guidelines recommend we do 30 minutes of moderate to high intensity physical activity preferably everyday, including strength or weight bearing activities 2 days a week and limit sedentary activity.
If someone is diagnosed with diabetes, cardiovascular disease, arthritis, osteoporosis, cancer or any kind of chronic disease, exercise now being prescribed as it is now known to be an important way of managing and preventing progression of the condition in conjunction with or sometimes as a replacement to medicine.
When it comes to exercise the best kind is the one that you enjoy. This is why Bright Diets also offer Zumba Gold classes.
Zumba Gold is a low impact, uplifting dance class for those new to dance, the older active adult, people with an injury or those with neurodiverse individuals.
Zumba Gold can improve your:
- cardiovascular capacity
- overall muscular strength and endurance
- bone density, preventing osteoporosis
- flexibility and range of motion
- posture
- balance and coordination
- motor control and performance/agility
- ability to perform activities of daily living with less pain
- brain function and of course your mood
- increase confidence
- maintain or increase the ability to participate in activities you enjoy and look after yourself, staying in your home as you age.
With a mix of salsa, meringue, swing, cha cha, cumbia, belly dancing, tango and flamenco you wil become a Zumba lover in no time!
Carin runs Zumba Gold classes on Fridays at Narara Eco-Village at 11am. You can book here or contact Carin on 040 7492 278 or brightdiets@gmail.com.
Bring your friends and family for a grand old time and enjoy a beautifully nutritious lunch at the coffee cart afterwards.
If you need help with your eating to stay strong and on your feet our Dietitians can definately help you. Call or book online today.
