What Is The Best Diet For Women Over 50

With so much information flooded the internet about diet and weight loss for women between the teens and the 30s, less attention is paid to the needs of women reaching or over 50.  If you’re also wondering what is the best diet for women over 50, we hope we can help with the information covered in this article.

Women at this age have some special nutritional needs that are important to maintain the  general health.  Here are some guidelines to help you build the best diet:

Calcium intake is important for maintaining strong bones and an essential part of a healthy deit for women over 50.  This is especially true when you’re also experiencing menopause when your calcium needs increase.

Most women start to have calcium released from their bones at the age of 30.  This condition continues and intensifies through the 50′s.  Women at this age are less capable of holding essential minerals in their bodies.  Therefore, you are recommended to consume at least 1,200 mg of calcium (compared to 1,000 mg before) from your diet.

Although most women are aware of the fact that they need calcium for healthy bones, in reality, the majority of women over 30 are only getting less than 500 mg of calcium every day.

If you’re over 50, now is the time to start getting enough calcium every day from your diet.  Low-fat dairy products, calcium-rich foods, and a dietary supplement are your best choices.

Fiber intake is a must to keep you feel full longer and is also good for your digestive system.  Fiber-rich foods are healthy because they’re digested and absorbed slowly by your body.  They can add bulk to your diet but at the same time prevent you from adding the pounds.

A diet high in fiber helps kee you maintain a regular eating style.  Because you feel full for an extended period of time, you’re less likely to overeat between or during meals.

The additional benefit of foods high in fiber is that they can absorb cholesterol and therefore lowering your cholesterol levels.  According to studies, 10 g of fiber intake per day (equals 3 apples, for your reference) can cut the risk of heart disease.

Keeping track of your calories is important in maintaining a healthy weight and health in general.  Your energy requirements start to decrease after 30′s due to the change in lifestyle and decrease in activity levels.

Most women are not aware of this change and therefore tend to over eat and take in more calories than needed.  This is one of the reasons middle-aged women start to pack on the pounds.  If you considered yourself an active women over 50, you should still control your calorie intake at no more than 1,900 per day.  Of course, regular exercise is also necessary to help keep you fit, flexible and look younger.

Restrict your intake of saturated fats and cholesterol – We all know that foods high in saturated fats and cholesterol are not good for our health, especially our blood vessels.  So you should keep your diet low in fats, particular saturated fats.  However, unsaturated fats are necessary and beneficial for our bodies.  Foods rich in unsaturated fats include fatty fish such as salmon and olive oil.  They contain the essential fatty acids Omega-3, or also known as the good fats/oils.

Best Diet for Over 50 Women

The key to maintaing a healthy diet for women over 50 is to eat a variety of whole foods.  You must know what kinds of foods to eat and to avoid.  You should also know the right ratio between each food group in creating your daily diet.  At this stage you may be reaching or experiencing menopause, this is a critical time in your life when you’re undergoing significant physical changes. Your body is in demand of many nutrients from your diet to help you build a good foundation for your health at this time in life.

Choose more often foods loaded with fiber, calcium and iron.  Eat plenty of whole-wheats, fresh vegetables, legumes, and fruits. Here’s a recommended list:

• Whole-wheat or whole-grain bread, pasta, brown rice contain high levels of fiber and should account for about 50% of your daily carbohydrates intake
• Fresh produce such as leafy greens and yellow vegetables should be your top choice and must be included in your daily diet
• Legumes and raw nuts are excellent supplement of protein and good oils
• Chicken (without the skin if possible) is an excellent source of protein and should be chosen more often than red meats
• Fruits low in sugars such as citrus fruits, peaches, berries contain fiber and various vitamins and minerals, should be eaten daily

Additional Tips

In addition to maintaining a low-fat, low-carb diet, it’s also important to keep your sugar and salt intake low.  Unf0rtunately these are probably two of the hardest habits to break.

The good news is there are many ways to help you do that.  You can try using herbs and spices instead of salt while you’re cooking.  This trick helps make your food tasty and healthy without the need for too much salt.

In addition, you should cut down your intake of coffee as this is one thing that’s not good for the health for women over 50.  Again, there’re many herbal teas that are soothing and beneficial for your health.

Lastly, even if you’re over 50, you’re not old as the saying goes, fifty is the new 30.  Take care of yourself and enjoy life to the fullest!

Note: readers of this article also searched for: “over 50 diet for women”, “diet for women over 40″.