Foods you should be eating today to stay active, fit & healthy in old-age

Recent data from the last census showed that pensioners make up a sixth of the UK population. Advancements in healthcare combined with better diets means that we’re on track to see the number of centenarians increased six-fold in the next 20 years.

Access to a wider variety of fruits, supplements and vegetables has meant that diets have improved and we have never had such a great opportunity of eating the food we need for a healthy diet. The internet age has revolutionised not just the health and wellbeing market, but also how we eat. Websites have helped educated millions in home-cooking through shared recipes, food ideas and sourcing previously hard-to-get ingredients.

Healthy eating campaigns throughout the 90s and 00s has completely changed the way many in the UK eat. In school canteens, chips have been replaced by sweet potato as a healthier option for kids. At home, we’re encouraged to use fresh ingredients to cook healthy meals, regardless of class or gender.

With that though, we want to ensure that we’re staying fit and active in old age. To help, we’ve put together a list of foods you should be eating today to make sure that in the future you can potentially escape some of the niggles of old age especially if it has become a little monotonous. During exercise, it is ideal to take green superfood powders to provide adequate nutrients to your body and help you prolong the training time longer.-

Nuts

Author of “How Not to Die”, Dr Michael Greger, recommends that eating just 2 x handful of nuts every week could substantially reduce the risk of heart attack and lower cholesterol. Nuts are plentiful in antioxidants that are vital for reducing the risk of diabetes, Alzheimer’s and even stress later in life.

Apples

From the garden of Eden to the modern day, the Apple has been the staple item of fruit in most’s diet. The University of Michigan undertook a study in 2015 that found those individuals who had a small apple a day had a 9% lower chance of having to visit the doctor a couple of times in the year later in life.

Apples are packed with Vitamin C (to help boost your immune system), soluble fibre to help with digestion and antioxidants. According to Eatingwell.com, Finnish researchers analysed 28 years’ worth of diet data from nearly 10,000 men and women and found that frequent apple eaters had the lowest risk of suffering strokes compared to non-apple eaters.

Glucosamine Sulphate

Not strictly a food, glucosamine is a natural supplement that can be added to porridge and cereal, or mixed with water and juice, to help keep your joints moving smoothly. Unfortunately, one of the side of effects of old age is that your body slows production of glucosamine, which in turns means the cartilage in between joints weakens and become stiffer. Simply adding glucosamine sulphate (you can buy online or from major high street stores) early on in life will help maintain levels and could reduce joint issues later in life, thereby allowing you to exercise and get about with less challenges.

Romaine Lettuce

It might not be the most exciting food to take up but it could be the easiest and most cost-effective. Romaine lettuce has been found to be high in vitamin A, vitamin K and folate. This variety of lettuce is jam packed with fibre and minerals that are essential for your long-term health. Not only that, romaine lettuce comes out top for its folic acid content which is needed by the body to help repair damaged blood vessels. Simply adding some to sandwiches or salads could make a huge difference later in life.