Whilst lying on the ground (having slipped on the ice during my walk the other day), I was once again pondering this whole idea of the "new middle age." I was lying there thinking "if I was in my 30's, would I really be thinking about calling my husband and asking him to pick me up, because my back hurt? Or would I simply get my 30+ year old body up and keep walking?"
What I finally did was pick up my 50+ year old body and kept walking, but it was at a much slower pace.
This whole idea of my 50's being more like being in my 30's intrigues me. In a number of ways, many of us 50-ish folks are healthier that than our parents were at our age. Our access to health care, for many of us, is much better, so medically we can take better care of ourselves. The concept of ?personal trainer? was unheard of twenty-five years ago, as was the idea of belonging to a gym. Making time for a daily walk wasn't even on the agenda for many people.
We are lucky, though, because so many of us are able to include these benefits into our lives, allowing us to be a much healthier generation.
However, some things haven't changed. As we age, our metabolism still slows down, which is why we tend to gain weight as we age. Metabolism refers to the rate at which the body burns calories. There are many factors affecting what is called our ?metabolic rate,? including height (tall people burn more calories than short folks), fasting (that's why skipping meals is not a good way to lose weight-your metabolism slows down) and temperature. When it is colder outside, we require more calories to stay warm, to keep our internal body temperature at 98.6 degrees. I suppose one way to lose weight would be to run around naked in the cold. However, I'm not sure how long this ?diet? would last before your neighbors call the police.
The point is that we cannot control many of the factors affecting our metabolic rate, including age (young, middle or old). Activity, however, is one factor we can control. When you are active, you're body can build muscle. Muscle tissue is considered to be more metabolically active because more calories are needed to maintain muscle than fat. Fat is a lazy tissue, and can get along without any help on our part. But muscle? There's a different story. Because muscles need more calories to get their job done, the more muscles you have, the more calories your body requires. And that's why, as we age, we need to stay active. To keep fat from accumulating, we need to build our muscles, and maintain their tone. Walking is one important activity I rely on to keep my metabolism up. Others enjoy lifting weights. As long as you have worked with an experienced trainer making sure you don't injure yourself, increased muscle mass is definitely a benefit of this activity. Being active raises your metabolic rate, increasing the number of calories you burn while preventing fat tissue from growing.
So whether you are lying on the ice wondering how to get up, or stuck in a couch wondering how to get out, think about staying active. It's the activity that will make moving around (and preventing weight gain) a lot easier-at any age.
Copyright (c) 2008 At Peace With Food
Have your heard the media talk about how 50 is the "new" 30, and 60 is the new "40"? Sometimes I like to believe that true. At 52, (OK, just about done being 52), I feel like I can run around, eat and drink like I did at 32. But I also had my first child at 32, and I promise you, I am certainly NOT interested in seeing that type of activity at any "new" age.
One of the reasons for this type of hype is that the media is saying what we want to hear. Who wants to hear about being old? I'm still having trouble rolling the words "Middle aged" over my lips. But the reality is-I am 52, I'm not 32. To paraphrase Dr. Seuss, my body is in pretty good shape, for the shape that it's in. But my nutrient needs are changing, as is my body, and I must be realistic about accepting those changes.
As a nutritionist, I know I have to pay more attention to the types of foods I eat. There are many nutrients found in whole foods, and I will almost always recommend folks eat the whole food rather than take the supplement. This is because most of the time, there are other components in the food that make the body absorb the nutrient of interest more efficiently.
One nutrient in particular I'd like to discuss is calcium. We must make sure we're getting enough calcium as we...mature. I know, as least for me, my bones won't stay as strong as they used to without an effort on my part. Since I'm not a weight lifter (I strain my neck carrying the groceries in from the car), I need to make sure I get enough calcium to help reduce my risk for the fractures of osteoporosis.
Dairy products are probably the best way to get calcium into your system. I recommend low fat dairy, especially if weight is a concern for you. One percent milk is sufficient if you like milk and want to watch your weight. I have heard skim milk referred to as "blue water" once too many times to ever recommend it to anyone. Besides, the difference between skim and 1% is only 18 calories-and for many people; those 18 calories, for some reason, make a big difference in taste.
Also, dairy products contain other substances that help the body absorb calcium more efficiently. Lactose, also known as milk sugar, helps increase the body's ability to use calcium. For people who are lactose intolerant, low lactose milk is just as good. It simply contains a different form of lactose, and is easier to tolerate.
But many people don't like dairy, for a number of reasons. There certainly are other food alternatives for calcium, including enriched soy products, and greens such as kale and chard. Sometimes the calcium in vegetables products isn't always available to our bodies, because it is tied up with other plant chemicals in the food, and our systems can't use it.
This is where calcium supplements come in. Don't forget, these pills do not REPLACE good eating, they are to SUPPLEMENT your diet? However, since calcium is one particularly tricky nutrient for many people, especially women, to consume, supplements may be a good alternative.
There are many different types of supplements on the market. The two major types are: calcium carbonate and calcium citrate. Calcium carbonate tends to be less expensive, but it needs to be consumed WITH meals, and for some folks, it may cause constipation. The calcium chews contain calcium carbonate. Many people like this supplement, but you must only take one at a time. First of all, chew contains 500 mg-which is the maximum the body can absorb at one time. Second of all, if you start popping these like candy, you will find yourself in the market for a strong laxative! So be sure to watch how much you take at one time.
The other popular supplement contains calcium citrate. This type of calcium can be consumed anytime of day and it is not constipating. However, it may be more expensive. As with the calcium carbonate, don't consume more than 500 mg at a time, b/c, again, that's all your body can handle at one time. Sometimes these tables come in 300 mg doses. If you only are able to take them once/day, then go ahead and take 2, understanding your body won't be using the entire amount.
Again, if you are able to get all your calcium from foods, great. But as we, shall we say, mature, our bodies change, and many of us can't handle dairy products like we used to. Calcium supplements are a good alternative.
Now, if I could figure out what to take for my, my,,,memory issues, THEN I'd be in great shape!
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