Meet Your Daily Protein Needs
According to the Journal of Health, Nutrition, and Aging, 1 in 3 adults over the age of 50 don't consume enough protein.
Protein is essential for good health, and this macronutrient is necessary for the production of hair, blood, connective tissue, antibodies, enzymes, and more. For the average adult, the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for protein is 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. To determine your daily protein intake, you can multiply your weight in pounds by 0.36 or use this calculator.
However, research shows that we can only absorb up to 25 grams in one sitting, which means you need to distribute your protein consumption throughout the day. Fortunately, researchers from Waseda University in Japan found that eating a larger amount of protein at breakfast leads to an increase in muscle size and function compared to consuming more protein at dinner.
Eat The Rainbow
Plants contain different pigments, or phytonutrients, which give them their color. Different-colored plants are linked to higher levels of specific nutrients and health benefits. While eating more vegetables and fruit is always a good idea, focusing on eating a variety of colors will increase your intake of different nutrients to benefit various areas of your health. Most colorful fruits and veggies have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects that may benefit different aspects of your overall health.
Read Labels
Maintaining a healthy diet means watching what is added to foods, as well. Preservatives are chemicals or additives in food that keep them shelf stable and make them last longer. If foods don’t have any added preservatives, then they need to be refrigerated to keep fresh. That’s where the perimeter comes in: This is where you’ll find the freshest foods in the grocery store, including produce, meat and dairy. “Everything that is probably going to cause most of your health challenges and inflammation and issues is processed food,” says nutritional therapy practitioner Cait Crowell in her 9 Elements Podcast episode.
Cut Out Sugar
According to the American Heart Association, “Too much added sugar can place you at a greater risk for heart disease, liver disease, diabetes, obesity, and other health conditions.” Almost half of the added sugar in the American diet comes from sugary drinks, but other sources include baked goods, candy, cereals, dairy products and desserts. Sugar can also be found in packaged snack foods, nut milks, condiments, yogurts and more. And while cutting sugar out of your diet takes a lot of ingredient label reading, the benefits, from regulating your blood sugar to lowering your risk of depression, are worth it!
Eat More Fiber
According to a 2022 study from the Journal of Translation Medicine, “Intakes of total fiber, soluble fiber, and insoluble fiber were associated with lower risks of all-cause, cardiovascular and cancer mortality.” This means that eating enough fiber can improve your lifespan and the quality of your health. Additionally, getting more fiber in your diet helps to foster a diverse gut microbiome, promotes regular bowel movements, keeps you feeling full longer, helps lower high blood pressure and balances cholesterol levels.