Nutrition

Healthier Living

At the most basic level, nutrition is about eating a regular, balanced diet. Good nutrition helps fuel your body and protects you from illnesses such as heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and osteoporosis. You don’t need to make these changes overnight; there is no expiration date on easing your way into eating healthy.

Essential Nutrients

• Riboflavin: A crucial component of any good diet and part of the metabolism process.
• Vitamin B-12: Vital for your body to make red blood cells. Vegetarians and those who limit meat, as well as those with anemia, may need supplements or fortified cereals.
• Fish Oil: Contains essential omega-3 fats not found in most other meats, which have healthful properties that help reduce inflammation.

Proper nutrition becomes even more important after reaching age 50[cite: 2]. It helps keep energy levels up and protects against many age-related illnesses.

Building Strong Bones & Daily Habits

Eat foods loaded with calcium, such as sardines, soy milk, cheese, nuts, and green vegetables. Calcium is essential for healthy bones and teeth; a deficiency can lead to osteoporosis, a debilitating condition causing soft bones and a reduction in bone density.

Cooking Tip: Try including baked foods in your diet rather than deep-fried foods. Baked foods are generally healthier, have fewer calories, and may provide better daily energy levels.

Healthy Choices

When you reduce salt consumption, you may notice that junk foods and fast foods become too salty for your taste, making you crave them less.

If you have a sweet tooth, dark chocolate contains flavonoids that can help keep hypertension manageable and improve cholesterol by decreasing bad levels. To get the benefits, choose chocolate with at least 70% cocoa, but don't go overboard due to the calorie content.