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Visit AARP.org's Eating Well Channel for more tips on food, nutrition and exercise.
Food may be the best medicine for a healthy life, according to nutrition expert Joy Bauer, who says select foods can actually improve a number of conditions that bedevil men and women as they age—from arthritis pain to memory loss and mood swings.
“Food has the power to improve memory, slow bone loss, help us sleep better, boost our strength and reduce mood swings,” says Bauer, the nutrition expert for NBC’s Today show. “And it is never, ever too late to start making changes and reaping the benefit of a healthier diet.”
Speaking at the AARP Life@50+/National Event and Expo Friday, Bauer, the author of Joy Bauer’s Food Cures, said it’s always better to get nutrients through healthy foods rather than supplements. In her session, “Aging Gracefully: The Fountain of Youth in Your Grocery Cart,” Bauer stressed the general importance of whole grains, fruits, vegetables and lean meats. And she went even further—offering AARP members her top three food picks for seven common health problems.
For heart health, choose wild salmon with omega-3 fats that help thin blood and lower triglycerides. Add oatmeal (plain, long-cooking and steel cut is best) for soluble fiber that absorbs bad cholesterol (LDLs) and “whisks it out of your system.” And eat sweet potatoes for potassium, which helps regulate blood pressure.
For vision, weight control is one key because added weight causes inflammation that affects the eyes. Choose carrots, for the beta-carotene, and get more of that by cooking them. Spinach has vitamins and antioxidants that act as a sunscreen for the eyes. Wild salmon’s omega-3 fatty acids also protect the small vessels of the eye.
To dodge type 2 diabetes, which most often occurs in overweight people, the number one food choice is egg whites—20 calories each and all protein. Next, eat beans whose fiber slows absorption of carbohydrates and contains protein and vitamins. And include nuts—raw, not salted and only a handful—in your diet. Bauer recommends almonds, walnuts and pistachios.
For arthritis, manage the condition by avoiding fatty foods and refined sugars and “load up” on fruits with great antioxidants, like pumpkin (not the pie filling, just canned or fresh pumpkin). Pumpkin “really helps with joint pain, and when you mix it with nonfat vanilla yogurt. It’s delicious. I eat that for breakfast a lot.” The second choice, two spices with great anti-inflammatory powers—turmeric, and ginger. The third food is a red bell pepper, which has more vitamin C than an orange (250 mg. vs. 90) and two antioxidants.
For mood swings and to control crankiness, Bauer says “you need to stabilize your blood sugar, and to do that you need to eat every four to five hours to prevent dips in your blood sugar levels. Avoid sugary carbs, which cause unhealthy spikes in those levels.” Her first food choice for moods is lentils and beans, both high-quality carbs. Next, choose wild salmon or sardines, which also have omega-3. Finally, oranges are loaded with folic acids. Bauer says studies show people with clinical depression have lower levels of folic acid.
And a bonus food—dark chocolate, good for blood vessels and for the mood. The chocolate should contain 70 percent or more cocoa. “Eat just one ounce a day,” she advises.
For memory, the top three food choices are blueberries—in animal tests they helped protect and even reverse memory loss, leafy green vegetables—people who eat more of these tend to score better on memory tests, and once again, fatty fish with omega-3. A bonus here—coffee, it’s rich in antioxidants and is especially helpful when it contains caffeine. In one study, women over age 65 who drank two or more cups of coffee or tea a day scored better on memory tests than those who did not, Bauer says.
For bone health, Bauer’s foods are nonfat yogurt, with more calcium than milk; skim milk, because it’s low in fat and always fortified with vitamin D, which helps the body absorb calcium; and broccoli, a vegetable packed with vitamins and minerals that’s good for the bones.
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