Prime Time - Jane Fonda [48]
GREEN: avocados, green apples, green grapes, green olives, honeydew, kiwifruit, limes, green pears, artichokes, arugula, asparagus, broccoflower, broccoli, broccoli rabe, Brussels sprouts, Chinese cabbage, green beans, green cabbage, celery, chayote squash, cucumbers, endive, kale, spinach, collards, mustard greens, leeks, lettuce, green onions, okra, fresh peas, green peppers, snow peas, sugar snap peas, watercress, zucchini
WHITE: garlic, onions, parsnips, shallots, turnips, cauliflower, ginger, jicama, kohlrabi, mushrooms, bananas, dates, white nectarines and peaches, brown pears
DAIRY OR CALCIUM-FORTIFIED SOY PRODUCTS
One to three cups daily of low-fat or fat-free dairy products such as milk, cheese, or yogurt is the goal. Skim milk contains more calcium for the calories than, say, yogurt. But for an aging intestinal tract, fermented dairy or soy products—such as yogurts or kefir that contain live, active cultures—may promote digestive health.3
If you’re not consuming dairy, calcium-fortified soy foods, or other calcium-fortified products (like some orange juices and cereals), you may not be getting an adequate amount of calcium—so check with your doctor about taking a supplement (probably one that contains vitamin D). Calcium absorption is most efficient in increments of 500 milligrams or less, taken between meals and as calcium citrate. Your maximum intake of calcium should be no more than 2,500 milligrams a day.
PROTEINS
Approximately 15 percent of your total calories should come from protein. If you are older, protein will help boost your more vulnerable immune system and slow the inevitable bone and muscle loss that comes with aging, according to experts in the field of aging at Tufts University and other respected research centers. Protein is what allows for growth and repair of our bodies, especially our muscles and bones. Without enough protein, our bone health, muscle function, strength, muscle mass, and immune function are all impaired.
There are nine essential amino acids that the human body cannot produce; therefore, we have to get them from the food we eat. Animal foods such as lean meat, chicken, fish, and eggs and dairy products and vegetarian sources such as soybeans and tofu contain all nine essential amino acids in the proportion that we need, and so are called “complete proteins.” Many vegetables, grains, dried beans, and nuts contain protein, but with lower proportions of some of the essential amino acids, which is why they are not considered complete proteins. Fortunately, a mixed diet featuring numerous sources of protein provides adequate amounts of all the essential amino acids.
Often older men and women—especially if they’re dieting—do not consume enough protein, but protein intake is important. This is especially true for those suffering from infections or recovering from surgery, since protein helps fight disease and heal wounds. Six to nine ounces of protein-rich foods, making up about 12 percent of our daily calories, is advised by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans put out by the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health and Human Services. Meat, fish, poultry, eggs, and dairy are the main protein sources for those who are not vegetarians. Try to eat non-fried fish two to four times weekly, as the American Heart Association recommends. Or, if your doctor approves, take omega-3 fatty acid supplements (preferably from fish oil). Start with a daily dose of 1,000 milligrams of omega-3 fatty acids that include EPA and DHA. Vegetarians should get their omega-3 fatty acids from walnuts, ground flaxseed, flaxseed oil, or canola oil. But if you take an omega-3 fatty acid supplement, this will increase your body’s requirement for vitamin E, an important antioxidant, so add a small dose of vitamin E along with your omega-3 capsules.
For vegetarians, tofu, which is made from soybeans,