Will your retirement be good for your health?  

But it’s the regular habits that need watching. You will notice that there is no fruit or salad in the eating pattern above, little protein, not much fibre, lots of carbs and sugar and fats. This does not add up to a healthy diet.

There has been enough evidence around in recent years to show that fresh fruits and vegetables are vital for health.

Broccoli, brussels sprouts and other deep green veg can block cancer cells from multiplying in cases of breast cancer, says the Journal of Nutrition.

Eating at least three servings of fruit per day lowers the risk for age-related visual impairment. Health experts advise that you make sure you get five helpings of fruit and veg a day.

Older people who had a healthy lifestyle and ate the Mediterranean diet had just half the rate of disease and illness, especially heart disease and cancer, as those who ate 'normally' reports the Journal of the American Medical Association. The trial involved 1507 men and 832 women, aged between 70 and 90 years, from eleven European countries, monitored for ten years.


 

What is the Mediterranean diet?

Basically, it’s a lot of fruit, veg, olive oil, butter beans, chickpeas, lentils and other pulses, cheese, yoghourt, bread, pasta, rice, couscous and other grains, potatoes. Plus:

• A little red meat, ie beef or lamb, in small helpings, ideally no more than once a week, preferably less often

• Eggs, poultry, fish a couple of times a week

• Olive oil for cooking (doesn’t have to be virgin oil) or grapeseed oil

• Even a little butter is allowed

• Avoid hydrogenated cooking oils or in ready-cooked foods (see on label) as they are associated with raised cholesterol levels
  
   

AND
1 glass of wine a day for women
2 glasses a day for men

AND
30 minutes physical activity a day

AND
No smoking

That’s not the end of the story

Vitamins and minerals protect against osteoporosis

Older people are often deficient in vitamin D and calcium, both important to avoid osteoporosis. Which foods contain them?
Milk (including skimmed), yoghourt, cheese, leafy dark-green vegetables, oily fish, almonds, Brazil nuts.

Eating oily fish is good for the brain and the heart

To get the best from it, bake or grill, don’t fry.
Because of pollution in deep waters, the UK Food Standards Agency recommends no more than four portions of oily fish for men, two to three for women. Salmon, mackerel, sardines, tuna, herring are all oily fish.

Fibre is an important protection against heart disease, bowel cancer

There are two types of fibre, soluble and insoluble. Good sources of non-soluble fibre are breakfast cereals, notably bran. This kind of fibre passes through the bowel absorbing water which helps ease bowel movement and also protects against constipation, haemorrhoids (piles), diverticular disease and cancer of the colon or large bowel.
Soluble fibre is found in oats, the best of all fibres to reduce cholesterol levels.
It’s not possible to say which kind of fibrous foods will suit individuals. But it is safe to say that a mix is best.

There are three groups of foods containing fibre:

• Cereals – wheat, rice, maize, oats, rye, barley (including pasta, wholemeal bread)

• Pulses – lentils, dried peas and beans, nuts and seeds

• Fruits and vegetables, especially unpeeled
   

How much fibre should we eat?

In the UK most people eat far too little fibre, on average about 12 grams per day or less. Ideally, adults should aim for an intake of around 18 grams per day. Increase fibre intake gradually to avoid wind, bloating and stomach cramps

Fibre content of foods

 
Coffee and tea

It’s the usual story: enjoy but in moderation. Caffeine, which is present in both coffee and tea, is both good and bad. The good bit is that it stimulates the brain, creates mental alertness and is an energy boost. The bad bit is that caffeine is associated with raised blood pressure and cholesterol levels and even possibly osteoporosis.
How much is enough? Recommended daily limit is 300 mg.

Caffeine in drinks:

Cup of tea - 25 to 110mg, depending on strength
Cup of coffee – 40 to 180 if made from real beans
Cup of coffee, instant – 30 to 120
Cup of coffee, decaffeinated – under 5
Cola drinks – 36 to 90 per 12 oz can
Cup of chocolate - 25 per oz if plain, 3 to 6 if milk

Alcohol

Moderate drinking in the fifty-five plus age group is good for the heart, protects against diabetes and stroke, even osteoporosis and Alzheimers, say studies from Denmark and Belfast published in the British Medical Journal. It’s not just red wine either, any alcohol seems to work. People who never drink don’t get the protection, nor do those who drink above the limit.

What’s the limit?

• 2 units per day for women

• 3 for men

What are units?

• 1 small measure of spirits = 1 unit

• 1 small glass of wine = 1.6 units

• 1 pint of beer = 2-3 units

How to stick to the limit

• Plan when you will have your first drink, ideally not at lunchtime

• Pace yourself, especially when drinking with other people

• Dilute the drink with water, soda, tonic

• Have a glass of water on the table whenever taking alcohol

In the shopping trolley

• Plan lunches so that you have plenty of healthy foods in the fridge. Soups, cans of tuna, wholemeal bread, tomatoes, fresh fruit are all useful for light meals

• See that you have a good supply of fresh vegetables

• Organic? Yes, if possible, to avoid use of chemicals in sprays or animal feed

• Farmers markets? You may not be getting organic, but the foods will be fresh

• Frozen veg and fruit will contain more vitamins than long-stored fresh ones

• Canned fruits and veg usually contain fewer vitamins unless some are added as stated on pack

• When buying smoked fish, choose products with no colour added
   
   

NEXT MONTH  Supplements

See part 1 of the series

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