Former Bake Off star partners with medical expert to reveal the importance of diet in later life
Good nutrition is crucial for maintaining a healthy lifestyle at any age, but it becomes especially necessary as we grow older. Partnering with stairlift and home lift company, Stannah‘s baking expert and former GBBO contestant Val Stones, Specialist Digital Clinician at Medichecks Dr Paul van der Westhuizen reveals a list of essential foods and recipes to enhance mobility and overall health.
Age-related muscle loss is common, and while regular exercise is advised to counteract this, nutrition still plays a vital role, even for those with restricted mobility, says Dr van der Westhuizen. So, here are his recommendations to getting the right nutrition for your body that can help to reduce age-related muscle loss.
Protein for muscle mass
“Getting enough protein in your diet is important for maintaining muscle mass”, says Dr van der Westhuizen. The European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (ESPEN) recommends that older adults maintain a diet where they consume between 1-1.5 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day, depending on their general health.
How to include it: “Drizzle vegetables with different oils and syrups. You can use maple syrup, pomegranate syrup or different varieties of olive oil, but my present favourite is date syrup. Not only does it add some sweetness to the vegetables, but provides lots of protein, vitamins and minerals – iron being a key advantage”, says Val Stones.
Vitamins and minerals for mobility
“There are vitamin deficiencies that contribute to muscle weakness, which can reduce mobility,” explains Dr van der Westhuizen. “These include deficiencies in vitamins B12, B6, B9, D and E, as well as calcium, magnesium, and potassium. So, making sure that you’re getting a balanced diet, full of foods with these nutrients, is key. This includes eating plenty of leafy green vegetables, bananas, fish oils, and seeds. To get enough vitamin D in the winter, most adults in the UK will need to take a daily supplement as we simply don’t get enough sun.”
Supporting collagen development
Collagen is crucial for healthy ligaments, and while collagen supplements are gaining attention, Dr van der Westhuizen says: “We’re seeing more and more interest in collogen supplements, but this is an experimental area and we don’t have all the information yet on how well supplements work, so food is still your best bet for supporting the body’s natural collogen. One study which looks at anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) health in athletes found that certain nutrients can support ligament health and healing in combination with a balanced diet.”
Nutrients like vitamin C, vitamin D, calcium, and protein contribute to the body’s natural collagen development when consumed as part of a healthy, balanced diet.
Foods to avoid
“Eating a nutritious diet is important for helping to maintain later-life mobility, so it’s logical that a diet low in nutritional value has the opposite effect. Highly processed foods which aren’t fresh and nutritious, or which contain ’empty calories’, can starve the body of essential vitamins and minerals it needs to stay healthy”, Dr van der Westhuizen says. Foods high in sugar and saturated fats, as well as excessive alcohol intake, can increase inflammation and negatively impact mobility.
How to include it: “If you are making a meat-based Bolognese, chilli, casserole or stew, reduce the amount of meat by half and replace it with more root vegetables such as carrots, celery, sweet potatoes, parsnips and the humble potato” says Val.
Prioritising diet with existing mobility issues
“Consuming mobility-enhancing foods is even more of a priority when you’re already experiencing mobility issues”, says Dr van der Westhuizen. “This is because mobility issues can arise from many conditions in older age; arthritis, vasculitis, osteoporosis, obesity, dementia, stroke, the list goes on. As a result, eating well to better manage these underlying conditions can help reduce their impact on your mobility.”
Consuming oily fish, for example, can help with certain types of arthritis as this contains omega-3 fatty acids, which research has shown can reduce inflammation, Dr.van der Westhuizen advises. “If you have arthritis, you’re also more likely to develop iron deficiency, so eating more red meat, fish, poultry, pulses and legumes can help you supplement your iron intake.”
Osteoporosis affects bone density and increases risk of fractures, so increasing calcium intake to support your bones is a must. “Consuming dairy products such as milk, cheese and yoghurt are important if you’re suffering from osteoporosis because they’re rich in calcium”, he says. Calcium can also be found in canned fish with bones, like sardines, and in leafy green vegetables, soya beans and tofu.
How to include it: “Broccoli and salmon are great ingredients to use in everyday cooking, so why not bake a salmon and broccoli quiche. Broccoli is full of vitamins and salmon has essential fatty acids which are said to be great at reducing inflammation and lowering blood pressure”, says Val.
Seeing results after altering the diet
The timeframe for noticing the effects of dietary changes varies based on individual circumstances. “Generally, you can subjectively start to feel better within a couple weeks of making alterations to your diet. However, certain deficiencies can take longer to rectify – for vitamin D deficiency, as an example, rectification usually takes 10 weeks, providing you are on the correct supplementation regime”, explains Dr van der Westhuizen.
Diet’s role in later life
“For many of us, focusing on our diet becomes more important as we age because we become more familiar with the consequences of not doing so and with the fragility of life. Truthfully, diet is always important, whatever your age”, says Dr van der Westhuizen. “Don’t overlook hydration either – aim to drink 1.2L (about six to eight glasses) of water every day to stop you getting dehydrated unless you have been told otherwise by your doctor.
“In addition to diet, staying physically active, socially engaged, and challenging yourself mentally are essential components to leading a healthy and happy life in later years.”
In general, Dr van der Westhuizen advocates for a holistic approach to health, where nutrition plays a pivotal role in maintaining and enhancing mobility, and in promoting overall wellbeing as we age.