I Certainly Hope Not at Least Not Now!

Hey Golden Divas for those of you that are mothers I truly hope you had a great “Mother’s Day” weekend!

I had a great fun-filled weekend as well at “Jazz on the Vine” in Elkhart Wisconsin. My husband and I celebrated our 22^nd “Wedding Anniversary” on May 13^th. I specify “Wedding” because August 26^th   will be our 23^rd “Marriage Anniversary”

Confusing huh?!

Well, for those of you that know our backstory know that Ricardo and I eloped in 1994 and had our wedding in 1995; however, we celebrate both anniversaries. 

As you can imagine eating healthy this past weekend was a bit of a stretch with all of the delectable foods enticing my taste buds. My sweet cravings were in full gear. I wanted to eat those sweets without apologizing, so you know it was very hard trying to turn down desserts or for that matter any pancakes or crepes for breakfast. BUT… in my defense, I did have a fruit cup with my breakfast both days and a salad for lunch. LOL.

Okay, I am the first to admit over the years my journey with food was always a pleasant one.I have gotten away with eating just about anything that I can shove in my mouth without having any repercussions. It was simply that easy until the big 5-0 came. I barely worked out, I never counted calories and I loved having my feet placed under a restaurant table waiting to be served.

Unfortunately, those were the good old days and those days are completely over. I can look at something sweet and it seems as though I’m packing on the pounds. So now,  I’m checking the ingredients in everything I buy, the majority of the time I am eating more fruits and vegetables than sweets; with the exception of this weekend and a couple of weeks ago. My sister-in-law Candace baked a Twix cake (yes I said it a TWIX CAKE) for my hubby Rick.

You know I had to try it and it tasted just like the candy bar. I ate it in moderation of course because the weight seems to be hanging around lately; so I have to pace myself and try to ONLY treat myself to a guilty weekend treat once in a while!

However, with the Memorial Day holiday coming up and Summer basically around the corner with so many different events and cookouts to attend and so many food decisions to make it can be challenging to eat right when you’re out.

Golden Divas, one good thing that helps me, and hopefully you as well on this journey of eating right is…you supposed to lighten up and eat light in the summertime. I’m accustomed to those varieties of salads and fruits out there (and even some Summer desserts) and if you’re into grilling you can grill vegetables to your liking, not just the meat; although meat can be grilled to be healthy as well.  

Now I am a very diligent and dedicated individual when I put my mind to it; however, trying to eat healthily has been such a challenge for me this year. Since my hormones have been all over the place all I do is think about food and I don’t mean the healthy stuff. Good Lord…I never allowed food to consume my thoughts as much as it has been doing lately.

Ladies, a couple of weeks ago I had introduced you to one of my favorite people Earnestine Davis (Personal Trainer) in my “Golden Diva” interview in our “Fitness & Wellness” category. If you didn’t get a chance to read this interview, check it out.  She made this profound statement:

“The first thing you should do is CHANGE how you look at food. Food is the fuel that helps the body move. Try eating 4-6 healthy meals a day.”

I totally agree with Earnestine; especially since I am thinking about food a lot nowadays. I just have to get my mind right and start eating food with a purpose instead of pleasure all of the time.

So What Is Healthful Eating?

According to Medical News Today, healthful eating means consuming nutrient-dense foods in the right quantities from all the food groups.

A good diet must include a balance of several food groups, as no single group can provide everything we need for good health. The food groups consist of the following:

1. Foods, and drinks high in fat, sugar, and salt
2. Fats, spreads, and oils
3. Meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and nuts
4. Milk, yogurt, and cheese
5. Wholemeal cereals, and bread, potatoes, pasta and rice
6. Vegetables, salad, and fruit

Do you remember “The Food Guide Pyramid?”

When we were in grammar school we were taught how to eat healthily and now it’s time to incorporate those guidelines back into our daily nutritional diet, at least I need to start doing it RIGHT again in my diet.

Here’s a refresher course the food guide pyramid is an outline to what to eat each day. It’s not a rigid prescription but a general guide that lets you choose a healthy diet that’s right for you. The pyramid cause for eating a variety of foods to get the nutrients you need and at the same time the right amount of calories to maintain or improve weight.

Getting back to eating healthy is very imperative to a woman in her 50’s, because as my title suggested we are what we eat and in order to stay healthy and fit we must eat right.

A lot of us think that as long as we eat healthfully most of the time and maintain an ideal weight, and exercise occasionally we won’t have to worry too much about our health when we turn 50.

WRONG!!!

I fell down that trap and now I am paying for it. Ladies, it’s important to know that the hormonal changes that occur when we reach this season of our lives will have a profound impact on our nutritional requirements. We need to pay special attention to eating certain foods for nutrients and exercise regularly.

“There’s a huge hormonal change that occurs around the age of 50, particularly a decrease in estrogen and progesterone,” says Christine Gerbstadt, MD, RD, a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (the Academy).

So, I bet you’re probably wondering how many calories do a woman over the age of 50 needs each day to stay healthy.

• A woman: Who is not physically active needs about 1,600 calories.
• A woman who is somewhat active needs about 1,800 calories.
• A woman who has an active lifestyle needs about 2,000-2,200 calories.

Here’s a tip to get you started:

Aim for at least 150 minutes (2½ hours) of physical activity each week. Ten-minute sessions several times a day on most days are fine.

Healthy eating after 50 shouldn’t be that hard, but for some, it can be quite cumbersome and expensive to eat right. I must admit it’s easy to grab fast food versus prepping healthy meals for the week or incorporating some fresh vegetables over some hot fries. But I also know my body has slowed down tremendously from last year to this year.

Now don’t get me wrong I am still a Monday through Friday oatmeal and smoothie breakfast girl and for lunch a salad majority of the times during the week; however, it’s not doing a darn thing for me anymore and as prices continue to go up at the grocery store especially in the produce department it’s easier to bypass it altogether. Now that’s another trap that I almost fell into. You see you have to prioritize what is important to you.

Can I Afford to Eat Right?

ABSOLUTELY!!! If your budget is limited (like most of ours), it might take some planning to be able to pay for the foods you should eat. Here are some suggestions:

• Buy only the foods you need—a shopping list will help with that.
• Buy only as much food as you will use.
• Choose foods with plain (generic) labels or store brands—they often cost less than name brands.
• Plan your meals around food that is on sale.
• Divide leftovers into small servings, label, and date, and freeze to use within a few months.
• Federal Government programs are available to help people with low incomes buy groceries.

Do women over 50 need a special diet plan?

It’s good for all women to choose healthy foods to enhance heart health and avoid high blood pressure, hypertension, osteoporosis, and diabetes. In general, women need fewer calories and different amounts of vitamins and minerals than men. Some women take dietary supplements but talk to your doctor before taking them.

Choosing healthy foods is a smart thing to do—no matter how old you are!

Ladies here are some tips to get you started:

• Eat many different colors and types of vegetables and fruits.
• Make sure at least half of your grains are whole grains.
• Eat only small amounts of solid fats and foods with added sugars. Limit saturated fat (found mostly in foods that come from animals) and trans fats (found in foods like store-bought baked goods and some kinds of margarine).
• Eat “good” (poly- and monounsaturated) fats, like those found in seeds, nuts, avocados, and fatty fish like salmon. Any fats added in cooking should come from olive, canola, corn, or vegetable oil.
• Eat seafood twice a week. Small fish, like sardines or trout, or farm-raised fish (check the label) contain less mercury than large fish, like tuna. Mercury can be harmful. 

 Golden Divas, Are You Making Smart Food Choices?

Eating a variety of foods from each food group will help you get the nutrients you need. The 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) describes healthy eating patterns.

The cool part about this is you can create a healthy eating pattern by making good choices about your foods and drinks every day. These guidelines are flexible to help you choose a diet of nutritious foods and drinks that you like, that are available in your area, and that fit your budget. Like I said before it is so easy to eat badly now I need to start eating well again. 

The Dietary Guidelines suggests that people 50 or older choose foods every day from the following:

• Fruits—1½ to 2½ cups
  What is the same as a half cup of cut-up fruit? Fresh 2-inch peach or 16 grapes.
• Vegetables—2 to 3½ cups
  What is the same as a cup of cut-up vegetables? Two cups of uncooked leafy vegetables.
• Grains—5 to 10 ounces
  What is the same as an ounce of grains? A small bagel, a slice of whole-grain bread, a cup of flaked ready-to-eat cereal, or a half-cup of cooked rice or pasta.
• Protein foods—5 to 7 ounces
  What is the same as an ounce of meat, fish, or poultry? One egg, one-fourth cup of cooked beans or tofu, a half-ounce of nuts or seeds, or 1 tablespoon of peanut butter.
• Dairy foods—3 cups of fat-free or low-fat milk
  What is the same as 1 cup of milk? One cup of plain yogurt or 1½ to 2 ounces of cheese. One cup of cottage cheese is the same as a half cup of milk.
• Oils—5 to 8 teaspoons
  What is the same as an oil added during cooking? Foods like olives, nuts, and avocados have a lot of oil in them.
• Solid fats and added sugars (SoFAS) and sodium (salt)—keep the number of SoFAS and sodium small

Side Note:

If you eat too many foods containing SoFAS, you will not have enough calories left for the more nutritious foods you should be eating.

Your doctor may want you to follow a special diet because you have a health problem like heart disease or diabetes. Or, you might have been told to avoid eating some foods because they can change how well your medicines work. Talk with your doctor or a registered dietitian—a nutrition specialist—about foods you can eat instead.

Here’s a tip Ladies!

Stay away from “empty calories.” These are foods and drinks with a lot of calories but not many nutrients—for example, chips, cookies, soda, and alcohol.

Golden Divas what are some of your healthy eating habits?

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/153998.php

http://www.todaysdietitian.com/newarchives/080112p58.shtml

https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/publication/healthy-eating-after-50

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