2 weeks Ago By Polly Dunbar
Coping with work, children and ageing parents can make our 40s one of our busiest and most stressful decades. Eating well tumbles right to the bottom of our list of priorities. But according to new research, a good diet during this period of our lives is vital if we want to age well.
A study by Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health in the United States found fewer than one in 10 people were able to live free from diseases like dementia and maintain good physical and mental health at 70 years and beyond. Eating a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and good fats could dramatically increase the chance of doing so. People who followed a healthy diet from their 40s onwards were 43-84 per cent more likely to be well-functioning physically and mentally at age 70 than those who did not, the research found.
According to experts, it’s important to start the day with a protein-rich breakfast, like eggs and avocado on toast. Credit: Getty Images “Before 40, we can usually get away with more in terms of what we eat,” says Laura Southern, a nutritionist and the founder of London Food Therapy. “In midlife, most of us start to notice our metabolism slowing down, and women can find their hormones changing.
We often feel less energised and can fall into patterns which are increasingly difficult to break as time goes on. “We accumulate fat around our middle, which is a risk factor for chronic diseases including stroke, heart disease and Type 2 diabetes.” However, she adds: “What we eat in midlife should be about building our future health, and our 40s are the perfect time to make changes.
” Here is our guide to the diet to follow in your 40s to maximise your chances of remaining well into old age. 1. Start the day with protein to halt the blood sugar rollercoaster Rushing to get children to school and make it to work on time can make it tempting to grab a quick pastry or slice of white toast for breakfast, but this sets us up for a cycle of crashing blood sugar a couple of hours later, followed by a craving for something equally sugary or refined carb-heavy.
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