YMCA Healthy Living Magazine, powered by n4 food and health (Winter 2015) | Page 16
NGAIRE HOBBINS, APD
Ngaire is a leader in wellness in ageing, and in aged care nutrition
(www.eattocheatageing.com). She is also the author of Eat to Cheat Ageing
– an evidence-based book written about the unique nutritional needs of older people.
The book and Ngaire’s mission is to help older people enjoy independent, productive lives.
Find out more about Ngaire at n4foodandhealth.com
PROTEIN NEEDS
FOR OLDER ADULTS
Nutrition expert Ngaire Hobbins explains the unique protein needs for older adults.
B
efore it’s too late, older Australians need to think
differently about what they eat and stop listening to
health advice that no longer applies to them.
As we age, a lot of popular health advice becomes
increasingly irrelevant to us – advice like losing weight, eating
less meat and dairy, or always choosing low fat. As we move
away from 60 and towards 90 years of age or beyond, it’s this
sort of advice that may do us harm instead of good.
In almost every aspect of successful ageing, the key to living
well in your later years relates largely to the health of your
muscles. For this reason, eating to support them is vital. Your
muscles do so much more than move you around – they are
also essential for an effective immune system to:
• combat illness – be it from a sniffle to a life threatening
post-surgical infection
• keeping every body organ functioning
• repairing wounds from cuts and scratches, to the trauma
of a major accident
• keeping diabetes under control
• storing critical brain fuel supplies.
Keeping your muscles healthy enough to support all those
functions relies on eating sufficient protein-enriched foods,
exercising and staying active, and avoiding weight loss unless
it’s via a very good exercise program. This is because if weight
loss occurs by a means other than exercise, then you are most
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YMCA HEALTHY LIVING MAGAZINE WINTER 2015
likely losing muscle rather than fat, which is a typical
occurrence when aged in your 60s or older.
I usually suggest putting a protein food (e.g. meat, poultry,
seafood, egg, dairy food – especially cheese, soy products,
nuts, seeds and legumes) at the centre of three meals a day. If
you are unwell, have had an accident or are facing surgery, then
you can even add in a bit extra in between meals as you’ll need
it to aid your recovery. Then, surround the protein with as many
coloured foods as you can, which will boost your antioxidant
intake and help keep the cells in your body protected.
My goal is to see seniors heading out on the road as nomads,
loving their tennis, travelling the world and hanging out with
their grandkids – enjoying long, independent and productive
lives. Aligning your thinking about food to support the unique
needs of your ageing body is essential to achieveing that.
Australia does not currently publish specific dietary guidelines
for older Australians. However, in Europe an expert task force
is specifically examining the protein needs of older people,
and has recently recommended those aged 70 years and over
consume 1.2g protein per kilogram of body weight per day
when well, and potentially more for those who are unwell or
have lost weight. This figure is more than our current
recommended intakes, but the scientific research suggests
those levels are often inadequate.