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 16 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.