Age is not just a number
As much as we hate to admit, our body has a biological clock that keeps ticking. This means that as we grow older, our body functionality becomes less efficient, and to keep it going, we have to observe certain changes in lifestyle. One of the biggest changes people have to make is in their diet. Certain foods become hard to digest as we age, and they must be avoided to secure a healthier lifestyle. Today, we will take a look at some foods that you must avoid after the age of forty.
Refined carbs
This pertains to not just one, but a group of foods that are prepared using refined and processed carbs, like pasta, doughnuts, white bread, cookies, and pancakes. These foods have a high glycemic index, which means they rapidly increase blood sugar levels. High blood sugar levels is a contributing factor to heart disease, weight gain, and diabetes. Spiked blood sugar levels increase hormones that stimulate oil production, which affects the composition of the skin’s oil, causing skin problems like adult-onset acne.
Fast food
Fast food contains a mixture of some of the unhealthiest ingredients known to man, namely sugars, unhealthy fats, nitrates, and sodium. Together, these ingredients play havoc on the body, not only for older people, but for people of every demographic. Sugar is a source of empty calories, which increases the chance of weight gain without providing any nutrition. Unhealthy fats like saturated fat increases LDL cholesterol levels, therefore making you more susceptible to heart conditions. Nitrates and salt are used as preservatives in fast food, and while nitrate has been linked with causing cancer, salt is associated with increasing blood pressure and causing bloating.
Commercial fruit juice
People always believe that commercial fruit juice is healthy because of the way it is advertised. Health benefits like high vitamins and minerals, or 100% natural juice, often lead us to believe that it is good for us. But in reality it is not a good choice, especially for ageing people, as the sugar present in it is bad for people with diabetes and gout. Furthermore, most juices are made after removing the beneficial fiber in the fruit, which plays a role in gut and bowel health.
Alcohol
The consumption of alcohol should be sparse for people of any age. However, once you reach the age of forty, it is best to avoid it altogether. The body doesn’t metabolize alcohol effectively as your body composition and liver function start deteriorating as you grow older. This leads to loss of muscle mass and increase in fat content. By forty, people have less water in their body, so alcohol circulates more easily in the bloodstream, leading to sleeplessness and junk food cravings. Alcohol also makes you look older as it sucks out the moisture from the skin, and makes your skin elastic and wrinkly.
Take your diet seriously
As you grow older, you body starts wearing down. Your diet is one of the key factors that helps in maintaining the body’s functionality. So always look for the best options to fuel your body, and avoid having the foods mentioned on this list for not just your own self, but also for the happiness of your family. Eat right, stay healthy.
