What Happens When We Age?
As we grow older, we start to notice several physiological changes. We do not feel as energetic as we did when we were younger, our skin loses the supple touch it once had, and we start to notice more pronounced wrinkles.
One of the significant effects of ageing is an involuntary loss of muscle mass, strength, and function. Moreover, as our bone density decreases, the risk of osteoporosis and joint stiffness increases, which results in poor physical performance.
What Else Can Help Slow Ageing And Promote Good Health?
During sleep, our bodies ramp up the rejuvenation and repair process. Without sufficient rest, our bodies will not have the time to repair the damages accumulated throughout the day.
This effect compounds with each night of lost sleep. Furthermore, sleep deprivation is also found to cause unsatisfactory cognitive performance. It is recommended for adults to get at least seven to nine hours of quality sleep each night.
Try to incorporate more antioxidants into your diet. Antioxidants refer to a wide variety of molecules, ranging from vitamins to minerals and phytochemicals.
Examples of antioxidants include Vitamins C and E, selenium, beta-carotene, lycopene, lutein, and zeaxanthin.
There is good evidence that eating a diet that includes plenty of vegetables and fruits can provide our daily requirements of protective antioxidants.
For example, Vitamin C (also known as ascorbic acid) is one such antioxidant that can protect the human cells against oxidative damage by neutralizing free radicals produced by our body or found in the environment (e.g., cigarette smoke and UV light from the sun).
Consume calcium-rich foods. As we age, our bone tends to weaken due to losses in bone mineral density, which may result in an increased risk of falls and fractures.
Therefore, a diet high in calcium-rich foods is needed to maintain and promote bone health. Dietary sources of calcium include dairy products, spinach, kale, and fortified dairy products (e.g., Nature One Dairy Fortiplus® Nutritional Adult Formula).
Consume sufficient protein. An estimated 3-8% decrease in muscle mass is observed per decade after 30; therefore, adequate protein intake is needed to maintain muscle mass, strength, and endurance. Dietary protein sources include dairy products, tuna, salmon, chicken, beans, and fortified dairy products (e.g., Nature One Dairy Fortiplus® Nutritional Adult Formula).
Consume less saturated fat and more unsaturated fats. When saturated fats are consumed in excess, Low-Density Lipoproteins (also known as the ‘bad cholesterol’) will accumulate in our body. Whereas unsaturated fats do the opposite, helping to reduce the risk of heart diseases and lower blood cholesterol levels.
One of the more essential types of unsaturated fats is the family of Omega-3 fatty acids. As our bodies cannot produce these fatty acids, we must obtain them from our diets. Of all the Omega-3 fatty acids, three of them stand out as the most important: DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), EPA (eicosatetraenoic acid) and ALA (alpha-linolenic acid).
Although DHA is usually marketed to be specifically needed by infants for brain development and growth, adults must also consume it to sustain ideal brain functions.
It has been found that insufficient DHA uptake has been associated with early cognitive decline, among other diseases. DHA is a crucial structural component in our central nervous system (including the brain), eyes and many other parts of our body. Thus, adequate consumption of DHA is critical.
Dietary sources of Omega-3 include fatty fish (e.g., salmon, tuna, sardine, and mackerel), nuts (e.g., walnut, almond, and Brazil nut), and fortified foods (e.g., Nature One Dairy Fortiplus® Nutritional Adult Formula).
Fortified Milk Formulas such as the Nature One Dairy Fortiplus® Nutritional Adult Formula can be an excellent supplementary source of DHA (Omega-3 fatty acid).
The formula is formulated for adults 40 years and above and contains good sources of calcium, proteins, dietary fibre, iron, and other micronutrients needed for adults to maintain an active lifestyle.
