As a mum, you have a lot of responsibility on your shoulders.
This doesn’t just mean looking after your children. It can also involve undertaking most household chores, completing work duties, caring for elderly parents and making time for your partner. All of which means plenty of people rely on you.
For this reason, it is important to stay on top of your health because if mummy is ill, the world stands still!
Therefore, to maintain good health, it is vital that you provide your body with the nutrition it needs to perform at an optimal level.
But what exactly should you be consuming?
In this guide, we’ll explore some of the main nutrients you should regularly include in your diet.
Why is nutrition important for ageing mums?
As you age, all mums need to give their bodies the right nutrition.
In doing so, they can minimise their risk of chronic diseases like heart disease, which is one of the leading killers of women in Australia. They can also reduce their propensity to strokes, which affects twice as many women as men.
Both of these conditions can be triggered by poor diet choices. For instance, foods high in saturated fat can clog your arteries, which will significantly decrease with a healthy, balanced diet.
Additionally, good nutrition helps ageing mums boost their energy levels, reduce their risk of some cancers, prevent bone loss, and suffer less from the effects of menopause.
What nutrients and minerals do ageing mums need?
So, what are the main nutrients and minerals ageing mums need to live a healthier life?
While you should consult a doctor or dietitian for the most up-to-date advice, here are some of the main sources your body needs.
1. Plenty of water
Drinking plenty of water ensures our bodies perform various crucial functions.
This includes maintaining body temperature, nourishing cells with vital nutrients that delay muscle fatigue, protecting organs and joints and getting rid of waste matter.
Water can also hydrate your skin, help with weight loss and enable you to think more clearly and effectively. Overall, mothers should aim to drink around 2 litres of water a day to enable their bodies to perform at optimal levels. (For men, it is 2.5 litres).
To help you do this, add a twist of lemon, lime or mint to make it more drinkable. At the same time, part of this target can also be achieved through medical drinks like Souvenaid, which have the added benefit of potentially staving off the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
2. Calcium
Calcium is an essential mineral for teeth and bone health. Women need more of it than men to maintain a robust bone structure, especially when pregnant, breastfeeding, or ageing.
Dairy foods like milk, cheese, and yoghurt are great sources of calcium. Additionally, you’ll also find it in calcium-fortified foods such as edamame and tofu, as well as nuts, seeds, and leafy greens.
As you age, a low-calcium diet can raise your risk of developing osteoporosis. So, try to eat as much of it as you can.
3. Iron
Another essential mineral mums need more of as they get older is iron, which performs a vital role in producing red blood cells.
These cells are responsible for carrying oxygen to all parts of our body. Without a constant flow of it, older mums risk developing iron deficiency anaemia, which can pose serious health risks.
Iron-rich foods include fish, dried apricots, eggs, iron-fortified cereal, legumes, poultry, oats, and leafy green vegetables.
4. Folate
Also known as Vitamin B, folate is an essential nutrient every older mum needs to encompass within her diet.
Found in fruit juices and citrus fruits, legumes, peas, seafood and leafy greens like spinach, this nutrient helps to improve nerve functions, heart health, digestion, eye and skin problems, energy production and blood circulation.
5. Vitamin D
Getting Vitamin D from the sun is a terrific way to improve your immune function, calcium absorption and overall health.
You can also get it from oily fish, such as sardines, salmon, and mackerel, as well as red meat, egg yolks, and liver.
Older mums need to get regular doses of Vitamin D, either from the sun or food, because when levels are low in your body, you won’t be able to absorb phosphorus or calcium as easily.
This could lead to an increased risk of bone pain, fractures, muscle weakness or pain from falls.
6. Omega 3 fatty acid
Omega-3 fatty acids are another excellent source of nutrients women need to enhance their heart health and reduce their propensity to cardiovascular disease.
Incorporating foods like avocado, chia seeds, walnuts, olive oil, and ghee into your diet can go a long way towards improving heart health.
7. Protein
Getting regular amounts of protein into your body is very important for women of all ages to maintain their health.
Protein is required for tissue repair, immunological function, and muscle mass building. So, try to consume plenty of dairy products, eggs, fish, poultry, tofu, lentils, and lean meats.
