The 6 Yummy Foods to Help You Feel — and Even Look — Better as You Age

You asked for this and we answered. We're offering a women-only Road Scholar Ethel tour of New York City/Broadway in October! Our March trip sold out quickly so please have a look — and join us! It will be amazing!

As a health writer, I’m skeptical of over-the-top promises when it comes to diet and nutrition. You know, the type that shows up in your feed claiming things like: “Eat this one food to burn belly fat in just seven days!”

I’d like to believe in magic fixes as much as the next person, but when it comes to my health, I want to see proof, not gimmicks. The good news is that there truly are foods that, incorporated into a healthy lifestyle, are proven to help prevent heart disease, boost your immunity and even improve your memory. And there’s nothing fancy about them.

The following six foods may not burn belly fat in seven days, but they can help you feel (and yes, maybe even look) better through the years. That’s enough of a promise for me!

1. For heart health

Red grapes  

Red grapes contain resveratrol, a powerful antioxidant that helps protect your heart by improving blood vessel function and reducing inflammation in blood vessel walls. This oh-so-snackable fruit also has potassium which may help lower blood pressure. There’s even a beauty bonus: resveratrol can help fight the effects of sun damage, including discoloration and wrinkling, and may even help slow or prevent skin cancer.

Aim for: Half a cup to one cup a day. I save mine for a mid-afternoon snack to help me power through the rest of the day.

2. To help prevent osteoporosis

Sardines and salmon

Sardines are loaded with calcium, vitamin D and protein, all of which help prevent bone loss by making bones more resilient and less likely to fracture. Both sardines and salmon are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which can help stave off inflammation. The standard recommendation for women over 51 is to get 1,200 mgs of calcium a day. A 3-ounce can of sardines has approximately 325 mgs while a 3-ounce can of salmon has about 180 mgs.

Aim for: Two to three servings of fatty fish a week. Before you turn your nose up at sardines (okay, I did at first), they are a great addition to salads and the protein helps you stay full longer.

3. To help lower cholesterol

Walnuts and almonds

According to the Mayo Clinic, eating nuts as part of a healthy diet may help, “lower unhealthy cholesterol levels, specifically triglycerides and low-density lipoprotein, also called LDL or ‘bad’ cholesterol.” Nuts also are a good source of L-arginine, an amino acid that may help lower blood pressure. One heads up: Nuts tend to be high in calories, so think about having a handful and not a bagful.

Aim for: 4-6 servings (1.5 ounces) a week. See #4: I love to sprinkle nuts in my morning yogurt!

4. To help lower inflammation and boost immunity

Fermented foods  

Your gut is a stew of microorganisms and good bacteria that lives in your small intestines and holds 80 percent of your immune cells, Cleveland Clinic research tell us. A healthy gut has a strong barrier that keeps toxins from creeping into your blood stream along with anti-inflammatory properties. That’s important because an increasing amount of research points to chronic inflammation as a potential cause of certain cancers and auto-immune diseases. Fermented foods help increase the good bacteria that keeps your gut strong and happy. Some foods to try include yogurt with probiotics as well as kefir, tempeh, sauerkraut and miso.

Aim for: There is no specific recommendation about how much fermented food to eat; aim to include as much as possible into your diet. I like to start the day with plain yogurt with walnuts, fresh fruit and a dash of honey.

5. To help lower your risk of Alzheimer’s disease

Eggs

Many of us have spent years thinking eggs raise cholesterol and should be avoided, but more recent studies show that eggs contain several nutrients crucial for brain health and memory and may even help improve cognition in older adults. This is likely because they are high in the brain-healthy nutrient, choline. Recently, The Rush Memory and Aging Project found that eating more than one egg a week is associated with a 47 percent reduction in the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

Aim for:  Check with your doctor first, but for most people an egg a day can be beneficial.  A veggie, fiber-filled omelette is great when you don’t feel like cooking a complicated dinner.

6. To help fuel your energy

Peanut butter

I hated peanut butter as a kid. In fact, I think I was 40 before I went near a PB&J sandwich. It quickly became one of my favorite foods. (See, we do get smarter as we get older!) Before I go for a long walk or play pickleball, I spread natural, salt and sugar-free peanut butter on a whole cracker and top it with sliced banana. The carbohydrates from the banana provide a quick burst of energy and the peanut butter has protein that fuels muscle recovery. Plus, it’s yummy.

Aim for:  In a rush? Throw a whole banana in your bag. Bananas are good sources of potassium, which helps maintain fluids in your body. There’s a reason you’ll often see athletes munching on one when they’re taking a break.

 
Which of the foods above do you eat regularly? Let us know in the comments below.