From calorie counts to carb ratios, we reveal the maths of midlife nutrition
Up to 10 years
The most important scientific message about midlife nutrition is that any changes you make today have a huge effect on your health for years to come. A study by Harvard University found that making changes between the ages of 30 and 55, such as switching to a Mediterranean diet or reducing sugar, can add 7.6 to 10.7 years to your life. That’s a lot of extra life experiences to look forward to. Other research in the American Journal of Epidemiology, which monitored the habits of people aged 45-84, found those who made changes such as consuming more vegetables slashed their risk of an early death by a colossal 80 per cent.
2,000-2,500 calories
The NHS still recommends 2,500 calories per day for men and 2,000 calories for women in midlife, with the usual adjustments for lifestyle and exercise. But our energy needs do drop slightly with age, due to a fall in our basal metabolic rate and the age-related loss of muscle mass.
That’s why the British Nutrition Foundation suggests a subtle progression, from 2,629 calories for men aged 35-44, to 2,581 aged 45-64, down to 2,342 aged 65-74. Women are advised to go from 2,103 calories aged 35-54, to 2,079 aged 55-64 and 1,912 aged 65-74. But until you hit your mid-60s these suggested tweaks are relatively tiny – less than a handful of nuts per day. So as long as you stay active, your daily calorie target shouldn’t need to change until your retirement years. The problem is that extra weight gets harder to shift as you age, so stay conscious that you need a bit less than you used to.
500-600 calories
Given that 73 per cent of 45-64 year-olds in the UK are now overweight or obese, the bigger midlife conundrum is how to lose the bulk you have already gained. According to a major review of long-term weight-loss studies in the journal Healthcare, aiming to reduce your daily energy intake by 500–600 calories per day can lead to a sensible weight loss of 0.5 kg per week until you hit a healthy, sustainable weight. So don’t rush it: a study in the Journal of Obesity found that rapid weight-loss schemes don’t have any advantages for improving metabolic health over slower changes.
You can reduce your daily calorie count by swapping refined white bread and pasta for complex carbs like brown rice, quinoa, amaranth, buckwheat and oats. But the simplest way to cut calories is to prep most of your meals at home. Research in Public Health Nutrition found when people cooked meals at home they consumed fewer calories – even if they weren’t actively trying to lose weight. It’s also the best way to avoid the sugars, salt and oils found in pre-packaged and takeaway meals.
80 per cent full
Another easy way to cut your calories in midlife is to adopt the Japanese tradition of “Hara hachi bu”, which means “eat until you are 80 per cent full”. This practice is popular in Okinawa, where people live extraordinarily long and healthy lives. But there are scientific reasons for its success. Whenever you eat, the digestive hormones secreted by your gastrointestinal tract take 15-20 minutes to inform your brain that your stomach is full. As a result, we often eat more than we need. So eating until you feel 80 per cent full helps to prevent over-indulgence. A study in the journal Eating Behaviours found that men who follow the 80 per cent rule consume 500 calories less per day – meeting the magic daily weight-loss target recommended above.
50:35:15
There are good reasons why the Mediterranean diet has become the gold standard for midlife health. Studies show it can cut your risk of cardiovascular disease by 28 per cent and dementia by 20 per cent, and add 8-15 years to your life. It has also been shown to protect against cancer, diabetes, and cognitive decline. One paper in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that a Mediterranean diet leads to a 46 per cent improvement in healthy aging, which is defined as an absence of chronic diseases such as Parkinson’s, Type 2 diabetes, or cancer. It is also sustainable: a study in the New England Journal of Medicine found that people who switched to a Mediterranean diet were still 3.1kg lighter six years later.
The Mediterranean diet is typically defined as a ratio of 50 per cent carbs, 15 per cent protein and 35 per cent fats but it is really the food choices within those brackets that matter: lots of colourful vegetables, legumes, fruits and wholegrains; plenty of fish; a low intake of saturated fats; a high intake of unsaturated fats like olive oil; and a low intake of meat and dairy. Together these foods deliver enough antioxidants, fibre, healthy fats and phytochemicals to control midlife weight and fight off disease.
2+ portions of fish
Midlife is when we tend to confront the harsh realities of serious illness. But a study in the Journal of Internal Medicine found when men ate a high amount of fish (two portions per week) their risk of dying from any cause fell by 9 per cent, and from liver disease by 37 per cent. Women who ate more fish enjoyed an eight per cent lower mortality rate, with a 10 per cent lower risk of heart disease and a 38 per cent reduced risk of death from Alzheimer’s. That’s because fish contains long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, selenium, vitamin D and B vitamins, which help to keep your heart, brain and immune system healthy. One of your two portions should be oily fish, such as herring, salmon, sardines or mackerel.
30g+ fibre
Consuming 30g of fibre each day becomes even more important in midlife, as our digestion becomes less efficient with age. Research by the Gerontological Society of America found people with a high fibre intake enjoy an 80 per cent better chance of a long life, without suffering issues such as hypertension or diabetes. Fibre also increases satiety (the feeling of fullness) to help keep your calorie intake on track. Key sources of fibre, such as vegetables, fruit, beans, lentils and cereals, also help midlifers to enjoy a wide spectrum of vitamins without consuming excessive calories.
1-1.25g+ of protein
Protein is often associated with young, muscly gym-goers, but it is arguably more important for older adults. According to studies, muscle mass naturally decreases by 3–8 per cent per decade after the age of 30, leading to an increase in fat mass, enhanced insulin resistance and a loss of bone density. But a regular intake of muscle-protecting protein counteracts this unwelcome decline.
The usual recommendation is for 0.75g of protein per kilogram of bodyweight per day, which equates to around 56g for men and 45g for women. However, new research suggests this should increase with age to 1-1.25g per kilogram. So it seems sensible to nudge up your protein intake in midlife. The secret, however, is to get this protein from a range of sources, such as beans, peas, nuts, chickpeas, pulses, fish and eggs, rather than over-consuming high-fat meat.
1,000-1,200mg+ calcium
Calcium – found in milk, cheese, kale, spinach and sardines – helps our heart, muscles and nerves to function properly, but it is primarily known for protecting bone health. The NHS recommends 700mg of calcium a day, but we may need more in midlife as bone density declines with age. The National Institutes of Health now recommends 1,000mg for middle-aged men, and 1,200mg for women over 50. And the British Dietetic Association also suggests post-menopausal women and men over 55 increase their daily calcium dosage to 1,200mg.
365 days
The single most important number to remember when trying to improve your midlife diet is 365 - the number of days in the year. That’s because your dietary changes need to be sustainable. A rigorous analysis of 31 long-term diet studies by UCLA found that although you can initially lose 5-10 per cent of your weight following a diet, up to two thirds of people regain more weight than they lost. That’s because extreme diets trigger a host of unwelcome metabolic and hormonal responses which only make your weight-management issues worse. So skip the fads and stick to sensible but sustainable eating habits you can follow every single day.
READ MORE: From walking at 4mph to climbing stairs every hour, we reveal the maths of midlife fitness
