I love eating. I love food. I love international cuisine. I show my family I love them through food. I am an emotional eater. I reward myself with food. I eat when I’m having a bad day. I eat when I celebrate. I comfort myself with food. Instead of drugs or alcohol, I anesthetize myself with food. I cook or bake. Often, food is how I express gratitude, love, and appreciation. I spend hours scrolling recipes and saving them on my phone. I have a running grocery list of ingredients for recipes I’ve saved. I plan my weekly meals and always have food prepped and ready in the refrigerator. It is the focus of my attention daily. My relationship with food is not based on sustenance alone; it is much more. Does this sound familiar?
I remember visits to my grandmother where there was always candy in a dish. And it wasn’t just her; every older woman, relative or not, had candy in a dish. To this day, pastel party mints, wrapped peppermints, strawberry-filled, and butterscotch hard candies all remind me of those times. Making certain dishes around the holidays or handing down family recipes provokes memories and time spent with loved ones. We have relationships with food, whether consciously or subconsciously, and it affects our health and wellness. Silver Chats will explore how these built-in habits affect our food choices, health, and aging process.
There is infinite research that links the food we eat with our health. Yet, I look into the shopping carts of people in the grocery store and am astonished at their choices. Highly and ultra-processed foods, foods containing lots of sugar, soda, and alcohol fill them. Ultra-processed foods can speed up the aging in our cells. Sugar contributes to skin aging, inflammation, and other aging processes. Soda is related to cell aging and disease development. Alcohol accelerates biological aging by damaging DNA and brain cells.
Food choices are crucial to the aging process. A healthy diet can significantly impact overall health by preventing chronic diseases, maintaining bone and muscle mass, supporting cognitive function, and boosting our immune system. Here are key reasons food choices matter as we age:
- Chronic Disease
Ultra-processed foods contain high amounts of hydrogenated oils, which are full of trans fats associated with chronic inflammation and speed up cell aging. Examples of ultra-processed foods: soda, sports drinks, alcohol, chips, cookies, crackers, mass-produced bread, lunch meats, hot dogs, bacon, jerky, ice cream, cakes, cookies, breakfast cereals, and bars; packaged soups, prepackaged prepared foods like pizza, pasta, sausage, chicken nuggets, and fish sticks.
Saturated fats, sugar, and salt are often found in fast food, processed food, and poor-quality food. Foods high in these ingredients are associated with heart disease, high blood pressure, neurodegeneration, and tooth decay. Examples of foods high in saturated fats, sugar, and salt: fatty red meats like bacon, pork sausages, poultry skins, heavy cream, soft cheeses, potato chips, ice cream, french fries, pizza, candy, and soda.
Refined carbohydrates are found in packaged everyday foods we buy at the grocery store. Foods with highly refined carbohydrates increase health problems like heart disease, diabetes, liver problems, and cognitive impairment. Diets high in refined carbohydrates have been shown to increase the risk of Alzheimer’s and dementia.
Examples of foods with highly refined carbohydrates: packaged cereals, white pasta sauces, white rice, candy, fruit juices, pastries, and baked goods like white bread and bagels, sports drinks, soda, chips, and crackers.
- Bone and Muscle Mass
Highly processed foods are associated with lower muscle mass and poor bone health. Studies show that for every 1% increase in processed foods in a diet, there is a muscle mass decrease of 0.04 kg. Consuming highly processed foods leads to nutritional deficiencies that affect muscle health and can decrease grip strength. Bone health is negatively affected by cartilage buildup; reduced bone density, and is associated with low calcium absorption. Examples of processed foods detrimental to muscle mass and bone are sugary drinks, breakfast cereals, pastries, cookies, prepackaged and precooked foods, processed meats like sausages, bacon, and ham, fast food, and sugary foods.
Foods high in oxalates and phytate interfere with the body’s ability to absorb calcium, affecting bone health. Spinach, rhubarb, some beans, wheat bran, and some nuts.
Antinutritional foods interfere with the absorption of vitamins and minerals. This can lead to poor muscle mass and bone health. These foods can also affect gut health, which negatively affects the absorption of vitamins and minerals needed for muscle mass and bone health. Examples of antinutritional foods: legumes, nuts, grains, beans, and cereal grasses.
- Cognitive Function
Red meat eating processed red meat is linked to an increased risk of dementia and cognitive decline. A study showed that eating red meat is associated with poor cognitive function, including slower reaction time, lower fluid intelligence (abstract thinking using logic and judgment), and reduced numeric memory (ability to understand and manipulate numbers).
Refined and processed foods are quickly digested and cause blood sugar levels to fluctuate rapidly, resulting in inflammation and oxidative stress, which negatively affect brain health. The list of refined and processed foods includes white bread, crisps, cereal, sugary drinks, packaged snacks, frozen meals, pastries, and cookies.
High-fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners, and trans fats all contribute to reduced cognitive function. Foods containing high fructose corn syrup contribute to neurodegenerative diseases. Some research has shown that artificial sweeteners are harmful to our aging brains. One study found that people who drink one can of soda a day were 3x more likely to have a stroke or develop dementia. Trans fats contribute to inflammation in the brain. All these foods are directly or indirectly linked to memory loss.
The following are all foods that contain high-fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners, and trans fats: breakfast cereals, candy, condiments and sauces, canned foods, crackers, and fast food.
Alcohol consumption is directly related to cognitive decline and neurodegenerative brain disease. Alcohol causes brain cells to shrink and reduces the white matter in the brain. White matter transmits signals between regions of the brain. Alcohol consumption can cause memory and thinking skills to decline. This is directly linked to judgment, organization, focus, and emotional control. Heavy use can lead to age-related dementias and accelerate aging brain structures.
- Immune System
Processed foods alter our gut bacteria, interacting with our immune system and triggering inflammation. Processed foods lead to oxidative stress, which affects immune cell growth. Additives in processed foods such as emulsifiers alter gut bacteria, harm gut lining, and induce inflammation. Processed foods affecting the immune system: cookies, cakes, chips, frozen meals, preserves, and fast food.
Refined carbohydrates and sugar cause spikes in blood sugar and insulin. This leads to the production of free radicals and inflammation. Foods high in refined carbohydrates and sugar cause oxidative stress and alter gut bacteria, both causing harm to the immune system. Foods high in refined carbs and sugar: white bread, sugary drinks, sweets, white rice, flavored milk, baked goods from white flour, cakes, cookies, and sugary breakfast cereals.
Fried foods and red meat are linked to molecules called AGEs that are formed when sugars, proteins, and fats react during high cooking temperatures, like frying. AGEs promote inflammation, cause cell damage by inducing cellular dysfunction, and negatively affect gut bacteria, leading to a weakened immune system. Red meats are high in AGEs.
Connecting age indicators with our food is easy. The amount of information on the subject is overwhelming. It is a fact that our diets are directly linked to our aging processes. If you read thoroughly, there was a pattern. There are certain foods across the board that should be avoided for healthy aging. Processed foods, refined carbohydrates, sugar, red meat, and certain fats, like trans fats, should all be eliminated from our diets or eaten sparingly. To enjoy optimum health, avoid chronic illness, and minimize aging, a change in what we eat is necessary. Stop eating cereal for breakfast and sandwiches filled with processed meats for lunch; cut out snacking on bagged chips and crackers; stop eating frozen meals and pizza for dinner; and pass on the sugary desserts. Limit alcohol consumption and cut down on or eliminate soda. Avoid fried foods, source your red meat (make sure it’s grass-fed), and limit baked goods made from white flour.
I could list the foods that should be eaten, but a healthy diet is no secret. It should be whole, fresh foods. When you shop for groceries, buy all the food on the outside aisles and limit foods found in the inner aisles. Outside aisles are mostly fresh foods: fresh produce, meats and fish, bakery items, and perishable goods. The inside aisles are full of processed foods, prepackaged foods, and highly preserved foods. These should be avoided or eaten sparingly.
Longevity and healthy eating are intertwined. Food should be a source of sustenance and medicine, and mindful shopping and meal preparation should be a habit. I make conscious efforts to plan my meals weekly, buy organically when offered, read labels, and avoid the inner aisles of the grocery store. I have learned to make my salad dressings and salsa. I bake my bread weekly using sourdough starter and use the discard for pizza crust. I rarely drink alcohol, and I’ve not eaten meat for 8 years. My habits have become a source of routine, pride, and joy. I rarely suffer from stomach issues; my weight is stable, and my inflammation is minimal. I take no prescription medications and rarely need over-the-counter ones. My muscle mass is above normal, my bone density is normal, my blood pressure is low, and I don’t see cognitive decline. My food choices are my medicine. My habits are holistic and healthy. I am enjoying the endless possibilities of aging. All because of positive, healthy aging practices.