You’ve heard it before, and you know it’s true: Getting old is no cakewalk! We’re trying to keep our heart and our organs healthy, thinking about protecting our skin, making sure we’re eating clean and then, oh yeah, what’s up with this new “soft” body I didn’t have back in my 30s and 40s?! Yes, it’s true: unfortunately, muscle is harder to build and maintain as we age.

The holiday season is officially here! While we all look forward to spending the holidays with family and friends, many of us are dreading the oh-so-eminent holiday weight gain. But can you get through the holiday without adding to the scale?? Yes it IS possible! Check out these tips…

How you should be eating as you age

As we age, inflammation is something that we must pay more attention to. Inflammation is part of the body’s immune response that helps the body heal itself, bringing white blood cells to the area of concern with increased blood flow.

Snacking doesn’t have to be a bad thing, in fact it shouldn’t! Snacking the right way should be an energy source for kiddos to sustain them throughout the day. If you are worried about your kids snacking on the wrong stuff, trying to keep your kids from snacking is not a practical option… we all know they are going to snack… and really they should, they need energy! “Forbidding” certain things only makes them want them more.

Always the ever-going debate, how much protein should we be eating is the questions of the century. And debate it how you want, protein is essential for bodily functions, like building healthy tissues, a healthy immune system, healthy hormone levels, and storing energy, as well as maintaining muscle mass to protect against injury.

Inflammation is part of the body’s immune response that helps the body heal itself, bringing white blood cells to the area of concern with increased blood flow. Inflammation in a healthy body is normal, but when it gets out of control, it can damage the body, attacking healthy body tissues, which can lead to things like joint pain, fatigue, damage to blood vessels, as well as more serious issues like autoimmune disorders, celiac (gluten allergy), Rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, and even cancer.

We all like to feel a little healthier when we order a salad when we go out to eat. All those greens and veggies HAVE to be good for us, right? Well, as healthy as we may think we are as we’re eating our salad, truth is, you may not be doing yourself any favors.

Are you diligent about checking labels when you’re grocery shopping? Are you the stand-in-the-middle-of-the-aisle-reading kind of shopper before throwing it in your cart? Well if you’re not, you should be; especially when you’re trying to get your kids to eat as healthy as you do.

With the emergence of a New Year there is always self-reflection, and the internal battle on making healthier lifestyle choices. We end to forget all of these things after a few months, but start to revisit them when it gets hotter outside and we have to put on the dreaded swimsuit.

Nutrition during pregnancy is of utmost importance, as most expecting others know, because you are nourishing your baby for delivery and setting him or her up for life. The food choices you make during pregnancy can affect your child’s development, food preferences, immune system, risk for disease and obesity (no pressure , right?!). As much as the raging hormones, at times, can make you want to eat all the junk you can get your hands on, this is not the best decision.