It’s no secret that no one is particularly excited about the idea of getting older. Aging is something that everyone experiences and the aging process naturally comes with changes to the body and mind. Fortunately, there are a vast number of things we can do to stay in good health as we go older. Proper nutrition and vitamins are a key part of staying in good health at any age. Here are four important foods that should be part of your diet to help maintain health as you grow older.

Healthy Proteins

As you age, your body isn’t as efficient at building and maintaining muscle mass as it once was. Protein becomes increasingly more important as you get to an age where muscle loss starts to become an issue. Protein is absolutely essential to keeping your body and muscles strong, even if you don’t eat protein in meat form. Healthy proteins include foods such as lean meat, high-quality fish, eggs, legumes, nuts, dairy, and soy products.

High-Fiber Foods

Fiber is a great addition to a diet that promotes healthy aging. These non-digestible carbohydrates are commonly found in things like whole grains, legumes, specific vegetables and a select number of fruits. Fiber is best known for keeping your digestive system in balance, contributing to overall body wellness throughout the years. Fiber also helps keep your heart healthy while simultaneously reducing your risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Fiber helps your body maintain normal blood pressure and fights inflammation throughout the body.

Blueberries

Blueberries are known as a superfood due to the fact that their chemical makeup contains beneficial antioxidants. Antioxidants help to protect the body against oxidative stressors that can directly contribute to aging. Blueberries also have tested high in their ability to fight the negative effects of free radicals. Finally, eating around 10 blueberries a day can help fight memory loss and increase overall cognitive skills as you age, while simultaneously helping improve balance. Antioxidant superfoods may also help prevent certain types of cancer, such as prostate cancer. They may help balance your hormones. Eating plenty of hormone-balancing foods along with the help of a doctor or center like Invigor Medical LLC, you can prevent health ailments or issues common to aging.

Calcium

Loss of bone density of very common issue that most people face as they grow older, especially women. Most adults should aim to get at least three servings of calcium a day. Calcium is best known as a component of milk and other dairy products. Preventing bone density with calcium works best when calcium is complemented with the intake of Vitamin D, as it helps your body to absorb the calcium more efficiently. Good sources of vitamin D include fatty fish, fortified breakfast cereals and egg yolks. Calcium and vitamin D are typically paired together in a calcium supplement.

These four foods and nutrients will help your body to age healthily and gracefully. Maintaining a proper diet that includes these foods, paired with moderate exercise, will help you throughout the aging process. Remember that although everyone ages, there are certainly steps you can take to do so in a healthy way.