Nutrition: A Foundation of Wellness
Complement your physical activity program with a healthy diet. Good nutrition not only lowers the risk for many chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, osteoporosis and some types of cancer, but it also helps fuel your body and provides the energy you need to keep moving. Proper nutrition and exercise may be the perfect recipe to maintain or improve your weight. Eat healthy, feel great! Listed below are some vitamins and minerals, recommended amounts, their purpose, and common food sources for these nutrients.
Recommendations:
- Drink plenty of water every day
- Eat at least five fruits and vegetables a day (dark green, deep yellow fruits and vegetables are most nutritious)
- Eat fiber-rich foods and whole grains
- Eat protein-rich foods like fish and dried beans
- Use low-fat dairy products
- Get plenty of calcium, vitamin D, and vitamin B-12
Poor eating habits are often established during childhood. Select foods that are rich in nutrients and avoid empty calories like those found in sugars and fatty foods.
| Vitamins and Minerals | Daily Recommended Amounts for Adults 50+ | Common Food Sources | How Your Body Puts These Nutrients to Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vitamin A | Men: 900 micrograms Women: 700 micrograms |
Green, yellow or orange vegetables and fruits; dairy products | Good vision, especially night vision; keeps skin, hair and nails healthy; helps ward off bacterial infection |
| Vitamin B6 | Men: 1.7 milligrams Women: 1.5 milligrams |
Meats, eggs, whole-grain cereals; peanuts, walnuts, wheat germ, soybeans | Carbohydrates and protein metabolism; helps form red blood cells; promotes proper nerve function |
| Vitamin B12 | Men/Women: 2.4 micrograms | Liver, kidney, meats, fish shrimp, oysters, dairy products, especially eggs | Helps body break down proteins, fats and carbohydrates; required for blood formation and neural function |
| Vitamin C | Men: 90 milligrams Women: 75 milligrams |
Citrus fruits, tomatoes, green peppers, berries, potatoes, fresh green leafy vegetables | Promotes healing of cuts and wounds; keeps gums healthy; helps resist infection |
| Vitamin D | Men/Women: 10 micrograms | Saltwater fish, organ meats, fish-liver oils, egg yolks, fortified dairy products | Helps in normal formation of bones and teeth; helps absorb calcium and phosphorus and maintain calcium levels in tissue |
| Vitamin E | Men/Women: 15 milligrams | Wheat germ, plant fats, seeds and nuts, seafood, eggs, oils | Helps form red blood cells, muscles and other tissues; is an antioxidant |
| Calcium | Men/Women: 1,200 milligrams | Dairy products, calcium-fortified citrus juices, canned fish (with bones), green, leafy vegetables | Maintenance of skeletal muscle rigidity, nerve impulse transmission, muscle contraction and relaxation, heart function |
| Iron | Men/Women: 8 milligrams | Red meats, seafood, fortified cereals, dried beans | Helps carry oxygen to tissues, including muscle |
Updated: August 28, 2008
