What we eat
When it comes to what to eat to stay healthy, there’s a lot of advice out there. Here’s a simple guide from Professor Linda Partridge, a geneticist from University College London who is an expert in ageing and how it affects the body, and Professor Kay-Tee Khaw from Cambridge University, who ran a huge study into the impact of diet on the lives of older people in Europe…
3. Portion control
“Don’t eat too much, so you maintain a reasonable weight,” says Linda Partridge, “and combine it with exercise to keep an equilibrium.”
4. Watch your protein
“Don’t eat too much protein in your diet,” advises Linda, “but you should eat more if you’re older to avoid frailty and muscle weakness.”
5. Minimise salt and sugars
“[These] are mostly found in processed foods so avoid ultra-processed foods,” advises Kay-Tee, while Linda adds that diets high in sugars can “hugely increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and metabolic disease.”
6. Up the plant food
“Five servings of fruit and vegetables a day, if possible,” says Kay-Tee, who adds that the ideal diet should also be “high in lentils and nuts.”