By Jennifer Larsh, B.S.

This is the second article in a series designed to provide useful nutrition, exercise and wellness tips for promoting maximum health in each decade of life. For some, turning 50 marks the beginning of new roles and responsibilities. Nutrition and fitness sometimes move to the back burner as financial and emotional pressures of college-bound children and aging parents get turned up. With some preparation and commitment, however, food and physical activity can become part of the defense against the stressors of everyday life.

Nutrition Suggestions

Practice basic meal planning to ease the time of food preparation. Cook extra chicken, rice or soup on the weekends to have the components for quick, healthy meals during the week. For example, make a large batch of soup and then add one of the following combinations for a “new“ meal each day:

• Diced, cooked chicken
• Canned black beans and corn and chili or red pepper
• Cooked shrimp and rice
• Canned garbanzo beans and shredded Parmesan cheese
• Chunks of tofu and miso paste (a traditional Asian condiment made from soybeans)

For more quick, easy meal-planning ideas, visit www.minutemeals.com.

Fitness Suggestions

The newest guidelines recommend 30 to 60 minutes of physical activity daily. If squeezing 30 minutes of exercise into your daily routine seems daunting, break up the activity into smaller chunks. A ten-minute walk before breakfast, at lunch and after work can add up to big benefits for your sanity and health. Don‘t forget about “built-in” activity, such as playing with children or grandchildren, as playtime can build up a sweat! Take the stairs or park farther away to sneak in extra steps of walking. Perform push-ups and sit-ups at home if dumbbells and weight machines do not appeal to you. Ideally, a weekly fitness routine consists of the following:

• Cardiovascular activity. Perform 30 minutes of accumulated exercise on most, or all, days of the week.
• Strength training. Two to three times per week, target all major muscle groups with a minimum of one set of 8 to 12 repetitions per exercise.
• Stretching. Stretch all of the major muscles after exercising, holding each stretch 15 seconds and repeating the stretch two to three times.

Make time for quality food and fitness to benefit your body and your mind. Stay tuned for next month‘s article on nutrition and fitness in your 60s.