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8 foods you must eat: start eating like an adult, and you can be fitter and healthier in your 30s than you've ever been before - Active Nutrition

Men's Fitness, May, 2003 by Ben Kallen

In your early 20s it seems as if your body thrives no matter how you treat it. You wolf down giant burritos and never gain an ounce; you work out haphazardly yet still manage to look pretty good. By the time you reach your 30s, however, the free ride is over. Your metabolism slows, and since you're probably spending more time on the job and less on the court, you may be accumulating the beginnings of a spare tire. Increasingly you feel those late nights--and those last rounds of shooters--on mornings after. And if you haven't learned to eat healthfully, your insides may be showing signs of rising cholesterol, blood pressure or blood sugar.

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"You can start to ward off the degenerative diseases that come with age if you change your diet now," advises exercise physiologist Eric Sternlicht, Ph.D., assistant professor at Occidental College in Los Angeles and author of Why Weight. "Even small changes in the foods you eat, ones that don't affect the taste that much, can slow your rate of aging," adds Michael Roizen, M.D., professor of internal medicine at SUNY-Upstate in Syracuse, N.Y., and author of The Real Age Diet.

It's time to throw out those old eating habits along with the copy of Plato's Republic you've had since college--neither of them is doing you any good anyway. Here are eight foods you should start eating to get you on your way. If you're in your 20s, these will give you a head start. And if you're over 40, remember this: It's never too late to treat your body right.

1 SOY BURGERS FOR HEART AND PROSTATE HEALTH

Why you need them: As a teenager, you could scarf down a three-buck Ultra-Meal in four minutes flat and your waistline would hardly flinch. In your 30s, the saturated fat oozing through every ounce of beef, cheese and special sauce will turn your gut to mush, while cholesterol will slog through your arteries and put you that many minutes closer to a Letterman bypass. Fortunately, the folks who produce vegetarian burgers have been working to make them taste a lot more like the real thing. And while men who eat a lot of fatty meats may be more likely to have prostate problems as they age, moderate soy consumption appears to promote prostate health--something you'll be grateful for when you try to pee or have sex after age 50.

How to buy them: Soy burgers can be found in the frozen-foods aisle of any supermarket. We recommend the Original Boca Burger, which has 13 grams of protein and only one gram of fat.

How to make them: They taste genuine if you give yourself the complete burger experience: On a whole-grain bun, pile a patty or two with such accessories as fat-free cheese, pickles, onions, lettuce, tomato, mustard and ketchup. Consume while wearing your "Home of the Whopper" boxer shorts.

2 CHERRIES FOR PAIN RELIEF

Why you need them: You know them as a summertime treat, but cherries can also help relieve the aches and pains that occur with age, or prevent them altogether. Not only are they among the top 10 foods in antioxidant activity, they're also powerful anti-inflammatories (particularly the sour variety). In fact, a study at Michigan State University found that eating tart cherries could relieve inflammatory pain as capably as aspirin or ibuprofen, but with less potential stomach irritation. In addition, at just 51 calories per cup, cherries are harmless to your belt line, and they go a long way toward satisfying your daily requirement of five servings of fruits and vegetables.

How to buy them: Fresh, sweet cherries can be found in season--look for shiny, plump and firm fruit with good color, whether it's dark mahogany, bright red or pale gold. The stems should be fresh and light in color, not dry or shriveled. Avoid "immature" cherries, those that are hard or comparatively small. You can find tart cherry juice in health-food stores and many supermarkets, while gourmet stores often carry dried cherries.

How to eat them: Plain, or add dried cherries to cereal or trail mix.

3 SARDINES FOR BRAIN FUNCTION

Why you need them: A child's mind is naturally flexible, but as you age it becomes harder to make those creative leaps. The essential fatty acids EPA and DHA--found in high quantities in oily fish--can help prevent "senior moments" by protecting the membranes that cover your brain cells; they also help lower blood pressure and reduce heart-disease risk. But while tuna sandwiches are fine (especially if you make them with mustard instead of mayo), sardines have just as much DHA and three times as much EPA by weight.

How to buy them: Choose sardines packed in water. Sardines packed in oil--or, surprisingly, in mustard or tomato sauce--can be high in added fat and calories.

How to eat them: Sardines are good on their own, in salads, or even on toast for breakfast. A squeeze of lemon cuts the strong taste.

4 OLIVE OIL FOR VASCULAR PROTECTION

Why you need it: Unsaturated fats, such as the kind in olive oil, are greatly preferable to the saturated fats in meat and dairy--or, worse, the hardened oils known as trans fats found in many crackers, snack foods, processed foods and fried foods. Over time, olive oil can help lower your levels of "bad" cholesterol (LDL) and raise your levels of "good" cholesterol (HDL).

8 foods you must eat: start eating like an adult, and you can be fitter and healthier in your 30s than you've ever been before - Active Nutrition

Men's Fitness, May, 2003 by Ben Kallen

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