These may be the years of plate rotation. Our careers and relationships are falling into place and with that comes the stress of mortgages and family commitments.
We are not as young as we were and it is more difficult to recover as quickly as we did. If your food mountain up to this point has been a lighter shade of beige, then health issues and watching sick parents could cause you to seek out the food rainbow.
While it may be tempting to go on a restrictive diet of salads and excessive exercise, Tew cautions that you still need a lot of energy at this age, “so carbs should be a third of your plate.”
These are also typically the nurturing years, where folate, choline, iodine, vitamin D, protein, and fiber become crucial for mothers. Nine out of 10 women have low levels of folate in their blood, essential to protect the fetus from neural tube defects.
“Most people know that folic acid should be taken during pregnancy to reduce the risk of neural tube defects,” says Wilson. “However, it is rarely made clear that because the population intake is so low, supplements need to be taken for about three months before conception to increase levels.”
The British Dietetic Association recommends a daily supplement containing 400 mcg during the preconception period. You can get folic acid from foods like dark green leafy vegetables, beans, peanuts, sunflower seeds, and whole grains.
It is also concerned about the level of iodine deficiency in women of childbearing age in the UK. Iodine is required to produce thyroid hormone, which controls the density of neurons in the brain.
The World Health Organization describes iodine deficiency as “the most important preventable cause of brain damage” worldwide. “Sadly, iodine deficiency is the norm, affecting 67 per cent of pregnant women in the UK,” says Wilson. You can find iodine in algae, fish, shellfish, dairy and eggs.
Once pregnant, vitamin D and high-quality protein are needed for tissue growth, as well as fiber for intestinal health, as many pregnant women experience constipation.
For men, cutting back on binge drinking in your 20s is essential for fertility, says Hobson. “If fertility is a goal then you should avoid drinking and smoking as it affects the health of your sperm. A session of intense drinking can kill them for several months, since it reduces the hormones necessary to produce them.
It takes more than 30 days for a sperm to reach maturity, so every time a man drinks in a 30-day period, he exposes the developing sperm many times over to alcohol.
Zinc is important for men, and especially those looking for a baby, as it is used for the production of male sex hormones. “Try to eat foods like eggs, nuts, shellfish, seeds, and whole grains. Vitamin C is also important for fertility, as it has been shown to help prevent sperm from clumping together, which is a cause of infertility. You should get all the vitamin C you need from your diet by eating plenty of fruits and vegetables.”
If stress is really frequent, try taking magnesium, as the body quickly depletes during times of prolonged stress. Low magnesium can also exacerbate anxiety, creating a vicious cycle.
Those with an eye to the future will store nutrients now for a healthy later life by consuming a diet rich in antioxidant polyphenols (which may offer protection against the development of cancers, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, and diabetes), potassium (associated with reduced risk of high blood pressure, kidney stones, and osteoporosis), omega-3 (for heart and blood vessel health), and vitamin B5 (which has anti-aging properties, calming, smoothing, and hydrating skin and reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles). Who does not want to look good in old age?
Median age (including perimenopause)
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