Does this sound familiar to you?  Have you reached a point in mid-life where the biological reality of aging smacks you in the face?  As runners, we must have a sense of purpose to log mile after mile    and confidence in our ability to over-come such mundane forces as gravity and time.  But Mother  Nature is not so kind, and older runners must eventually face The Aging Process and its influence on our nutritional needs.

Let's start with the basics.  Everyone needs carbohydrates, fats, and protein (the macronutrients)every day to fuel the nervous system, organs, muscles, every iota of your biological self.  Up to age 50, men need, on average, about 2,200 calories each day, and women need about 1,800 calories.  Guidelines suggest we subtract 200 calories daily after the age of 50.  This is because metabolism, the magical process of cell renewal, is slowing down due to The Aging Process.  The key is that these calories   need to come from a good variety of foods so all nutrients, including micronutrients (vitamins and minerals), and are included in your diet.  Frequently, people in the 50+ age group using supplements to try to make up for dietary restrictions.  Usually there's a medical condition such as high blood cholesterol or diabetes, and their care provider has instructed them to restrict certain foods. The cautionary advice is that all supplements must  be cleared by the liver, so someone taking prescribed medications such as statins and newer diabetes drugs must be selective with supplements.  Using  food first to meet nutrient needs is encouraged first.  Nutrient deficiencies should always be assessed by blood analysis and interpreted by a trained care provider.  Hair samples, muscle testing, looking at irises - none of these is proven to evaluate nutrient status.

Hopefully you are starting to think abut how much you actually need to eat.  First, assess your current weight.  If you have extra weight, it's better to lose it in the earlier part of your mid-life rather than in    the later part.  As we age, our body composition changes.  We lose muscle mass; this is called sarcopenia.  The body fat, or adipose tissue, usually does not shrink unless something catastrophic happens (like a long hospitalization).  A little is OK but a lot is not, because as muscle mass is lost in aging, moving the body becomes more difficult.  Successful aging into your 80's and beyond depends greatly on your ability to move.  So if you have excess weight and you are still in your 50s or 60s, consider weight loss.

Second, assess your alcohol intake.  It's easy for a daily beer, wine, or liquor habit to stay with us as we age.  Unfortunately, it has a negative impact on the function of the aging liver and pancreas.  The major metabolic pathways that convert the products of digestion into actual nutrients go through the liver.   The pancreas produces insulin, which moves glucose into skeletal and cardiac muscle.  When these organs are not functioning, the energy systems needed by runners don't work.  Generally, greater moderation of alcohol the closer one gets to 65 to protect these organs and metabolic processes is encouraged.

How does an aging runner fuel him/herself?  Fruits and vegetables should be the first food items to choose for each meal.  These foods are nutrient rich, meaning there's lots of healthful nutrition in each bite.  Fresh, frozen or canned, these foods provide soluble and insoluble fiber; antioxidants such as vitamins A, C, E; phytonutrients such as stanols and sterols; minerals such as potassium, magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, and iron, all of which we have an increased need for as we age due to decreased absorption from an aging intestinal tract.  Theses foods are Nature's multivitamin pills.

Did you notice, decreased absorption of the gut as we age was mentioned?  This increases your need for protein in your diet.  It may seem that an earlier statement was contradicted, saying metabolism is decreased, thus calorie need is decreased.  However, research shows that older adults do better on strength tests with slightly more protein in the diet.  As an example, a 180 pound man needs about 80-90 grams of protein daily, or about three 3 oz. servings of lean protein foods.  Use this equation to estimate your protein need:  your body weight in pounds divided by 2.2=body weight in kilograms, then multiply by 1.2.  That is the upper limit of your protein need.

Next, carbohydrates, our favorite nutrient.  Everyone needs carbs, even someone with diabetes.  Here are the facts to make you an expert on carbs: 1) Carbohydrates comes primarily from plants, so a plant-rich diet is a carbohydrate-rich diet.  2) Because carbohydrates come from plants, and because we eat all parts of plants (roots, stems, leaves, flowers), the kinds of carbohydrates we get are fiber (soluble and insoluble, starch, and sugar.  3) Starch and sugar digest to glucose, the molecule that fuels every part of our body.  Remember, we need fewer calories as we age; portion control of starchy and sugary foods is the #1 way to prevent weight gain as we age, even if you are a runner.  Eat 1/3 cup of starchy food and 1/2 cup for sugary foods such as fruits.  Limit foods and beverages with added sugar, such as ice cream and margarita mix, to infrequent eating or drinking.

Last, though certainly not least, are fats.  At this point in our lives, although we have been relatively successful in keeping active most days, we are still sedentary compared to what our bodies are capable of doing.  Twenty thousand years ago, our ability to store body fat made us a successful species.  Unfortunately, our modern lives do not tap into the enormous energy we can store.  Dietary   fat has the most energy per bite of all the macronutrients.  All runners should eat in a low-fat way, meaning about 25% of your daily calories should be fats.  For an 1,800-calorie diet, that's about 50 grams (450 calories) of fat daily.  One tablespoon of butter, margarine, or oil is about 6 grams of fat.   The key to choosing fats wisely is knowing whether the fat is saturated or unsaturated.  Saturated fat tends to be associated with foods of animal origin and is solid at room temperature.  Unsaturated fat mostly comes from plants and is liquid at room temperature.  Choose heart-healthy oils such as olive   or canola.  And remember, low fat does not mean no fat. Some fat in your diet is necessary for optimal health.

• 3 cups Whole Wheat Flour
• 3/4 oz Fresh Yeast
• 1/2 tsp Sea Salt
• 1 1/2 cups Tap Water
• 15 oz Diced Tomatoes Canned
• 1 lb Part-skim Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Directions

Add 3 cups flour, fresh yeast (or one store-bought packet of yeast), salt and warm water to food processor.

Pulse several times, allowing dough to ride the blade to avoid kneading

Allow dough to rise on countertop for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Roll dough out. Top with canned tomatoes. Sprinkle mozzarella and your choice of fresh vegetables (bell peppers, mushrooms, onions, olives)

Bake for 15 minutes

For a step-by-step video, check out
LIVESTRONG.com Food Courting: How to Make a Healthy Pizza - http://tiny.cc/ch8jw