Healthy food equals healthy aging

Keeping healthy, fit and well so that our "golden years" can be really golden takes some work through our life and it's never to early or too late to start. There are steps you can take to help your body age well.

Two recent studies have reinforced the notion of healthy eating and healthy aging. A study in the British Medical Journal suggests that consuming a Mediterranean-style diet may lead to a longer, healthier life. The results of the EPIC (European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition) study which followed over 23,000 healthy Greek men and women for more than eight years, showed that higher adherence to a Mediterranean-style diet was associated with a statistically significant reduction in mortality. Specifically, the components of the diet which provided the health benefits were high consumption of vegetables, fruit, legumes, olive oil, a moderate consumption of alcohol and a low consumption of meat and meat products. In this study, there was a minimal benefit from cereals and dairy products.

A second study published in this month's Journal of Nutrition showed that a healthy diet could make a difference in your longevity. Studying a group of more than 300,000 people in the National Institutes of Health/AARP database, they looked at their intake of fruits, vegetables, low fat dairy, whole grains, lean meat and poultry, and fat. Those with the highest scores of eating these healthy foods were more likely to live longer than those with the lowest scores.

So here are five simple things you can do right now to help keep you vibrant and well:

- Have you eaten delicious strawberries yet? Go to your nearest grocery store or market, buy some and you will be hooked on their wonderful sweet taste. A fabulous way to get one or more of your daily fruits and vegetables.

- Make a lentil salad for your next picnic/ backyard/cottage meal. Add some cut up peppers, tomatoes, onions, fresh herbs and finish it with a dash of olive oil and you'll be having your taste of the Mediterranean. You can also put the salad into a whole-wheat pita for a vegetarian lunch.

- Grill some salmon on the barbecue for your fix of omega-3 fats which have been associated with healthy aging.

- Grab a handful of nuts, either for a snack, to toss into a salad or to add to your stir-fry.

- Make a smoothie of low fat yogurt and fruit for a refreshing summer drink.