Baby Boomers: 5 Eating Myths that are Killing You.

Change these five eating habits for long and healthy later years.

Author and Grandson at Powis Castle on a very windy day. Photo by Kayleigh Hall.

Baby boomers are now 59 years old or more this year. We're coming up to our "Golden Years" and have reached or are looking forward to retirement.

(A few of us may have lost our jobs and have found difficulty regaining employment, but that's another story).

During our lifetimes, the science of nutrition has changed enormously. Our parents' food is often treated with disdain as we've learned about, for instance, good and bad fats and high cholesterol.

Despite advancements and discoveries, misinformation and differences of opinion abound. Add to this, most information is targeted at younger age groups, and it's small wonder a considerable portion of seniors find their health and cognition deteriorating rapidly.

If you hope to have a long retirement, keeping your mind and body sharp, read on.

Power on with Protein

Myth 1 — Older people don't need as much protein.

Research has shown that older people require more protein to maintain muscle mass. They should consume as much as 2.0g of protein per Kg of their body weight.

This is considerably more than 0.8g/Kg, the current target for younger people.

Experts in the field of protein and aging recommend a protein intake between 1.2 and 2.0 g/kg/day or higher for elderly adults. National Library of Medicine

A good, honest look at how much protein you eat is vital here. It's also important to consider that your body can only process about 30g of protein at each meal. Eating an 8oz steak will only add 30g of protein to your daily total despite containing 60g.

Let's see an example of how much protein a typical 60-year-old needs.

I weigh 75 kg and consume 112.5g of protein daily. It's way more than I have been eating; it's almost double. Consequently, I have to focus on eating more protein.