A conversation with Erum Jhumra – Registered dietitian and nutrition therapist
“O you who have believed, do not prohibit the good things which Allah has made lawful to you and do not transgress. Indeed, Allah does not like transgressors.” (Al-Maidah 4:87)
In the 1820s, a French physician said: “Tell me what you eat and I will tell you what you are.” This rings true to this day – everything you eat impacts you in a long-lasting way, to the extent of changing your health outcomes in the future.
The aging process starts in your body in your thirties. Consequently, planning for aging well should start before you are thirty, which would mean embracing a healthy lifestyle, so that it becomes a habit. A wise man once said: “Your body is sent with a guarantee of forty years.” After that, it works according to how you have maintained it. Treating it well and remembering that it is an Amanah from Allah (swt) are the keys to keeping it healthy.
These days, it is difficult to understand what eating healthy means. We have social media and websites that keep touting superfoods and supplements one must eat, swearing by instant and long-lasting results. Influencers will further spread rumours about food toxins you must avoid at all costs and wondrous diets that are simple and straightforward – almost suspiciously so. People of all ages are, therefore, understandably confused about what food they need to be eating.
The truth is – searching for the elixir of youth through food, drink, supplements, or fad diets is never the answer. Ask yourself, why is looking youthful so desirable? Because of the physical beauty that comes with it, of course. The focus, instead, should be to age gracefully, while preserving maximum functionality of the body.
When we talk about healthy aging, we have to focus on its three main components: your intake or the type and amount of nutrients you consume, your output or your exercise, and your lifestyle. “I often find people assuming that their blood sugar, blood pressure or fat percentage will rise as a normal part of healthy aging,” says Dr. Erum Jhumra, a registered dietitian and nutritionist. “This is not true. All of these things have to be kept in check, no matter what your age is. Aging is not an excuse to eat and drink whatever, whenever you want. People also generally become more sedentary as they age, whereas in reality, you need to be more active than ever before.”
“Let’s be honest, everybody wants to believe that a simple solution can be the answer to a very complicated problem,” she continues. “Products touted for magical powers granting health and vitality, ranging from the likes of green tea and lemon water to costly miracle supplements advertised online often fall short of consumer expectations. Similarly, for reducing weight gained over years and avoid comorbidities associated with it, several restrictive diets have gained a large following. These plans severely limit a balanced intake of food and are very difficult to maintain in the long run.” Such trends should always be regarded with cynicism and a figurative cost-benefit analysis.
When considering the key principles of a diet that is suitable for healthy aging, we need to focus on the following:
- Portion size. As you age, you do not need as many calories as before. This is important to recognize, because portion sizes should decrease, without compromising the intake of nutrients. In order to maintain a healthy body weight, you need to be a little more selective than before and choose foods which benefit your health. A balanced intake of vegetables and fruits, meats, legumes, and dairy with a small amount of healthy fat works well to preserve functionality and prevent unnecessary weight gain.
- Nutrient density. You must include all essential nutrients in our diets. This includes the macronutrients carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, which should be eaten in moderation and according to individual requirements based on activity. For specific disease conditions, therapeutic diets should be followed. However, for balanced eating lifestyle we can choose from many options and guidelines: the DASH diet, Mediterranean eating plan, and MIND diets are well respected for their better health outcomes. It is not necessary that one mix fits everyone, but these plans show how to get a balanced intake for health preservation and disease prevention.
- Disease conditions. Another very important consideration would be the concern for onset of chronic diseases. It is a reality that whatever and however you have been eating all your life hugely affects your susceptibility or immunity to disease. Reducing the risk of diseases is impossible without taking into consideration the kind of lifestyle you have been leading and the food you have been eating. Chronic conditions like hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, fractures, and osteoporosis can all be traced back to how you have been eating throughout your life.
- Avoiding inflammation. There are many foods in current times that produce an inflammatory response in the body, which, in turn, is the cause of countless diseases. Inflammation is one of the common factors in almost all chronic disease conditions that we encounter today, such as hormonal imbalances, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and neurodegenerative disease. “You must take it upon yourself to learn about all foods that will cause an inflammatory response in your body,” elaborates Dr. Jhumra. “Foods high in sugar, high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), trans fat, refined carbs, and processed meats should be regarded with utmost caution.” We find youngsters eating fast foods: giant buckets of crispy fried chicken, sodas, fries upon fries and those ramen noodles that are all the craze nowadays – all of them are terrible choices at any age. Consumption of such junk food on a regular basis starts the inflammatory process at a very early age.
- Maintaining a healthy gut flora. Our gut microbiome or flora are microorganisms that live in our digestive tract and play a very important role in our health by aiding digestion, boosting immunity and much more. Keep in mind that the gut microbiome changes a lot as we age and undergo different processes in life (disease conditions, menopause, etc.), and generally, it is not a healthy change. So, we need to consciously try to keep our gut healthy; if it is not healthy, it will decrease immunity and consequently increase susceptibility to different kinds of diseases. How can one do so? “By eating a combination of prebiotic and probiotic food. Probiotics are essentially microbes that are healthy and taken in from dietary sources, which help with digestion and bodily functions,” she elaborates. “Prebiotics are the food we provide to the friendly microorganisms in our gut. Most fibers that humans cannot digest are prebiotics, as in, food for the probiotics. All prebiotics would include vegetables and fiber from grains that we are unable to digest.”
- Hydration. Mild dehydration is very common as we age, which drains the body’s ability to function normally. It is worth remembering that dehydration affects and causes a vast variety of changes like urinary tract infections, kidney stones, confusion, and increased risk of falling, and of different kinds of cancers such as colon, kidney and bladder cancer. “Hydration is extremely good for our health, being as simple as drinking more water and restoring bodily fluids,” comments Dr. Jhumra. There are certain signs, which tell you that you are dehydrated: dizziness, fatigue, weakness, dry mouth and being thirstier than usual.
- Appreciation and enjoyment. Remember, food is a lot more than the sum of its nutrients. Mealtimes should be relaxed, stress and distraction free, where you get a chance to converse and connect with others. Distracted mealtimes, while people are on their phones or watching television, cause mindless overeating. This is one of the most common and avoidable causes of obesity, which, in turn, is associated with a huge increase in chronic disease risk.
It is important to remember that healthy aging is a decision that we make early in life. It has numerous aspects that need to be understood and implemented side by side. While there are matters in life that we cannot control, aging gracefully is an option we can all choose.
Covered by Zara Noor Jhumra – Content writer and media studies student at SZABIST
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