It is extrememly important that you continue eating properly as you age, in order to stay healthy.  Eating badly and not giving your body the nutrients it needs will not keep your body healthy.  Food is the fuel for your body without which, just like a car, you will not function properly without it.  In fact comparing your body to a car if you do not add fuel it will not go, if you add a cheap fuel to an expensive car it will not function as it should and this is very much the way your body works too.  Do not think that as you age you no longer need all of the nutrients that you needed when young, this is not true.  You will perhaps not need so much if your work load diminishes but you will still need the necessary nutrients for your body to be able to function properly. Remembering that not enough food is just as bad for you as too much food, especially if the food eaten does not contain the nutrients necessary for your body to keep you healthy.

Choosing the right foods to eat:
Not all foods are good for you, for example, although liver is loaded with iron which is good for your blood, too much isn’t good for you. Fruits and vegetables are good for you but again too much fruit will turn into sugar and that’s not good for you. The best way to eat is to balance your diet so that you have a little of all the food groups, carbohydrates, protien, fats, vitamins and minerals and fibre.  I would also recommend taking supplements to enhance your diet and avoid the problem of having to eat far too much food, and therefore calories, in order to take in the necessary vitamins and minerals for a healthy diet.  In today's society, unfortunately, the amount of vitamins and minerals in our foods are no longer as they should be as much of our fruit and vegetables are picked too early and ripened unnaturally.

How will I know if am not eating healthily?
Normally when someone is eating a healthly diet they will rarely notice, feeling good, having energy, sleeping well are all signs of a good diet. If you need to go to a doctor because of feeling unwell then it is time to think about your health and diet.  Sickness and illhealth is a sign that your body is not getting the nutrients it needs to retain a healthy working body.  Perhaps when you go to your doctor, he will be able to tell you if you need to go on a diet. Your doctor will be able to tell a lot by your weight. Then he may put you on a diet to lose weight or a diet to help you gain weight. He will also probably tell you want to exercise everyday. You have to be able to burn up any excess food intake so that it does not turn into sugar or fat. This does not necessarily mean a major exercise regime and more often than not means taking a regular walk for between one hour and three quarters of an hour daily.

Set yourself a goal.  Whether you wish to gain or lose weight or to just feel healthier setting a goal is important, you have something to work towards and this will inspire you to carry on.  Even better if you have a friend or member of the family who also wants to do the same thing, you could do it together.  Don't set your goals too high or too far away, better to look at what you want to achieve each week and see a result rather than setting something six months in the future that is easily changed if you give up.  Write your goals down, have a book handy and keep a record of things you do to get to your goal each day. Begin slowly and gradually increase your own expectations of yourself, you will be amazed at just what you really can do once you put your mind to it.  

It is all about willpower.  This powerful mechanism is inside you waiting for you to give the go ahead.  Of course it's easier just to give up and say oh it's old age catching up on me but to age healthily and enjoy life to the limit you need to take your own life into your own hands and do it.  As you learn more about yourself you will gain in willpower, which can, if you so wish, take you far beyond your present abilities and give you a long and healthy future.