Around 30 per cent of women are deficient in at least one important vitamin or mineral, Bibi Chia, principal dietitian at Raffles Diabetes and Endocrine Centre, told CNA.
These impacts aren’t felt immediately but make a tremendous difference as women begin to age. Women in their 20s and 30s may be at the peak of health and feel like they can get away with eating anything. But poor nutrition through the years will lead to low bone and muscle banks, causing health problems to emerge much faster than they might otherwise.
I have seen this first-hand. As a child, I watched my grandmother become frailer as she grew older. At the same time, her meals shifted to soup and porridge – foods widely thought of as more compatible with an elderly digestive system.
What we didn’t know back then, is that soup and porridge were not meeting her nutritional needs as she aged. When she fell sick, she didn’t have muscle reserves to help her recover. She went to the hospital and never came back.
INVESTING IN YOUR HEALTH BANK
The key to ageing well is to invest in building up nutrition reserves early. Our muscle and bone banks start building from childhood through to early adulthood. They then start depleting over time as we age. Complete and balanced nutrition including key nutrients such as protein, calcium and vitamin D are critical to build rich reserves to keep us healthy and improve quality of life as we age.
So how can women ensure their health banks are nice and full? The most basic step is to eat a variety of foods, including protein, fruit, vegetables and dairy. The Asian diet tends to be high in carbohydrates, with hawker centre and food court options offering a lot more rice or noodles than meat, seafood or vegetables.
Simple changes like asking for less rice and adding extra portions of vegetables and meat go a long way. So does eating calcium-rich foods like yoghurt and cheese, and high-protein foods like lean meat, eggs and legumes for muscle health.