Whatever your age you can always make a positive change to your lifestyle and rewards are radiating good health, a heightened sense of wellbeing, more energy and longevity! Take this opportunity to focus on your health goals and reduce the risk of heart disease, cancer, diabetes and osteoporosis. Consult your health professional on how to achieve these goals.

20’S

1. Prevent osteoporosis by building up bone mass with regular weight-bearing exercise and a wholefood diet including low fat dairy products, green leafy vegetables, canned salmon and sardines, nuts and seeds, dried figs, lentils and chickpeas.

2. Skipping meals puts you at greater risk for iron-deficiency anaemia especially if you have heavy periods. Eat breakfast and two other meals per day including foods which are high in iron such as green leafy vegetables, iron-enriched cereals, lean meats, chicken, fish, pulses and soaked dried fruit (prunes).

3. Limit take away and fast foods to once a week or less. A chicken fillet burger and baked potato has less fat than a Ceasar salad with loads of mayonnaise.

4. Get your blood cholesterol (and your HDL) checked at least once every five years starting at age 20.

5. Drink at least 8 glasses of plain water and substitute fizzy drinks with grape juice diluted with mineral water. Binge drinking puts a lot of strain on your liver so limit alcohol to 2 standard glasses per day with 3-4 alcohol free days.

6. Conduct regular breast checks after every monthly period. Use the flat of your hand and work around each breast in a circular motion feeling for any pea-like, unusual lumps .

7. Have a cervical smear test every year.

8. Be aware of the risks of taking the Pill especially if you smoke.

9. If you smoke, seek help to quit using acupuncture, nicotine patches or just decide to quit on the spot . Quitting will do more for your overall health than any of the above!

30’S (Build on the changes you have made in your 20’s)

1. By 30 you will have reached your maximum bone density – it will now gradually start to decrease so continue to exercise and eat a wholefood diet rich in minerals potassium calcium, magnesium, manganese, boron and silicon.

2. If you are planning a family, men and women should correct nutritional deficiencies first (zinc, iron, calcium, magnesium, B group vitamins, Vitamin C) by optimising diet and avoiding alcohol and coffee. Women need to take 800mcg of folic acid before pregnancy and ideally have 6 months off the Pill.

3. Eat at least 2 fruits and 5 servings of vegetables every day (see 2 fruit n 5 veg daily). Eat organic food as much as you can and avoid processed, refined food with added fat, sugar and salt.

4. Get your blood pressure checked at every doctors visit.

5. Boost your Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids by eating one heaped tablespoon of ground seeds (sunflower, pumpkin and linseeds) or one tablespoon of cold-pressed linseed oil and 2-3 meals of fish per week. Avoid fried foods and excess animal fat in meats and dairy products (see essential fats ).

6. Digestive problems, joint pain and a whole host of other ailments may indicate food intolerance. Many people are wheat and dairy intolerant so seek advice from your health professional to eliminate suspect foods.

7. Limit tea and coffee and gradually replace with herbal teas and drink at least 8 glasses of water per day.

8. Learn a meditation technique to help manage stress. Try yoga, tap dancing, belly dancing.

40’S and 50’s

When someone comments that you look younger than your age, you know that the changes to your diet and lifestyle are working so keep at it (It is cheaper and more satisfying than cosmetic surgery!). Prevent long term health problems by recognising and acting on any symptoms of disease. Keep your knowledge of health issues up to date and don’t be afraid to ask your health professional questions and seek a second opinion.

1. Have yearly medicals checking your cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar levels and act on signals of distress from your body by eating a wholefood diet low in animal fat, refined sugar and salt.

2. Practise regular breast-self examination and have a mammogram every year after the age of 40.

3. Continue with annual smear tests, clinical breast examinations and have a bone density test by age 45.

4. Correct nutritional deficiencies (essential fatty acids, calcium, magnesium, Vitamin C, D, E and B group nutrients) and start eating foods high in phytoestrogens - soy-based foods such as soy milk and tofu - on the advice of your health professional before menopause.

5. Have a thyroid function test for post-menopausal women over the age of 50. A sluggish thyroid can contribute to other hormonal imbalances, weight gain and fatigue.

6. Be informed of the risks and side-effects of HRT and explore natural alternatives like natural progesterone and bio-identical hormones if menopausal symptoms are interfering with your life (see women's health) .

7. Starting at age 50 get a stool blood test to check for colon cancer every year.

8. Set aside 20 minutes in the middle of the day to eat a vegetable/salad based lunch with small amount of protein such as a tuna/salmon salad. Try to eat a lighter evening meal before 8pm.

9. Be active every day with any exercise or activity you enjoy.

10. Recognise the signs and symptoms of stress and use the tools you have learnt to manage it – have a masssage, go for a walk, meditate.

60’s

1. Eat a diet rich in antioxidants (vitamins A, C, E, betacarotene, selenium and zinc) from brightly coloured fruit and vegetables, nuts and seeds and wholegrains and supplement where necessary. These help to boost the immune system and combat the effects of ageing and free-radical damage.

2. Reduce pain and inflammation in joints and help circulation by increasing essential fatty acids found in ground seeds, nuts, their cold pressed oils, evening primrose oil and eating oily fish three times per week. Supplement with glucosamine and chondroiton sulphate clinically proven to reduce pain better that anti inflammatory medication.

3. Stomach acid production decreases with age . To assist digestion take a digestive enzyme supplement or 2 tsps of apple cider vinegar in water with meals. Eat regular, small meals of high quality foods (see gut feelings).

4. The nutrients most likely to be deficient in older people are Vitamin B12, folate, Vitamin D, calcium, magnesium and protein. Include low fat milk/yoghurt, fortified wholegrain cereals, green leafy vegetables and eggs, tinned or fresh fish or lean chicken in your daily diet and take a multivitamin/ mineral supplement containing the above nutrients.

5. Supplement your diet with acidophillus to restore beneficial bacteria (found in fresh live yoghurt) especially if you have taken antibiotics (see probiotics)

6. In consultation with your doctor, regularly reasses you medication. Regular medication depletes vital nutrients, increases toxicity of the liver and causes digestive problems (see nutrient-drug interaction) Supplement your diet with extra nutrients where necessary.

7. Enjoy walking daily.