Eating Healthy at Midlife

There are two main types of diabetes mellitus: Type 1 (insulin-dependent): the pancreas makes little or no insulin, because the insulin-producing beta cells have been destroyed. Treatment consists of daily insulin injections or use of an insulin pump, a planned diet, regular exercise and daily self-monitoring of blood glucose. Type 2: the pancreas might make some insulin, but it is not effective (see Insulin Resistance). Type 2 is controlled by diet and exercise and daily monitoring of glucose levels. Sometimes oral drugs that lower blood glucose levels or insulin injections are needed.">diabetes, but can help you eat less overall and lose weight. And that bowl of breakfast cereal? It's a well-known fact that eating a healthy breakfast helps you eat less throughout the rest of the day.

Get your nine. Sure, it might sound like some hokey government garbage, but there really is a reason to make fruits and vegetables the centerpiece of your diet and get nine servings a day. Not only are they high in the aforementioned fiber, but they contain powerful antioxidants and other plant chemicals that have been linked to everything from lower cancer rates to reduced risk of blindness to less heart disease. More benefits: vegetables (two or more servings of the leafy green type are best) can slow the rate of cognitive decline (memory loss), and reduce your risk of breast cancer. Yup, breast cancer. A study conducted in Chinese women found that women who ate four or more servings of fruits and vegetables a day slashed their risk of breast cancer in half compared to women who ate two or fewer servings a day.

Eat a salad every day. A study from researchers at the University of California—Los Angeles and Louisiana State University found that women (and men) who ate lots of salad and raw vegetables had much higher concentrations of folic acid, vitamins C and E, lycopene and alpha- and beta-carotene in their blood than those who didn't. These nutrients play major roles in protecting you from a variety of health conditions, including heart disease. We recommend eating your salad first. High in fiber, a pre-meal salad will assuage your hunger so you eat less of the main meal.

All sounding too complicated? OK, how about these five easy steps:

1. Eat as many "real" (vs. processed) foods as possible. You'll get more fruits, vegetables and high-fiber whole grains, with less sugar, salt and fat.
2. Eat two fruits and/or vegetables with every meal—including breakfast.
3. Make all grains whole grains. That means whole-wheat bread and pasta, brown rice and whole-grain cereals.
4. Stick with lean protein. Instead of a New York strip, have a tuna steak. Instead of a hamburger, order a turkey or ostrich burger. Instead of your famous lasagna with two kinds of sausage and ground meat, fix it with soy crumbles and turkey sausage.
5. Drink water, unsweetened tea, diet sodas and the occasional glass of red wine. All are much better for you health- and calorie-wise than high-sugar sodas, fruit juices, fancy coffees and commercial teas.