Over 55’s

Fascinating facts about this age group

33% of Irish women are overweight and 16% are obese
1 in 4 women over 50 in Europe have osteoporosis
1 in 4 Irish women do not eat enough calcium
46% of Irish men are overweight and 20% are obese
Irish adults spend an average of 18 hours a week watching TV
In the main they eat too much salt, fat and alcohol and do not eat enough fibre or take enough exercise.
About half of Irish adults over 50 years of age have high blood pressure.

Heart health

Risk factors for heart disease are broken down into those you cannot do anything about (age, family history) and those you can. Listed below are those factors which you can do something about:

High cholesterol levels
Smoking
High blood pressure
Being overweight
Diabetes
Not being active

How can I lower my cholesterol?

Get down to a healthy weight – being overweight means your heart has to work harder to pump blood around the body
Eat oily fish twice a week
Eat more fruit and vegetables
Eat more wholegrain cereals and breads, plenty of jacket potatoes and rice and pasta
Choose lean meats
Trim fat off meat and skin off chicken
Drain oil from cooked dishes containing minced meat
Choose low-fat dairy products
Choose low-fat spreads made from sunflower or olive oil
Choose less foods from the top shelf of the Food Pyramid
Use low-fat healthy ways of cooking like grilling or oven-baking, instead of frying

Physical activity

Being physically active every day is one of the best things that you can do for your health. People who are physically active are in the main healthier than those who aren’t.

Remember, the idea is not to go from no exercise to loads of exercise overnight, but to build up slowly. A small change that you can sustain is more important than a big change that you only do for a week. Do a small amount more than you normally would and keep this up for a week or two before increasing a bit again.

Being active has many mental and physical health benefits. It can:

Keep your heart strong
Help to manage your weight
Keep joints moving
Strengthen muscles and bones
Help you to relax and sleep better
Give you more energy and zest for life
Give you a feeling of well being

Blood Pressure

High blood pressure makes the heart and arteries work harder, causing damage over the years. This can lead to a heart attack or stroke at an earlier age than people with normal blood pressure. Fortunately, treatment can reverse most of these effects.

In mild or borderline cases, your doctor may recommend the following changes to your lifestyle:

Bringing it all together

As you get older it becomes more relevant than ever to manage your health in order to get the very most out of life. Being overweight, unfit or having risk factors for heart disease or poor bone health can all affect your quality of life.

Have a regular blood pressure and cholesterol check with your doctor.

Click here for 10 simple steps to a healthier you!

Daily menu plan

Regular meals stop you feeling hungry and ensure that you have a daily supply of essential nutrients.

Breakfast

One bowl of wholegrain cereal with chopped fruit and low-fat milk
One slice of wholemeal bread or toast
Tea or coffee

Mid morning

Fruit or yoghurt or wholemeal toast
Tea, coffee or water

Lunch

Plenty of cooked or raw vegetables
25 to 50 grams (one to two ounces) of lean meat, poultry, sardines, salmon, eggs or low fat cheese
Two slices of wholemeal bread or a roll
Low-fat yogurt or a glass of low-fat milk
Fresh fruit tea, coffee or water

Mid afternoon

Fresh fruit or raw vegetables
Tea or water

Main meal

75 to 100g of lean meat, poultry, fish (preferably oily), eggs, low-fat cheese or nine dessertspoons of peas or beans
Plenty of vegetables
One medium baked or boiled potato, or three dessertspoons of pasta or rice
Low-fat yogurt or a glass of low-fat milk
Fresh,cooked or tinned fruit (in its own juice)
Water

Supper

Tea or water , fresh fruit

Food Pyramid

To see how many servings of each of the food groups you should be including in your diet on a daily basis, view our Food Pyramid or download our detailed PDF.

Healthy Eating