Healthy Nutrition in the Different Phases of Life

Each phase of human life is characterized by structural changes in the body and resulting different needs. This is especially true for nutrition.

The ups and downs in our bodies

As long as we live, up and down processes take place in the body. Until about the age of 35, the build-up processes predominate. Bone mass increases, muscle and fat tissue is built up. The foundation is laid for the body substance, the composition of which will remain important until old age.

With increasing age, the degradation processes come more and more to the fore. Consequently, a variety of changes occur in the body during the course of life. For example, the water content in the body decreases from 60-70% in infancy to 45-50% in old age. Muscle mass and bone mineral content decrease. The body goes through a natural aging process.

From a medical point of view, the aging process begins at the age of 40. These changes are quite natural and vary in severity from person to person. They can even be strongly influenced by one’s own behavior and lifestyle.

If you consciously deal with the physical changes that occur and the resulting demands, you have the chance to actively take countermeasures – for example, by eating a healthy diet. But what does healthy nutrition mean? How do I adapt my diet to the requirements of the different phases of life?

Food – more than just food intake!

Nutrition has many meanings for us. In terms of nutritional physiology, we speak of an adequate and needs-based supply of nutrients to maintain all organ functions and keep the body healthy. In practical terms, nutrition means the procurement, preparation and consumption of food.

Our time is characterized by an inexhaustible and sometimes impenetrable supply of food. From A for pineapple to L for light beer and P for probiotic yogurt to Z for sugar cane syrup, everything is available in the supermarket. In this respect, no wishes remain unfulfilled, only sometimes perhaps a certain uncertainty as to whether one or the other foodstuff actually delivers what it promises. But nutrition also means well-being and joie de vivre. It contributes to social life and the quality of life of each individual.

Eating a lot and eating well is a custom of all social classes. Increasingly, people are eating away from home, either because business is best conducted over a good meal or because going to the Italian restaurant around the corner after a long day at work is more relaxing than wielding a wooden spoon. According to the 2004 nutrition report, a good quarter of the German population eats out at least once a day. So nutrition and lifestyle are closely linked. So how do I find the way to healthy nutrition for myself and my family? And how can I implement the recommendations in my everyday life, which is characterized by hectic, stress and acute lack of time?

From youth to old age

In a series of articles, we want to present what changes and needs occur in the different phases of life, from youth to old age. We want to show you ways to actively deal with the demands of each stage of life. It is important for us to give you practical tips on how to implement the recommendations in your everyday life. Not only do we want to explain the importance of healthy eating, but we also want to help you put the right foods on the table.