Hi there,

From the time we get our first spanking to the time we pop our cloggs, our bodies are in a constant state of change. As we age, we evolve and have different nutritional needs. Some vitamins and minerals become more difficult for us to assimilate, or our bodies don't manufacture them as efficiently anymore.

Men have nutritional needs based on their physiology and women have their own specific needs too. As a woman ages she produces fewer hormones. This can lead to a drop on the body's metabolic rate which requires a change in the recommended daily vitamin intake.

Iron and calcium continue to be important as always, but sufficient amounts of magnesium, zinc, folic acid and vitamins A, B, C and D are also crucial. These are essential vitamins for women of all ages but even more so in the second half of life.

There is an increased risk of degenerative disease as we age, such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes, osteoporoisis, so good nutrition becomes vital. In most cases the recommended daily vitamin and mineral requirement remains the same or a little higher than earlier in life, but we should pay more attention to this list as we get a little bit older and make sure that we are getting adequate quantities of all the necessary vitamins and minerals.

Up until menopause, a good daily dose of iron is necessary for optimum health, but afterwards you don't require as much. On the other hand, to help ward off osteoporosis, your daily calcium, magnesium and vitamin D intake should increase. Calcium intake should go up from 1000mg per day to around 1200, magnesium should increase to about 600mg and vitamin D as much as 20mg per day.

You will need more vitamin C, from citrus, and beta-carotene, from orange-colored foods, to flush out the free radicals that promote the aging process.

A healthy balanced diet full of fresh foods, whole grains and lean proteins should supply the majority of your dietary needs, and I'm not an advocate of supplements, but some minerals, such as calcium, become more difficult to absorb as we age so it may be necessary to give your body a little helping hand, in this case by supplementing your magnesium intake.

If you do choose to take supplements, make sure they are a quality brand from a reputable company with good feedback. Pills should start to dissolve in water in a few minutes and disappear completely overnight. Check the forums to find out about real users' experiences.

A quick look at Amazon's Health and Personal Care/Nutritional Supplements page, sorted by average customer review, revealed several brands that consistently get 4 and a half and 5-star reviews. I'll go out on a limb here and suggest that these would probably be a good, safe starting point.

I hope that helps.

Now it's time for action, so plan your work and work your plan

Take care ..