In fact, cancer is the number-one killer of women in their 40s and 50s, and heart disease comes in at number two, according to the CDC. Diabetes and stroke also creep into the picture as you move into your 50s and 60s. While not always fatal, autoimmune diseases—rheumatoid arthritis in particular, but also lupus, Crohn’s disease, celiac disease, and multiple sclerosis—disproportionately affect women in midlife and beyond, per a 2015 study in Women’s Midlife Health. Blame a slower metabolism and shifting hormones for many of these health risks, says Felicia Stoler, RD, a nutritionist and author of Living Skinny In Fat Genes. If you’re still following the diet that worked for you during your 20s and 30s, you’re headed for trouble, she says. Experts say adding plenty of the following foods to your diet—particularly if it means replacing some of your current less-than-healthy foods (like your morning white bagel)—can help you avoid the health issues most likely to strike during your 40s and beyond. (Make slim-down meals in no time! This complete 21-day plan will help you blast belly fat and enjoy healthy home-cooking with less prep time and no tedious calorie counting!)
Raspberries
Declining gut health and issues related to improper digestion are tied to the kinds of inflammation-related autoimmune conditions that hit women during middle-age. Stoler says a lack of dietary fiber is part of the problem. “The typical American eats less than 10 grams of fiber a day, when the recommendation is for 20 to 30 grams,” she says. When it comes to fruit, raspberries are fiber champs. A cup packs 8 grams, according to the USDA. (Here are 5 simple ways to sneak more fiber into your diet.) MORE: 9 Secrets To Great Digestion
Lentils
Legumes are also loaded with fiber, Stoler says. While all beans are all good sources, the Mayo Clinic says lentils and split peas are tops when it comes to digestion-aiding fiber. (Do yourself a favor and try Mark Bittman’s vegan red lentils with roasted cauliflower.)
Canned pumpkin
Research from the Journal of the National Cancer Institute links carotenoids like beta-carotene to lower rates of many cancers, and breast cancer in particular. That makes foods loaded with these healthy antioxidants great additions to your diet. Any red, yellow, purple, or orange vegetables—as well as dark leafy greens—are going to be packed with carotenoids. But orange carrots and canned pumpkin are beta-carotene superstars. MORE: Foods With THESE Types Of Antioxidants Could Help Keep You From Gaining Weight
Cooked tomatoes
Along with beta-carotene, a dietary antioxidant called lycopene also seems to be a potent cancer-fighter, according to a study in the International Journal of Cancer Research and Treatment. Red-hued fruits and vegetables—tomatoes, but also watermelon, papaya, pink guava, and red bell pepper—are all good sources of lycopene. Cooking tomatoes may help your body absorb more of their healthy antioxidants, says research in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. (Here are two more veggies that are healthier cooked than raw.) Here’s how to peel a tomato:
Sprouted grains
No one is telling you to go nuts with bread. But modest amounts of healthy whole grains—the “sprouted” kinds that contain the grain’s entire bran, germ, and endosperm—are one of the few good dietary sources of tocotrienols, a type of vitamin E that may lower your risk for age-related brain diseases like Alzheimer’s. “The NIH is also looking at tocos for stroke prevention,” Stoler says. PREVENTION PREMIUM: 5 “Healthy” Eating Habits That Aren’t Nearly As Good As You Think They Are
Walnuts
Eating the right types of fatty acids can lower your risk for diabetes as you age. (Never ignore these 8 warning signs of diabetes.) In particular, the types of polyunsaturated fatty acids found in walnuts may help protect you from the disease, according to research from the Harvard School of Public Health. Most other nuts and seeds are also good sources of these healthy fatty acids.
Olive oil
Plant-based oils are another good source of healthy polyunsaturated fatty acids—the ones that Harvard study linked with lower rates of diabetes. While soybean and sunflower oil pack a lot of “polys,” olive oil should be your go-to, says Amnon Beniaminovitz, MD, a board-certified cardiologist with Manhattan Cardiology.
Avocados
No surprise here. But just because avocados are trendy doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be eating them. Stoler says healthy fats are one of the best ways to control your appetite, and avocados are a good source of this hunger-stifling macronutrient. Spread some on sprouted toast, and you’ve got a breakfast or lunch that checks a lot of nutritional boxes. (Need more ideas? Here are 25 tasty things to do with an avocado.)
Salmon
Eating a Mediterranean-style diet heavy on, well, most of the items on this list can cut your risk of death due to heart disease by 37%—roughly twice the benefit you’d get taking statins, according to a recent large-scale study from Italian researchers. Beniaminovitz calls the Mediterranean diet “the best and most studied diet we have so far for heart health.” (These surprisingly rich Mediterranean recipes also burn fat.) While most types of fish are great for you, fatty fish like salmon may offer the most heart benefits, according to the American Heart Association. The AHA says mackerel, herring, lake trout, and sardines are also healthy choices.
MORE: 3 Simple And Delicious Salmon Recipes
Kale
When it comes to healthful nutrients, kale has few equals. Perhaps most helpfully, kale is loaded with alpha-lipoic acid (ALA), an antioxidant that helps your body turn glucose into energy and keeps your blood sugar levels in check. Research has linked ALA to lower rates of diabetes, stroke, glaucoma, and other disease.
