Preserving muscles as you age!

CHICOPEE, Mass. (Mass Appeal) - 22News Registered Dietitian Nancy Dell shared some helpful tips on preserving your muscles as you age.

Preserve Muscle as You Age
 
You actually begin to lose muscle mass in your 30's and 40's. At age 50, we lose on average one or two percent a year. By age 70, we can lose 20 to 40 percent of our strength.

Losing muscle results in a drop of metabolic rate and we burn fewer calories. Some muscle loss is inevitable because of changes in our hormones as we age, because our blood vessels age and can't deliver nutrients to the muscles as well, and because do not use protein to build muscle as well as we age.

Besides lifting weights, a new study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics suggests we need more protein as we age.
 
Recommended Protein 25-30 grams per meal
 
8 grams of Protein in...
 
1 cup  milk
1 cup Flavored Yogurt
1 oz. Meat, Fish, Poultry
1/2 cup beans
2 Tbsp. peanut butter
 
The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics suggests 25 to 30 grams of protein per meal. You can read labels to see how much protein is in food. In general, you will get 8 grams of protein in a cup of milk, a cup of flavored yogurt, a jumbo egg or an ounce of meat, fish or poultry, a half cup of beans, or 2 tablespoons of peanut butter. So you need any combination of three of these foods at each meal.
 
Do most people get enough?
Men tend to like more meat and do ok, but studies show most women get less than 45 grams a day when they get older.