If you are a over the age of 55 and don’t want to be scolded by your doctor each time you set foot in the clinic or office, then you need to avoid eating certain foods. It can be tough to say “no” to cookies, potato chips, red meats, french fried potatoes, ice cream, and soft drinks but if you want to avoid the rath of your doctor, then stop eating them. You can begin by adopting a healthy, nutritional meal plan that’s healthy for you. Unlike your doctor; we won’t just tell you what you need to do – here are some tips to help you follow through!

1. Limit red and processed meats – processed red meats are high in saturated fats and come with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease

2. Avoid artificially sweetened drinks – you might have already cut back on soda, but sweetened juices and other drinks can also lead to future heart problems through the development of conditions like diabetes. Even one soda per day increased the risk of developing metabolic syndrome by about 50%, a condition that includes three of the following: a large waist, elevated blood pressure, elevated fasting blood sugar, elevated fasting triglycerides, or reduced HDL or “good” cholesterol and can increase the chance of developing both heart disease and diabetes.

3. Cut out the salt and fat – the fact that you should limit these foods shouldn’t surprise you, so avoid fast food, limit salt and saturated fats (a Mediterranean diet is a great way to go!)

4. No more bad cholesterol – it’s a myth that all cholesterol should be avoided. It’s just the bad kind that comes from saturated and trans fat that should be cut out from a healthy diet. Trans fats are mostly man made and absolutely can be reduced to nearly zero. Most trans fats are formed during the partial hydrogenation of vegetable oils.

The best way to avoid aging quicker in an unhealthy way is to exercise, eat right, and avoid smoking.