8. Nutrition for the Fifty-Plus Reader

Nutrient	Why it matters after 50	Daily target (approx.)	Eastern sources in this book
Protein	Protects muscle and strength	1.0–1.2 g/kg; 1.2–1.5 g/kg with chronic illness [15]	Tofu, tempeh, edamame, adzuki, mung, peanuts, sesame, soy milk
Calcium	Bone strength; low-dairy diets may fall short	1,200 mg (women 51+, men 71+) [16]	Calcium-set tofu (check label), sesame and tahini, bok choy, gai lan, fortified soy milk
Vitamin B12	Absorption falls with age; absent from plant foods	2.4 µg	Dairy, fortified soy milk or a supplement — essential for vegans
Vitamin D	Bone and muscle	600–800 IU	Sunlight; supplement if advised
Fibre	Bowel regularity, heart, blood sugar	25–30 g	Brown and mixed-grain rice, buckwheat, adzuki, vegetables, seaweed
Salt	Blood pressure, stroke	Less than 5 g [12]	Kombu dashi, reduced-salt soy, herbs

Rice and blood sugar

White rice is easy to digest but raises blood sugar quickly. For guests with diabetes or pre-diabetes, the Eastern kitchen has good traditional answers: mixed-grain rice (rice cooked with barley, millet, adzuki or brown rice, as in Korean japgok-bap), congee cooked with mung beans or sweet potato, and always eating rice with vegetables, tofu or beans rather than alone. Keep the rice portion to about one small bowl (150 g cooked) per meal.

Hara hachi bu and the Okinawa lesson

Okinawans traditionally practise hara hachi bu — stopping eating when 80% full. Their traditional diet was low in calories and very rich in vegetables, especially sweet potato, which in 1950 supplied most of their energy [11]. Researchers caution that no single food is a proven anti-ageing agent, and the Okinawan advantage has declined as diets have westernised. The enduring lesson matches Ayurveda: eat mostly plants, eat moderately, and eat with others.