Age is just a number, really. Businesswoman Ruby Gan was 55 when she joined her first natural bodybuilding competition (no steroids), challenging competitors in their 20s and 30s. Singer/actor Zsa Zsa Padilla was in her 50s when she started learning how to drive, picking herself up again and again after a bumpy start. And there’s no stopping Tessa Prieto-Valdes from ticking off items on her bucket list, including learning how to swim in a mermaid suit.
Musician Ramon Jacinto, now in his 70s, still keeps trying new things, while sportscaster Quinito Henson feels it is refreshing to hit new milestones in his 60s.
Ageing gracefully is more than just a mindset. It’s also about giving your body the proper nutrition it needs.
Nestle Health Science, a company under Nestle aiming to foster a therapeutic role for nutrition in health care, rolled out three scientifically formulated nutritional solutions designed to help healthy adults (50 and up) get the most out of life.
Age gracefully
“The fastest growing population are those over 50 years old. It’s about how to age gracefully and positively, living well and aging well,” said Paul Bruhn, regional business head of Asia, Oceania and Africa (AOA), Nestle Health Science.
Dr. Earleen Seno-Ong, head of geriatrics at St. Luke’s Medical Center, said 6.9 percent of the country’s population are seniors 60 years old and above. By 2030, seniors will make up 11.5 percent of the population.
Unfortunately, one out of four, she added, were malnourished. This was unintentional weight loss brought about by medication, emotional problems such as depression, oral factors, economics or hypothyroidism.
Seniors often have to deal with osteoporosis, a disorder where bones become porous and brittle and is subject to fracture and sarcopenia—the age-related loss of muscle mass and strength.
“We recognize the increase in numbers of ageing consumers who now live longer, and we aim to empower them to take action to manage the age-related changes they experience and help them stay healthy,” Bruhn said.
According to research, special nutrition may help manage the normal changes the body goes through during life. Nutritional needs change over time, factoring in changes in lifestyle, dietary habits and metabolism. This is the reason why the research team of Nestle Health Science developed the Boost range.
There’s the Boost Optimum, a scientifically developed adult nutritional supplement that addresses the nutritional needs as you age to help you maintain overall health and avoid minor illnesses and medication.
Coupled with exercise, Optimum can improve strength. It contains 50 percent whey protein to help maintain muscle mass and recovery from injury or illness; vitamin E, B6, B12 and folate for a normal function of the immune system, and vitamin E to protect the cells from oxidative stress and boosting the immune system. It contains probiotics and is lactose-free.
Vitality
Another variant is Energis, a scientifically developed food nutritional supplement that provides effective levels of nutrients to provide strength and vitality. It contains 20 vitamins and minerals; is rich in quality protein, vitamin B2, B6 and B12; is high in calcium, potassium and magnesium, and is gluten-free with no added sugar.
Lastly, there’s Mobilis, a scientifically developed food nutritional supplement with active ingredients that support the three main pillars of movement—joints, muscles, and bones—to support good mobility.
Mobilis contains 24 vitamins and minerals and is rich in high-quality protein. It is also rich in vitamin C that contributes to normal collagen formation for normal function of cartilage; is high in magnesium for normal formation of connective tissues in the cartilage and bones, and is rich in calcium, vitamin D, phosphorous and zinc to help maintain normal bones. It is gluten-free with no added sugar.
“We’re bringing back attention to the Baby Boomers,” said Patricia Turcuato, consumer marketing manager, Nestle Health Science Philippines. “Many of them don’t have plans of slowing down. In fact, it’s when they stop moving that they start getting old.”
Take, for instance, Gan, who, despite being active most of her adult life—she’s a powerlifter, marathoner and ultra-marathoner—still has to deal with the body’s natural ageing process, which includes muscle loss. But that didn’t stop her from joining a natural bodybuilding competition.
“My meals are strictly regulated,” Gan said. “Carbohydrates from starch, sugar and processed food are not allowed. Protein in all forms is highly recommended, thus, I always have chicken in my meal, plus a protein drink after working out. Mobilis gives me that plus the vitamins and minerals I need daily … When I take my protein drink after an intense workout, I know the protein is working to restore my muscles.”
Boost Optimum, Boost Energis and Boost Mobilis is available at Mercury Drug and Lazada. On July, it will be available in South Star Drugstore, Watsons, Rose Pharmacy and selected supermarkets like Rustans and Landmark.
Visit nestlehomecare@rbc-mdc.com.