Pick better proteins for your health

You gotta pick smart in preventing high blood pressure. That’s the conclusion of a study in Hypertension.

Researchers examined the relationship between your risk for high blood pressure and eating protein from eight major food sources: whole and refined grain, processed and unprocessed red meat, poultry, fish, egg and legumes. Study participants with the highest variety score had a 66 percent lower risk of developing high blood pressure. And moderate protein consumption was the most beneficial; folks who ate the least amount of total protein and those who ate the most protein had the highest risk for new onset of high blood pressure. As for how much of your calorie intake should be from red and processed meats: 0.5 percent and 0 percent were optimal. Eggs came in at 0 percent, too.

So mix it up with plantbased protein from whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds, and animal protein from fish and poultry; and add in low- or no-fat dairy. Don’t overdo any one source.

Seniors’ diet quality tanks

For his role in “Father Stu” (due out this month), Mark Wahlberg gained 30 pounds by eating 7,000 calories a day. His diet included a dozen eggs, steak, half a roasted chicken and a “nightcap” consisting of oatmeal, apple sauce, jam, almond butter and molasses.

While Wahlberg’s slide into hyper-horrible nutrition was temporary — he lost the weight as soon as filming was over — for many Americans 65 and older, a slide into ever-lousier eating habits hasn’t had a turnaround. A study published in JAMA Open Network reveals that between 2001 and 2018, the number of older U.S. adults with “poor diet quality” increased from 51 percent to 61 percent. Overall, folks were eating more saturated fat and fewer whole grains. As for folks with ideal diet quality? Only a shocking 0.4 percent of people ate well enough to fall into that category.

For older adults, eating more heart-stopping saturated fat and fewer fiber-rich foods is a ticket for chronic diseases, as well as loss of muscle mass and tone and increased risk of infection, cognition problems, dementia and poor wound healing.

There’s a revolution in healthy aging happening that will let you have a Realage of 40 at 90 (I lay it out in my upcoming book “The Great Age Reboot”). Nutrition plays a big part: So make sure you get enough lean non-red meat protein, plenty of vegetables and fruit, and whole grains.