You are what you eat, right? For women over 50, eating the right foods becomes even more important to avoid health problems.

Jason Ewoldt, RDN, LD, a wellness dietitian at Mayo Clinic Healthy Living Program, often helps women modify their diets to stay in step with the changes taking place in their bodies. Decades of research have armed medical professionals like him with the nutritional knowledge that can help women stay vibrant as they age.

Ewoldt suggests that women over 50 target three important nutrients to combat the most common changes caused by aging.

1. Calcium for bone health

Osteoporosis gets a fair amount of attention, and most older women understand that the risk of developing this bone disease increases with age. In fact, 1 in 3 women over 50 is at risk of a bone break caused by osteoporosis. Osteoporosis affects men, too, but not at such high rates.

“We absorb less calcium as we age, and some women’s ability to tolerate dairy — the best sources of calcium — also decreases as they get older,” Ewoldt says. “Dark leafy greens and calcium-fortified orange juice are other good sources.”

Women over 50 need 1,200 milligrams of calcium daily. Use the Nutrition Facts label on food products to keep track of your intake.

2. Protein for healthy muscle mass

Older women tend to sit more, exercise less. That compounds a natural aging process called sarcopenia, which is the loss of muscle mass. By the time women near 80 years, they may have lost as much as half of their skeletal muscle mass. Eating enough protein reduces the impact of that muscle wasting.

“Healthy plant-based diets that don’t include meat, a major source of protein, can still provide plenty of protein if you make savvy choices,” says Ewoldt. He recommends choosing more soy, quinoa, eggs, dairy, nuts, seeds and beans.

Your protein needs depend on how much you weigh. For women over 50, experts recommend 1 to 1.5 grams of protein per kilogram of weight (1 kilogram = 2.2 pounds). If you weigh 140 pounds, for instance, you would need at least 63 grams of protein a day.

3. Vitamin B-12 for brain function

Ewoldt says that as women age, they absorb fewer nutrients from their food. One key nutrient they may not be absorbing enough of is vitamin B-12, which is essential for maintaining both healthy red blood cells and brain function.

“The best sources of vitamin B-12 are eggs, milk, lean meats, fish and fortified foods like cereals and grains,” says Ewoldt. “Vegans, in particular, will need to choose more fortified foods, but even elderly people who eat all foods may have difficulty absorbing enough vitamin B-12.”

While the recommended daily intake of vitamin B-12 for women over 50 is 2.4 micrograms a day, Ewoldt suggests you talk with your doctor to see if you also need a supplement.

Ewoldt offers three tips to help women over 50 get the nutrition they need.

• Make whole foods the foundation of your diet. “Focusing on whole grains, fruits and veggies will help avoid a lot of common problems that come with age,” says Ewoldt.
• Drink before you’re thirsty. The way your body detects thirst changes as you age. Says Ewoldt, “Make sure to drink plenty of water, even if you don’t feel thirsty. Carry a water bottle, and drink a glass with every meal.”
• Make an appointment with food. (And keep it.) Ewoldt often suggests that his clients create concrete plans that lay out exactly how they’ll get key nutrients. He adds, “Write the plan on a calendar. By simply making an ‘appointment’ with that apple, you’re more likely to eat it.”

Protect yourself from the sun

One of the most important ways to take care of your skin is to protect it from the sun. A lifetime of sun exposure can cause wrinkles, age spots and other skin problems — as well as increase the risk of skin cancer.

For the most complete sun protection:

• Use sunscreen. Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15. Apply sunscreen generously, and reapply every two hours — or more often if you’re swimming or perspiring.
• Seek shade. Avoid the sun between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., when the sun’s rays are strongest.
• Wear protective clothing. Cover your skin with tightly woven long-sleeved shirts, long pants and wide-brimmed hats. Also consider laundry additives, which give clothing an additional layer of ultraviolet protection for a certain number of washings, or special sun-protective clothing — which is specifically designed to block ultraviolet rays.

Don’t smoke

Smoking makes your skin look older and contributes to wrinkles. Smoking narrows the tiny blood vessels in the outermost layers of skin, which decreases blood flow and makes skin paler. This also depletes the skin of oxygen and nutrients that are important to skin health.

Smoking also damages collagen and elastin — the fibers that give your skin strength and elasticity. In addition, the repetitive facial expressions you make when smoking — such as pursing your lips when inhaling and squinting your eyes to keep out smoke — can contribute to wrinkles.

In addition, smoking increases your risk of squamous cell skin cancer. If you smoke, the best way to protect your skin is to quit. Ask your doctor for tips or treatments to help you stop smoking.

Treat your skin gently

Daily cleansing and shaving can take a toll on your skin. To keep it gentle:

• Limit bath time. Hot water and long showers or baths remove oils from your skin. Limit your bath or shower time, and use warm — rather than hot — water.
• Avoid strong soaps. Strong soaps and detergents can strip oil from your skin. Instead, choose mild cleansers.
• Shave carefully. To protect and lubricate your skin, apply shaving cream, lotion or gel before shaving. For the closest shave, use a clean, sharp razor. Shave in the direction the hair grows, not against it.
• Pat dry. After washing or bathing, gently pat or blot your skin dry with a towel so that some moisture remains on your skin.
• Moisturize dry skin. If your skin is dry, use a moisturizer that fits your skin type. For daily use, consider a moisturizer that contains SPF.

Eat a healthy diet

A healthy diet can help you look and feel your best. Eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins. The association between diet and acne isn’t clear — but some research suggests that a diet rich in fish oil or fish oil supplements and low in unhealthy fats and processed or refined carbohydrates might promote younger looking skin. Drinking plenty of water helps keep your skin hydrated.

Manage stress

Uncontrolled stress can make your skin more sensitive and trigger acne breakouts and other skin problems. To encourage healthy skin — and a healthy state of mind — take steps to manage your stress. Get enough sleep, set reasonable limits, scale back your to-do list and make time to do the things you enjoy. The results might be more dramatic than you expect.