Boomers Take Charge of Their Bodies Via Healthy Eating

Boomers like to eat well... and now are dedicated to eating healthy (healthily, my English teacher mother would have said). Janet Helm of the Philadelphia Daily News wrote in "Baby Boomers Taking Charge of Eating Habits" that the gigantic boomer population is changing the way food marketers operate. No longer are they willing to buy gobs of Krispie Creme-type foods. They're more likely to gravitate to the natural foods aisles or shop at Whole Foods or natural food stores. Helm says "This generation is redefining what it means to have quality food." They look for the option of organic produce, fish with low levels of mercury, whole grain bread and pasta, low or non-fat milk and ice cream. And the grocery stores better have those items, or they're going elsewhere, even if it means driving a bit of a distance.

Boomers grew up with the idea that they could control their future and by their sheer numbers, they affect the culture. Look at all the fitness centers, spas, and meditative retreats that have opened in the last couple of decades. Now it's commonplace to see people in their 50's and 60's being fit and active, looking more like their daughters and sons, with a few more wrinkles and sagging necks.

My diet is significantly different from what I was introduced to as a child. I had a Viennese grandmother who lived with us and baked wonderful cookies and cakes almost daily. We rarely had fresh veggies or fish. We at a lot of red meat. Not anymore. I'm rarely tempted by sweets unless it's homemade and I know it'll be delicious. I try not to go back for seconds. I eat wild blueberries and flax seed on my high-fiber cereal, only whole-grain bread and pasta and grains and non-fat milk and yogurt. And I feel more energetic and stronger than I ever did in my 20s.

How about you? What are your eating habits and what do you struggle with? Comment at the end of the post or write to me at Karma@LifeSpringCoaching.com.