It's the prime of your life, so eat right in your 50s

Let your vitamin stores run low and you run the risk of serious health problems. Dr Wynnie Chan shows you how to up your intake

We run the risk of letting our nutrient stores run low after we hit middle age, as our bodies no longer require the same amount of calories we consumed in our 20s, 30s and 40s.

A man sees his calorie requirements drop from around 2,550 calories a day at the age of 50 to 2,380 at 60. By the age of 75 it will be down to 2,100. A woman's calorie needs also reduce, but less drastically - from 1,900 a day at 50, down to 1,810 after 75 years of age.

It is never too late to start healthy eating habits - try eating more vegetables and fruit and cutting back on fatty foods like cheese and red meat. Your body will feel the benefit of eating less saturated fat, and an improvement in your diet will set you up for a healthy and nimble old age.

Vitamin D and calcium are important because they reduce the risk of osteoporosis - brittle bone disease. And, of course, the stronger your bones are the more mobile you'll stay for the rest of your life. It is also worth remembering that the B vitamins are still as important to your body today as they were in your 20s. Eating plenty of foods rich in vitamin B will help guard against mental and nerve problems. Fibre is also important, as it is believed to help protect against high cholesterol, as well as helping to protect against bowel diseases.

Give me sunshine
Deficiency of vitamin D, the 'sunshine' vitamin produced via sunlight on the skin, is common. Vitamin D is essential, as it makes sure that the calcium we eat is absorbed by the bones. As we age and our bones become thinner, it's important to stock up on vitamin D - it can be found in meat and meat products, oily fish, dairy and low-fat spreads, fortified breakfast cereals and eggs.