For years, we're told how to eat to be thinner.
Eat less of this, cut out that, don't eat after a certain time, count this, weigh that and, if possible, spend at least part of every meal feeling mildly guilty about it.
But there's another conversation about food that I think is far more interesting, particularly as I get older.
What should we eat to actually look after ourselves?
Because the body you have at 25 isn't quite the same body you'll have at 45, 65 or 85. Our hormones change, muscle mass changes, bones change and our nutritional priorities can change too.
So rather than eating to fight ageing, perhaps we should be eating to support it.
Your 20s: Iron, Folate & Building the Foundations
In our twenties, ageing feels approximately 300 years away.
It's often the decade of university, first jobs, late nights, limited budgets, relationships, changing hormones, learning how to look after ourselves and generally working out who on earth we are. Nutrition can understandably end up somewhere below paying the electricity bill and finding matching socks.
But iron and folate deserve some attention. Iron helps our bodies make healthy red blood cells and carry oxygen around the body, and women who menstruate are particularly vulnerable to not getting enough because we lose iron through our periods. Folate isn't just a “pregnancy vitamin” either. Our bodies need it to make DNA and healthy new cells and to form red blood cells, although it does become especially important if you're planning a pregnancy or could become pregnant.
For those eating plant-based, lentils, beans, chickpeas, tofu, pumpkin seeds, leafy greens and fortified cereals can contribute iron, while leafy greens, beans, peas and some fortified foods provide folate. Eating iron-rich plant foods alongside vitamin C can help your body absorb the iron too.
Calcium and vitamin D matter for your bones, but you don't need to start “anti-ageing”. Instead, start practising body and ageing positivity, because the relationship you build with your body in your twenties could stay with you for decades.
Your body has your back, so have its back too.
You don't need fixing. You need feeding.
Preferably something other than packet noodles occasionally.
And your skin? Your twenties can bring acne, sensitivity and skin that changes its mind constantly. The Lustrous is my range for oily and spot-prone skin, while The Established was created for combination skin that can't quite decide whether it wants to be dry or oily.
Your 30s: Magnesium, Omega-3 & Thinking About Future You
Our thirties can be ridiculously busy.
Careers, relationships, children for some, changing direction for others, homes, work and approximately 4,762 pieces of life administration somehow appear. Whether you're looking after children, building a career, caring for other people or simply trying to keep yourself and a houseplant alive, it can be remarkably easy to make sure everyone and everything else is looked after before remembering yourself.
This is a good decade to think less about “superfoods” and more about eating plenty of different plants, while paying some attention to magnesium and omega-3 fats. Magnesium is involved in hundreds of processes in the body, including normal muscle and nerve function and energy metabolism, while omega-3 fats form part of our cell membranes and are important for normal health.
Pumpkin seeds, beans, wholegrains and leafy greens provide magnesium, while chia, flax, hemp and walnuts provide the plant omega-3 ALA.
Rather wonderfully, none needs to arrive in a £38 pouch with wellness printed on the front.
Your thirties can also bring the first little changes in your skin and body. Perhaps a few lines stay after you've stopped smiling, your knees make noises when you stand up, or your first grey hair appears proudly from the top of your head.
None of these mean you've let yourself go.
They're signs that you've kept yourself going.
And your skin? Hormones can continue to shift throughout our thirties, whether that's connected with pregnancy, contraception, stress, our menstrual cycle or simply being a human with hormones. For some women this can show up as changes in pigmentation. The Balance was created with uneven-looking skin and hyperpigmentation in mind, using ingredients including turmeric, carrot seed and bitter orange while keeping your routine beautifully simple.
Your 40s: Perimenopause, Brain Health & Feeding Your Changing Body
Hello, perimenopause.
For many women, somewhere in our forties the body we've known for years suddenly behaves as though somebody has quietly changed the settings overnight.
Sleep can change. Periods can change. Body composition can change. Hot flushes arrive. Concentration disappears halfway through a sentence and you find yourself standing in the kitchen wondering why you went in there.
If there were a decade to start deliberately feeding your brain as well as your body, I'd nominate your forties.
Walnuts are a wonderfully easy addition. They're one of the richer plant sources of ALA omega-3, alongside foods such as flaxseed and chia. Add berries, colourful vegetables, beans and wholegrains and you're building the kind of varied, plant-rich diet that supports long-term health.
I'm not going to tell you that eating three walnuts will magically retrieve the word that disappeared halfway through your sentence. Unfortunately, nutrition hasn't managed that one yet.
But this is a lovely age to stop thinking only about how food makes your body look and start thinking about what it helps your body do.
As oestrogen declines, bone and cardiovascular health become increasingly important too, so calcium, vitamin D, protein, fibre and healthy fats still deserve a place on the plate.
And your skin? This is often when skin starts becoming noticeably drier. Rather than throwing ten different “anti-ageing” products at it, I prefer a simple nourishing routine. The Eternal was created for mature and increasingly dry skin, feeding and protecting rather than trying to make your face look 25 again.
Your 50s: Heart Health, Beetroot & Staying Strong
If your forties are when hormones enter the chat, your fifties are a very good time to give your heart some extra attention.
Around and after menopause, changes in oestrogen are accompanied by changes in cardiovascular risk, which means what we eat matters for reasons that have absolutely nothing to do with fitting into smaller jeans.
This is where humble old beetroot becomes surprisingly interesting.
Beetroot naturally contains nitrate, which our bodies can convert into nitric oxide, helping blood vessels relax. Research into nitrate-rich beetroot has found potential benefits for blood pressure, although we're talking about including beetroot as part of a healthy diet, not treating it as medicine.
You don't need expensive beetroot shots either.
Roast it, grate it into salads, put it into soup, just eat actual food.
Oats, beans, lentils, nuts, seeds, vegetables and unsaturated fats such as olive oil belong in the heart-health conversation too.
Your fifties are also a time to think about muscle and bone health. Protein alongside resistance and weight-bearing exercise can help us maintain strength as we age.
That doesn't mean entering a gym full of enormous men and lifting something approximately the weight of a small family car. Weights, resistance bands, bodyweight exercises, gardening and carrying shopping all count.
Calcium and vitamin D remain important too, with UK adults advised to consider 10 micrograms of vitamin D daily during autumn and winter.
Rather than trying to become smaller as we age, perhaps we should think a little more about becoming stronger.
I much prefer that goal.
And your skin? Menopause can bring dryness, sensitivity and sometimes the surprise return of spots or redness. The Eternal is my go-to for mature, drier skin, while The Radiance may be better suited if redness and rosacea become the bigger concern.
Your 60s & Beyond: B12, Protein & Making Every Mouthful Count
Something interesting happens later in life.
Our energy needs may decrease, but our need for good nutrition certainly doesn't disappear.
Vitamin B12 deserves particular attention, especially for anyone eating a vegan diet because reliable natural plant sources are limited, making fortified foods and appropriate supplementation important.
Protein matters too because preserving muscle supports strength, balance and independence. Beans, lentils, tofu, tempeh, soya foods, nuts and seeds all count, while calcium and vitamin D remain important for bones.
But this isn't the time to become frightened of food or spend your life trying to become smaller.
Have the roast dinner, make the curry, eat the puddings, and sit around a table with people you love.
Nutrition matters, but so does enjoying your life.
And your skin? Keep it simple, keep it nourished and please don't wage war on every line on your face. The Eternal can continue doing what it was designed to do: nourish mature skin without pretending ageing is something skincare should erase.
What Should Women Eat as They Get Older?
Women don't suddenly need a completely different diet every time they have a birthday.
The basics remain remarkably boring: eat plenty of plants, get enough protein, include healthy fats and fibre, drink enough and move your body.
What changes is where we might want to pay a little more attention.
Your 20s: iron, folate and foundations.
Your 30s: magnesium, omega-3 and future-you.
Your 40s: brain, bones and hormones. Add the walnuts.
Your 50s: heart, muscle and strength. Give beetroot another look.
Your 60s and beyond: B12, protein and staying strong.
Perhaps instead of spending our twenties, thirties, forties and fifties asking how to make our bodies smaller, younger and more acceptable, we could ask a different question:
What does my body need from me now?
Because ageing isn't something our bodies are doing wrong.
If we're lucky, it's something they'll keep doing for a very long time.
We might as well feed them properly for the journey.
A little note: This article is for general information rather than individual medical or nutritional advice. Nutritional needs vary, particularly during pregnancy, menopause, with medical conditions or when taking medication, so speak to your GP or a registered dietitian if you need personalised advice.