It's not just our looks, interests and priorities that change as we get older - our nutritional needs do too. 

Although the basic dietary principles remain the same throughout life, the importance of certain nutrients changes.  Here are our top tips for eating for your age. 

The sooner you start eating well, the more beneficial it will be to you. 

• Peak bone mass is reached around 30 years of age, so we need to consume adequate calcium and Vitamin D.  Good sources of calcium include low fat dairy products, green leafy veg, bony fish such as sardines and baked beans. 
• This is a busy period of life so we need to make sure that our iron intake is sufficient to help prevent fatigue.  Iron rich foods include red meat and green leafy veg. 
• To avoid premature cardiovascular problems, try to limit your intake of foods that are high in saturated fat such as fatty meat, full fat dairy products, ready meals & cakes/pastries. 

This is the period of life when we need to look after what we've got. 

• The risk of developing 'clogged artieries' increases in this age group so we should ensure that we continue to follow a low saturated fat diet. 
• The risk of high blood pressure increases too so try to limit your salt intake. 
• Consuming adequate calcium is particularly important for women who go through the menopause during this time period to help protect against osteoporosis. 
• Ensure that you eat a diet rich in fruit and veg as they are high in anti-oxidants which may help to protect against heart disease, certain cancers and Alzheimer's. 

In our 60's and beyond, we need to maintain our healthy habits and protect ourselves into retirement. 

• Eat a healthy, balanced diet with plenty of fruit and veg to ensure that you obtain adequate vitamins and minerals. 
• Joint problems become more common in this age group so you may want to consider taking a supplement such as glucosamine. 
• Digestive problems are more common too so maintain a high fibre diet.

Crisis, the homeless charity, is holding its annual fun run on June 4th 2009 in Central London.  The Crisis Square Mile Run will start at Paternoster Square next to St Paul's Cathedral at 7pm.  Covering a distance of 3.5 miles, the run takes you along the Thames Pathway & the Southbank and past the Tate Modern before finishing in spectacular style over the Millenium Bridge. 

You can take part in the Square Mile Run as an individual or as part of a team, joining over 2,000 other runners all aiming to end homelessness in the UK. 

Places are available now with individual entries costing £12 before Friday 15th May 2009 or £15 thereafter.  Crisis is aiming to raise £150,000 with this event.  For more information, or to enter, click here to visit the Crisis website. 

'Economic downturn', 'credit crunch' and 'recession' are terms that are all too familiar at the moment.  Understandably, this has led to many of us making cut backs on our spending, particularly on luxuries such as gym memberships and 'health foods'.  However, do we have to sacrifice our health and well-being during this credit crunch?  BlueSkies don't think so, we believe that staying fit and healthy doesn't need  to be a luxury! 

Let's make one thing clear - you can be fit without a gym membership!  Yes, gyms are handy as they offer a wide range of equipment providing variety and you may even enjoy the social aspect of your membership.  But, if money's tight, it is possible to keep up your activity levels without this luxury.  Here are our suggestions on how to stay fit on a budget. 

• Get outside!  With the weather getting better, why not do your CV workout outdoors?  It's easy to walk/jog/run outdoors - just invest in a good pair of trainers!  Or, why not get your bike out of  the garage, give it a service and explore your local area to get your workout?  If you like varying  the intensity of your CV workouts, hills offer great interval training opportunities but it's just as easy to plod if that's your thing!

• Use your body!  Resistance training may take a little more planning but remember that you can get a great workout using just your body weight or minimal equipment such as resistance bands and stability balls - you may need to be more inventive with your programme but it can be done.  Why not ask BlueSkies to design you a home workout programme?  Our charges are credit crunch friendly, so drop us an e-mail to find out more. 

• Play in the park!  If classes are your thing, why not set yourself a circuits-style workout in the local park and get your friends involved?  It's easy to do shuttle runs, jumping jacks, lunges and burpees outdoors but you can also be inventive and use commonly found 'apparatus' too.  For example, try tricep dips, step ups and push ups on a park bench or, if you have access to a children's play area, you may find bars which you can use to do pull ups or inverted rows. 

The main thing to keep in mind when trying to eat well on a budget is that healthy food doesn't have to be expensive.  Additionally, the word 'organic' does not mean healthy.  Our top tips for eating well on a budget include:

• Buy frozen fish, fruit and veg - it's just as nutritious but will result in much less wastage as you are able to defrost the amount you need, when you need it. 
• Make extra portions of your evening meal to use for lunches or freeze for future dinners. 
• Use leftover vegetables to make healthy soups which can be used for lunches. 
• Try replacing expensive meat/poultry with cheaper protein sources such as beans, lentils or Quorn™. 
• Think about growing your own veg - it will be organic and very good value. 
• Make a list before you go shopping and only buy the items on your list or do your shopping on-line to avoid those tempting in-store offers on foods you don't really need. 
• If there are offers on non-perishable foods such as canned/tinned products or cereals which you always buy, stock up to save money.