Mary White, 63 is a retired nurse now doing part-time charity work. She is divorced and lives alone in Wimbledon, London. She is 5ft 8in tall and weights 11 stone.
„I’m not in bad health but I don’t really feel well either. I suffer from bad bouts of insomnia – which seems to be a bit more frequent – and I lack energy, although I don’t think I’m stressed. I’ve also got a fat stomach no matter what I do, it seems to stay the same.
I don’t like junk food. I eat regularly, have small portions, and enjoy fruit and veg. My only indulgences are puddings – I have one every day, a small amount of dark or milk chocolate after my evening meal, and wine and a few crisps most evenings.
My exercise is mainly a round-trip 40-minute walk to the shops most mornings and I carry my heavy shopping bags home. I find if I stop walking I put on weight almost immediately.
Diet detective reports
Retirement and divorce could be the reasons for Mary’s insomnia, which may in turn be contributing to her lack of energy. But over 60, it’s important to consider ways to boost energy levels, which often dip naturally around this time.
Mary’s diet isn’t too bad- it is quite low on over-processed foods and she had a good range of fruit, veg, fish, meat, poultry and dairy, so she is unlikely to be short on most vitamins and minerals. But she’s getting on average only 4 portions of fruit and veg a day rather than the 5-7 she should have, and she’s a bit low on fibre, iron, vitamin C and zinc.
(Saga magazine September 2006)