Macon Magazine

February/March 2026| maconmagazine.com 77 Shawn McClendon is an ACE-certified personal trainer and owner of Back to Basics Health and Wholeness LLC, an organization dedicated to empowering people to take control of their health and avoid lifestyle disease. He runs a YouTube health and fitness channel, writes on health and fitness topics, speaks on health and fitness, and has authored several health/fitness books. Specifically, focusing on non-starchy vegetables such as greens (collards, cabbage, spinach, etc.), lettuce, broccoli, onions, and peppers to name just a few, supercharges your diet with vitamins and minerals without all of the calories, ensuring that an adult body does not go without what it needs to function properly, and keeping down inflammation, which typically increases with age. Next, get in your protein. Protein is a crucial building block for various tissues in the body, including the main one that we think about with protein, muscle. Muscle is incredibly important, not only in general, but specifically for us as humans as we age. Muscle is a very metabolically active tissue which also serves as a glucose "sink." Put simply, muscle helps us to burn fat and keep it off. However, as we age, we are increasingly susceptible to age-related muscle loss (sarcopenia), which means that a diet consisting of high-quality protein is key. The recommended daily allowance (RDA) for protein is 0.36 grams per pound of body weight; however, experts such as Dr. Gabrielle Lyon suggest a bare minimum of 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight, with protein needs likely higher if a person is physically active. Optimal protein sources include well-sourced meats (poultry, beef, fish), as well as plant sources such as beans, seeds and grains, which often need to be combined to ensure a full amino acid profile. Third, it's important to incorporate foods that are often referred to as "superfoods" into your diet. A superfood is simply a food that contains an exceptionally high nutritive value for the body, and incorporating them regularly is a sure way to ensure every need of the body is always met. To note, many unprocessed foods would qualify as superfoods, but some of the more notable superfoods include berries (blueberries, strawberries, etc.), garlic, green tea, brassicas (broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, etc.), salmon, and sweet potatoes. Another that I'll mention is liver. Yes, I'm sure the mere mention of the word turned up many noses instantly, but beef and chicken liver are considered some of the absolute healthiest foods that a person can eat. Seriously! If you incorporate these foods into your diet on a regular basis, don't be surprised if body aches improve, skin tightens and brightens, weight drops, and energy increases. Why? Because again, much of what we consider normal aging is instead a body that isn't getting what it needs. It's also important to note that, in addition to incorporating the foods I've mentioned, it's important to also avoid sugary foods, processed foods, excessive snacking, and late- night eating, as these can all increase aging of the body. What will you incorporate into your diet after reading this article? Post on social media with using the tag #responsible4myhealth. Also, if you're a liver lover, let me know! E very now and then, when I pass by the outdoor basketball courts at North Highland Park, or at Daisy Park by Atrium Health Navicent and notice young[er] individuals playing vigorous full court basketball, I think about how I used to frequently do the same. Although I consider myself fully able to play pick-up basketball now, due to my frequent and consistent exercise routine, I still have to acknowledge that playing basketball at 40 is indeed different than doing so in my 20s and 30s. The body does indeed change with age! It's a fact of life. A study published in the Nature Aging Journal in 2024 revealed that the human body experiences significant aging at two periods in adult life: first at 44 years of age, and again at 60 years of age. Around the 40-year transition, certain molecules and functional pathways shift having to do with the cardiovascular system, and lipid and alcohol metabolisms. Around 60 years, there was a shift observed in the immune system, and in carbohydrate metabolism. What this suggests is that generally observed increases in the prevalence of disease with age would be linked to these non-linear shifts in molecules and pathways with age. If this leaves you feeling bummed out, don't. One thing I've learned substantially over the years is that the body maintains an amazing ability to retain youthfulness, vigor, and health throughout the entire lifespan — and in spite of chronological age, particularly when its fundamental needs are being met. This means many of us experience changes in our body we attribute to aging that are, in actuality, due to the body not being adequately nurtured. For the rest of this article, I'd like to focus on foods that millennials (like myself), Gen Xers, and others over 35 can eat that will help maintain youthfulness and vigor by acting on specific pathways. First and foremost, you must eat your vegetables. A diet high in plant foods is a diet that is nutrient-dense, low in calories, and anti-inflammatory. "The changes in our body we attribute to aging that are, in actuality, due to the body not being adequately nurtured."

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