Fruits, veggies can fend off heart disease, stroke, some cancers

I have trouble chewing.”
“Food just doesn’t taste the same anymore.”
“It’s hard to cook for one person.”
“I’m just not that hungry anymore.”
According to the Web site for the National Institute on Aging, these are some of the most common reasons older people give for not eating right. However, Patricia Hart Terry, chair of the department of nutrition and dietetics at Samford University in Birmingham and author of “Made for Paradise: God’s Original Plan for Healthy Eating, Physical Activity and Rest,” encourages senior adults to eat a diet rich in fruits and vegetables because of the many benefits these foods offer.

Eating foods with nutrients
“Scientists continue to find compounds in fruits and vegetables that protect against disease,” Terry said. “Fruits and vegetables are rich sources of dietary fiber, vitamins and minerals (especially anti-oxidants) and phytochemicals.
“This makes whole fresh fruits and vegetables powerful deterrents for heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure and certain cancers.”

Cheryl Vasse, regional extension agent in human nutrition, diet and health with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, said one thing she has noticed is that many older adults tend not to eat many fruits and vegetables to get their vitamin and mineral content.
Vasse recommends that individuals refer to www.MyPyramid.gov, a Web site published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. By clicking on “My Pyramid Plan,” a user may enter his or her age, gender, height, weight and physical activity level. Based on that information, the site then recommends the total amount needed from each food group per day.

Using this information can help individuals make better food choices, which may lead to better overall health, she said.
“People of all ages are consuming more calories than they should,” Vasse said. “And though some cases of disease are based on heredity, the foods we eat can have an effect on certain conditions like diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and heart disease.”

Making meals better
The National Institute on Aging recommends that a moderately active woman over age 50 needs about 1,800 calories each day. For a moderately active man, about 2,200–2,400 calories are needed.
Though senior adult caloric needs are usually less than those of younger adults, the nutrient values of the food are still very important,  Vasse noted.

To make meals healthier and more interesting, she has several tips for senior adults who want to improve their diets:

• Purchase fresh fruits and vegetables as often as possible.
• Make healthier choices when eating at restaurants and always watch portion sizes.
• Purchase fresh fruits and vegetables as often as possible.
• Use herbs and spices other than salt to season foods, and avoid high-sodium canned foods like prepared soups.
• Choose foods with different textures and temperatures to provide variation.
• If eating alone, don’t eat in front of the television. Put out a pretty place mat and napkin, and make mealtime an important event.
• Keep healthy snacks on hand. Low-fat dips with vegetables and individual servings of fruit are always good choices.

In her book, Terry wrote that nutrition is not only important for health but it is also part of the plan God had when He created life on earth.
“We can see what God intended in the way He created the world, and in the story of the Garden of Eden,” Terry wrote. “When He made us, He had already made a world for us that would … provide just the right foods for our bodies to function as they should.”