Eat Well, Live Well: Valley Dieticians Offer Nutrition Tips

“People eat with their eyes,” says Don Menkie, a registered dietitian at Lewis-Gale Medical Center. A colorful meal assures a good variety of vitamins and minerals.

For example, yellow and orange vegetables are rich in nutrients, says Tammy Morton, a registered dietitian at the Salem V.A. Medical Center.

For seniors, nutrition is a crucial factor in staying healthy and happy. There are a few easy ways to help balance daily nutrients and calories:

• According to Morton, seniors often overcook food, losing water-soluble nutrients and enzymes.

Morton suggests washing food under running water.” She also recommends steaming or stir-frying meats and vegetables.

• Fruits are also an important part of a nutritional diet. Jeanie Redick, a certified nutritionist suggests an automatic juicer for oranges and grapefruits and using appliances that make raw applesauce from fresh apples.

• Restaurant foods have an unusually high amount of salt,” says Martha Anderson, director of the Carilion Center for Healthy Aging. Restaurant portions are also usually too large. Anderson and Menkie suggest splitting a meal with a friend or family member.

Since joint pain is a common problem with aging adults, it’s important to take certain precautions to prevent the wear and tear on cartilage, and that includes nutritional precautions: Morton says every extra pound of body weight adds three to four pounds of pressure on the knees.

Vitamin C may help prevent cartilage loss and slow the progression of joint pain and arthritis. And, Menkie says, drink lots of water and stay active: “Staying still will only compound the problems.”

—KS
 

Vitamins Can Round Out a Balanced Diet…But Beware Interactions

Supplements are a good way to help balance the nutrients needed in a daily diet, especially for aging adults, but supplements should not be a complete substitute.

A multivitamin is a good idea for most senior citizens, says Tammy Morton, a registered dietitian at the V.A. Medical Center. It provides a “little kick” that can balance a small loss of nutrients from day to day.

Vitamin B12 is also easier to absorb in a supplement than it is in real food since B12 in food is bound to protein, which is harder to digest, Morton says.
“Both Vitamin D and B12 have absorption problems when they’re from regular food,” says Don Menkie, registered dietitian at Lewis-Gale Medical Center.

According to Martha Anderson, director of the Carilion Center for Healthy Aging, certain combinations of supplements may interact with each other or with other medications. Morton says that supplements can have side effects and toxicities just like medications.

Since patients often see different doctors that are specialized for different problems, it’s important that they have one primary doctor that knows what each medication is and can help with choosing the right supplement.
Anderson’s advice is to take in every bottle of medication in a ziplock bag.
“This way,” Anderson says, “the doctor will know what prescription drugs are already being taken and what doctor prescribed them.”

Anderson and Morton agree that all senior citizens should talk with their doctors about taking a multi-vitamin or calcium supplement.

—KS