“I suggest that boomers return to their ‘real food’ roots,” says Helene Charlebois, RD, Ottawa-based Registered Dietitian/nutritionist. “The focus for boomers is vitality of life and longevity. I suggest eating a variety of foods from each of the food groups. Eating foods from “as close to the farm as possible” provides multiple disease fighting nutrients. This can fall short if dependent on vitamins in the form of pills. Choose a citrus fruit or 100 per cent juice. A glass of Tropicana Essentials Orange Juice with added Calcium provides a daily dose of Vitamin C, calcium, folate, potassium and powerful antioxidants.”

Charlebois recommends five power foods for good health:

100% orange juice and citrus fruits

A glass of 100 per cent orange juice packs a punch with Vitamin C, fibre, B vitamins, calcium, folate and other nutrients. It also contains antioxidants, which boost the immune system to help prevent disease and protect cells.

Oats

Oat-based cereals like Quaker Oatmeal can contribute to healthy cholesterol levels, and help with weight control. Soluble fibres found in oats act like tiny sponges during digestion to help soak up cholesterol.

Milk

Milk contains calcium, and vitamin D, which are both essential for bone health. Vitamin D has recently been hailed as a wonder nutrient for its potential role in the prevention of certain cancers; autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis; type 1 diabetes; and infectious diseases such as the flu.

Salmon

Fatty fish such as salmon is rich in omega-3 fatty acids and is also a source of Vitamin D. Omega-3 fatty acids help protect against heart disease, act as an anti-inflammatory and can have a significant effect on the muscle function of older men and women.

Almonds

Nuts are a source of disease fighting antioxidants and Vitamin E. Almonds are also known to have a beneficial effect on heart disease and may even help in weight management due to their high satiety effect.

----------------
About The Author

News Canada provides a wide selection of current, ready-to-use copyright free news stories and ideas for Television, Print, Radio, and the Web.

News Canada is a niche service in public relations, offering access to print, radio, television, and now the Internet media, with ready-to-use, editorial "fill" items. Monitoring and analysis are two more of our primary services. The service supplies access to the national media for marketers in the private, the public, and the not-for-profit sectors. Your corporate and product news, consumer tips and information are packaged in a variety of ready-to-use formats and are made available to every Canadian media organization including weekly and daily newspapers, cable and commercial television stations, radio stations, as well as the Web sites Canadians visit most often. Visit News Canada and learn more about the NC services.

Eating a variety of nutritious foods for a low fat, high fiber diet, rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, is one good strategy for lowering our risk of disease and disease-related disabilities. Also, it keeps our brains and bodies in tip-top shape as the years pass by. Remember that healthy aging also requires daily physical activity along with activities that exercise the brain.

In general, energy/calorie needs do get lower with aging because we have less muscle, more body fat and many of us tend to be less active. Keep in mind that we still need about the same amount of other important nutrients, including carbohydrate, protein, fat, vitamins and minerals, to stay healthy, and don’t forget the fluids. Here’s how mushrooms can be a tasty part of your anti-aging diet strategy.

Fresh Mushrooms Can Help!

Adding Antioxidants

. Fresh mushrooms contain significant levels of l-ergothioneine, a naturally occurring antioxidant that may also help protect the body against disease. Ergothioneine is found in both raw and cooked mushrooms.

Fabulous Fibre

. Fresh mushrooms contain both soluble and insoluble fibre. Insoluble fibre promotes regularity. Soluble fibre may help regulate blood sugar fluctuations and lower cholesterol levels.

. Beta-glucans, a type of soluble fibre, found in Maitake mushrooms (hen-of-the-woods) destroyed human prostatic cancers cells in a laboratory setting. They have also been found to have potential anti-inflammatory activity, which may help protect the body against disease.

Marvelous Minerals

. Fresh mushrooms are naturally very low in sodium and are a great way to boost flavor without adding a lot of salt in pastas, salads, stir-fries and more. A diet low in sodium can help prevent and control high blood pressure.

. A 1/2 cup serving of uncooked white button mushrooms is an excellent source of selenium. Researchers in the Netherlands found that men who ate the most selenium had a 31% lower risk of developing prostate cancer.

Winning with Weight

. Fresh mushrooms are perfect for low fat diets as they have high water content, are low in fat and contain some fibre which helps keep you feeling full.

. Being at a healthy weight is an important factor in helping to prevent or delay many chronic diseases and disabilities. These include diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, certain cancers, gout and general wear and tear on joints.

. Being at a healthy weight also makes it easier to be more active.

Mushrooms Make a Difference

. Use 1/2 cup sliced crimini mushrooms instead of 4 oz. of sausage in pasta sauce or on pizza. Benefit: save 158 calories, 9 g fat, 4 g of saturated fat, 642 mg sodium

. Add 1 cup sliced white button mushrooms to egg dishes instead of 1/2 cup shredded cheddar. Benefit: save 213 calories, 18 g fat, 12 g saturated fat, 353 mg sodium

. Layer 1/2 cup sliced grilled portabella mushrooms onto sandwiches instead of 3 oz. salami. Benefit: save 336 calories, 30 g fat, 11 g saturated fat, 1582 mg sodium

For more mushroom nutrition information, great tips and delicious recipes visit www.mushrooms.ca.

News Canada

About The Author

News Canada provides a wide selection of current, ready-to-use copyright free news stories and ideas for Television, Print, Radio, and the Web.

News Canada is a niche service in public relations, offering access to print, radio, television, and now the Internet media, with ready-to-use, editorial “fill” items. Monitoring and analysis are two more of our primary services. The service supplies access to the national media for marketers in the private, the public, and the not-for-profit sectors. Your corporate and product news, consumer tips and information are packaged in a variety of ready-to-use formats and are made available to every Canadian media organization including weekly and daily newspapers, cable and commercial television stations, radio stations, as well as the Web sites Canadians visit most often. Visit News Canada and learn more about the NC services.

Arthritis
Cancer
Diabetes
Heart disease
High blood pressure
Lung diseases
Stroke

Diseases such as Parkinson’s are more commonly seen in those over 65, though it can occur in those that are younger as can certain cancers and types of diabetes. Although some of these diseases listed may occur in those under age 65, a higher occurrence of these diseases tend to occur in persons aged 65 and older.

It also becomes more likely that you will suffer from more than one disease as you enter that over 65 age group. Statistics show that in this age group, 30% have 3 or more chronic diseases. These multiple diseases can complicate diagnosing as one could mask symptoms of another during times of stress like when fever exists. It may become difficult to treat multiple diseases as there may be times when treatment for one disease may be counter indicated in another one. Healthcare professionals often have difficult decisions to make regarding what the best treatment plan will be for those who have multiple diseases that are chronic and potentially life threatening.

Certain medications cannot only cancel out the effectiveness of another one, but one may have dangerous side effects when mixed with another medication. This is why it is so important for all healthcare providers to know what all the medications the patient is taking including those prescribed by another provider or medications that are over-the-counter. Pharmacists are required to be more diligent about checking for counter indications between medications that the patient has been prescribed to be sure to catch any problems that the providers may have missed or have not been made aware that the patient is taking.

There are some diseases that can impair the ability for the person to be able to function adequately at home to the degree that the quality of life decreases. In cases where the inability to function equates to the inability of the person to care for him or herself adequately, then other arrangements must be made. Usually a family member or friend can give minimal assistance with meals, shopping or errands and even daily dressing and bathing requirements. When help is not available or the care requirements are greater than can be handed by these persons it may become necessary to enlist the aid of paid healthcare professionals like a visiting nurse or healthcare aid. Recovery from disabilities in those under age 85 is as high as 1/3 of those afflicted and usually occurs in those who have good nutrition and are able to move around.

Home health care (hiring someone to come into your home to provide services) can be in the form of homemaker services like cleaning, meal preparations and yard work, medical treatments such as diabetic testing and injections or blood pressure monitoring, and physical therapy.

As the aging population increases in the U.S., healthcare and other services for this age group will come to the attention in a more dramatic fashion for those who make program decisions and governmental policy for services senior citizens require.