By Teresa Carr
Adams County Senior Citizens Council
Administrative Assistant
From the National Institute on Aging – “What Do We Know About Healthy Aging?” Part 2. Healthy eating: Make smart food choices – Making smart food choices can help protect you from certain health problems as you age and may even help improve brain function. As with exercise, eating well is not just about your weight. With so many different diets out there, choosing what to eat can be confusing. The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans provide healthy eating recommendations for each stage of life. The Dietary Guidelines suggest an eating pattern with lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, healthy fats, and lean proteins.
Much of the research shows that the Mediterranean-style eating pattern, which includes fresh produce, whole grains, and healthy fats, but less dairy and more fish than a traditional American diet, may have a positive impact on health. A 2021 study analyzing the eating patterns of more than 21,000 participants found that people closely following the Mediterranean-style pattern had a significantly lower risk of sudden cardiac death.
A low-salt diet called Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) has also been shown to deliver significant health benefits. Studies testing the DASH diet found that it lowers blood pressure, helps people lose weight, and reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
Yet another eating pattern that may support healthy aging is the MIND diet, which combines a Mediterranean-style eating pattern with DASH. Researchers have found that people who closely follow the MIND diet have better overall cognition — the ability to clearly think, learn, and remember — compared to those with other eating styles.
What can you do? – Try starting with small changes by adopting one or two aspects of the Mediterranean-style eating pattern or MIND diet. Several studies have shown that incorporating even a part of these eating patterns, such as more fish or more leafy greens, into your daily eating habits can improve health outcomes. One study of 182 older adults with frequent migraines found that a diet lower in vegetable oil and higher in fatty fish could reduce migraine headaches. Another study that followed almost 1,000 older adults over five years found that consumption of green leafy vegetables was significantly associated with slower cognitive decline.
Even if you haven’t thought much about healthy eating until recently, changing your diet now can still improve your well-being as an older adult. If you are concerned about what you eat, talk with your doctor about ways you can make better food choices.
Save these dates and plan to attend! On Thursday, October 19, beginning at 11:30 a.m., will be our next free lunch and game day – Halloween style! Feel free to dress spooky, cute or fun as there will be prizes for the best dressed male and for best dressed female. Plus enjoy a free lunch sponsored by Best Choice Homecare and play a few rounds of fun Bingo, sponsored by Promedica/Heartland Hospice. We hope it will be a “howling” good time.
On Wednesday, November 8, starting at 1 p.m., will be our new “Social Engagement, Entertainment and Light Refreshments” event featuring “Ray-Ray, the Dancing Machine” and his dance partner, “Jeanie, the Dancing Queen”. They were the winners of the Adams County Fair’s “Got Talent? Contest” this past July and are just such a fun pair to be around. This is a free event and please, feel free to dance along.
Just A Thought: “Learn to enjoy every minute of your life. Be happy now. Don’t wait for something outside of yourself to make you happy in the future. Think how really precious is the time you have to spend, whether it’s at work or with your family. Every minute should be enjoyed and savored.” ~Earl Nightingale
