Nutrition in your 60's

Although I thought I knew a lot about this topic, my frame of reference, my parents. It was a little harder than I initially thought. I am fortunate to have had parents that had fairly good health and good appetites in their 60’s. I decided to approach this by giving some good information that will help those in their 60’s.

Why the 60’s? This is important news, as the world's aging population, those individuals over 60, is growing. It is estimated that this age group represented around 10% of the world's population in 1999; it's projected that in 2050, 20% of the world's population (over 2 billion people) will fall into this group. So what are the nutrition needs of this group of individuals?

The main focus is to be sure that you get good nutrition. As we get older our nutrition needs change. Another focus should be to choose whole foods. Whole foods are simply foods that come in their own packaging, like fruits and vegetables. Whole foods contain many nutrients that are important as we age. Staying away from processed food is a good idea also because they tend to have more sodium. There is a common theme across the decades, to eat real food and more of it.

Below you will find areas of concern for individuals over 60. I feel that this information is very useful. The information has been adapted from the health24.com website.

Lean muscle mass

Your body composition changes as you age. Interestingly, the lean muscle mass of normal men decreases from about 24kg in their 20s to about 13kg in their 70s.

This process (also referred to as "sarcopenia") can be slowed down by sufficient intake of protein, and more specifically the branched-chain amino acids (amino acids are the building blocks of protein).

Dairy, red meat and eggs are good sources of these amino acids.

Bone-mineral density

Osteoporosis affects one in three women, and one in 12 men, over the age of 50.
To preserve bone health throughout old age, it's important to include the following in your diet:

• Calcium, found in milk, cheese, yogurt, spinach and sardines.
• Vitamin D, found in egg yolk, cod liver oil, mackerel and salmon. Daily sun exposure also increases levels of this vitamin in your body.
• Vitamin K2, which is found in: green leafy vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage, turnip greens and the dark green leaves of lettuce (about 100 microgram/100g); dairy products, meat, eggs (about 50 microgram/100g); fruit and cereals (about 15 microgram/100g).
• Zinc, found in dairy products, red meat, eggs, poultry and soya beans.
• Phosphorus, found in whole grains (especially oats), dairy products, red meat, poultry and seafood.
• Magnesium, found in whole grains, spinach, whole-wheat bread, bran flakes and red meat.

Joint mobility

Osteoarthritis, which affects many people over the age of 50, can result in loss of joint mobility and can significantly decrease quality of life. It's a major cause of disability, affecting 37% of the adult population and 85% of those over 80.

The following nutrients are thought to be beneficial to osteoarthritis sufferers:

• Glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate, which are best taken in supplement form.
• Omega-3 fatty acids, found in fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel, herring, sardines and fresh tuna. If you don't eat fatty fish at least twice a week, consider taking an omega-3 supplement.

Immune function

As you get older, your body becomes more susceptible to disease. So, now is the time to give your immunity a boost.

The following nutrients could help:

• Vitamin B6, found in potatoes, sweet potatoes, bananas, chicken and mackerel.
• Folic acid, found in sweet corn, asparagus, Brussels sprouts, cabbage and fresh green vegetables.
• Vitamin A, found in sweet potatoes, carrots, cabbage, pumpkin and spinach.
• Vitamin C, found in asparagus, citrus fruit, broccoli, Brussels sprouts and peppers.
• Vitamin E, found in wheat germ, prawns, almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts and sunflower seeds.
• Zinc, found in dairy products, red meat, eggs, poultry and soya beans.
• Iron, found in spinach, dried fruit, offal, red meat, egg yolks and tuna.
• Selenium, found in brown rice, wheat germ, whole-wheat bread, poultry and tuna.

Brain and cognitive function

Mental impairment, confusion and dementia can have a severe impact on your quality of life and independence as you grow older.

Keep your mind sharp by ensuring an adequate intake of omega-3 fatty acids and protein (fatty fish are a good source of both), and a good balance of vitamins and minerals, particularly the B vitamins.

Heart health

Heart disease is the number-one killer in the world, and it's estimated that one in every three men and one in every four women will have a heart condition before the age of 60. As you grow older, your risk of suffering a heart attack or stroke increases.

Once again, be sure to get enough omega-3 fatty acids from fresh fish and/or supplements. Also make a point of including dietary antioxidants in your diet. Examples include:

• Anthocyanins, found in grapes, berries and cherries.
• Resveratrol, found in grapes and red wine.
• Lycopene, found in tomatoes.
• Lutein in spinach, kale and broccoli.
• Catechins in green tea.
• Quercetin in apples, onions and tea.
• Hesperidin in oranges.
• Sulforaphanes in broccoli, cabbage and kale.
• Diallyl sulfides in garlic.
• Isoflavones in soy beans.

Information adapted from Heath24.com

Food Day and Other Adventures

Today is the last day of October and I'm wondering whether the month has been a trick or a treat. First activity of the month involved cleaning out most of my raised bed garden. The only plants remaining are some hardy Thai hot peppers and some basil. For my first try, I had a pretty successful experience.

Second activity came with mid-way through the month we posted a new CFNI web page dedicated to Food Day with a link to the contribution we hoped to make for that celebration - "Celebrating Food Day, a Community Guidebook." But as luck would have it our website host initiated a new format around the same time and our page was lost in the transition. After a lot of back and forth, we were able to recover the page, but only after Food Day!! Luckily we did put in our guidebook introduction that the concept of Food Day was something that could be celebrated throughout the year. So hopefully all is not lost.

Third acivity came last week when I went to hear Michael Pollen speak at the Music Center at Swathmore. As I sat in my $45 seat on the Promenade Level I contemplated on how much food my ticket money could have bought a less fortunate family. To get those thoughts out of my mind I convinced myself that Pollen's lecture would help me better deliver CFNI food messages to the community. He started his lecture going through a couple of bags of groceries purchased from a local grocery store. Item by item pulled from those bags depicted "food like products" (kind of name he gave them) that were not real food, loaded with sugar, salt and other stuff, and not very healthy. In fact, he said if the label had more than 5 ingredients on it, the product wasn't real food. Morale of that lesson is to read food labels because a "healthy" food like yogurt can be ladened with lots of sugar! Another take away message was regarding pursuading people to cook. That simple activity causes people to know what they're eating and where it came from to a certain degree.

Overall, I enjoyed Pollen's presentation. However in the end, I was left with this empty filling going back to those families that can't afford to put food on the table, let alone go hear a lecture on food. Deep down the information I gained from the lecture I'm still trying to rationalize how to fit into the CFNI voice.

Celebrating Food Day, a Community Guidebook

Food Day is a grassroots movement made up of individuals and organizations wanting to promote healthy, sustainable, and just food systems. The Community Food and Nutrition Institute's contribution towards that effort is "Celebrating Food Day, a Community Guidebook", a compilation of information on various aspects of food and nutrition important for communities to understand and follow for healthy living. Thanks to a group of volunteers, the past couple of months was spent putting the Guidebook together. For a free copy, click on http://www.communityfoodandnutrition.org/FoodDay.asp.

The Link Between Food Choices, Income and Health

A friend sent me this link today, http://www.citylimits.org/slideshow/552/new-york-s-food-basket. It features New York's Food Basket. Four New Yorkers in some of the city's poorest neighborhoods are interviewed at three super markets. The article poignantly portrays the choices that people are making when buying food due to income, size of the family, and health. At a time when the economy is hurting so many people and the Centers for Disease Control is showing that the latest state data reveals continuing high rates of obesity (30 percent or higher in 12 states), it's important to recognize factors that determine how and what people eat. It's going to take a lot more than telling people to eat healthy to solve problems of obesity among adults and children. Just how do you get communities with limited resources to respond broadly to the issue of food, nutrition and health when they're struggling to meet basic needs?

Johnny Cake - A dedication to Granny

Earlier in July I lost a very special person in my life, my aunt, my granny. This is the person who was influential in helping raise me and my siblings when my parents left New York to move to Florida. Granny was one in a long line of aunts who allowed me to hang out in the kitchen and watch them cook. In the summer time I was always at her house during the day and most times were spent with me asking her questions about cooking. My favorite dish that she made was pan fried cornbread. She even left her frying pan with me when she came for a visit to Baltimore.

My last recipe in The Black Family Reunion Cookbook is an ode to Ethel, my Granny. I prepared Johnny Cakes (p. 26) and again, I had to change some things to make this recipe uniquely mine. Since I don't normally purchase milk, I didn't have the sour milk that the recipe called for. So I switched it up and used buttermilk. The recipe called for 1 egg, 1/3 cup sugar and 1 Tablespoon butter flavor Crisco plus 1 teaspoon, I used butter instead. This was combined in a medium bowl where I added 1 cup buttermilk and 1 teaspoon baking soda. I then added 1 cup all-purpose flour, 3/4 cup cornmeal, and 1 teaspoon salt. Stir just until the dry ingredients are moistened. Cover and let stand in a cool place for 30 minutes. I used corn oil to fry the bread.

This recipe was really good. I enjoyed it with my Meatless Monday meal of black beans and rice. I must say, my Granny's recipe was far superior to this one. I think since I spent close to 40 years enjoying her recipe that nothing could really compare. My fondest memories are when I was living in Miami attending school, I would call Granny to let her know that I would be coming through in about an hour to get my cornbread. Without fail, she would have it piping hot off the skillet and I would have my snack to finish my drive to Orlando to visit my mom. These are the best memories and I will always remember the good times at Granny's house.

"The Black Family Reunion Cookbook" - Part 2

It's that Thyme again! The cover of the "The Black Family Reunion Cookbook" has a quote "Strong families and good cooking often go hand-in-hand. This book is a celebration of both." I love this quote but I might add strong families and great friends. For the next recipes I enlisted the help of a very dear friend. Not only do I enjoy cooking, I enjoy cooking with friends and family. Since I don't take the term chef lightly, I would say that I had an excellent Sous Cook helping me in the kitchen. The menu consisted of Shrimp Curry (p. 138), Basmati Rice, and Buttermilk Hush Puppies (p.28).

I always have to put a different spin on my recipes, so this is "Shrimp Curry" remixed. I used 1 pound extra large shrimp, 2 Tbsp lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon of onion powder, and 1/4 teaspoon of cracked pepper. Place shrimp in a non-metal container and pour these ingredients over and allow to stand for 10 minutes. Heat oil in a large skillet, I prefer to use a more flavorful oil so I used 1 Tbsp grapeseed oil and 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil. I couldn't resist but I had some fresh churned butter from the Amish Market, so I added 1 Tbsp as well. I added a green pepper (from my own garden), 1/2 yellow onion, and 5 scallions and sauteed. I stirred in 2 Tbsp curry powder. Although the recipe called for 1/2 cup water, I added 1/4 cup water and 1/4 cup dry white wine. Simmer for 15 minutes and then add shrimp. Cook for an additional 15 minutes. This is a very quick recipe, but it is full of flavor.

For the buttermilk hush puppies, I allowed my Sous Cook to prepare this with my supervision. And might I say they did an excellent job. We combined 1 cup yellow cornmeal, 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Combine these ingredients in a large bowl. Stir in 1 cup buttermilk, we used fat-free. It seems to be the only kind of buttermilk available in stores. My view is that when you use buttermilk, you aren't really concerned about fat, but I could be wrong. Stir in 1 egg, beaten (from my farm trip) and 1/4 cup finely chopped onions. We fried our hush puppies in corn oil. They were delicious.

This meal was excellent! The best part is enjoying the meal with a friend. The food was excellent and the company wasn't so bad either.

Thyme's Garden 2011

It is that thyme of year again! Gardening thyme! I am a little late on giving the update on my garden this year. Last year was a wonderful year for my garden, there were some hits and misses. This is year three and I am feeling like a pro. There is still a lot to learn and I think I am well above the learning curve. The changes for this year include no longer growing zucchini, squash, and eggplant. I added cucumbers, yellow onions and red onions this year! They all appear to be great additions. Why didn't someone tell me that cucumbers would take over your whole garden. I will have to rethink this for next year. I planted several varieties of tomatoes including lemon boy, big beef, window box roma, and vine tomatoes. The jalapeno peppers did such a good job last year, that I decided to try it again, I planted mammoth jalapeno. This is working well for me. Of course I decided to plant different varieties of peppers including green bell peppers, sweet red peppers and yellow peppers. I also planted thyme, basil, rosemary and Greek oregano. Overall my garden is yielding great results. I seem to be keeping the pests at bay this year. I have tried feeding my garden with an organic feed, and it appears that it is working. My mom loves guacamole. Before she left to return to home after her very long visit, I used tomatoes and jalapenos from the garden to add some color! The guacamole was a hit.

Let's just say, I am enjoying gardening immensely. I feel that my ancestors are pouring their blessings down on me. I come from a family of farmers and I feel that my grandparents, great-grandparents and my dad would be especially proud of me.