Tips for Dealing With a Picky Eater

When you get home from a long day at work, the last thing you want to do is wage war over broccoli at the dinner table. That’s why it’s so easy to fall into the trap of making mac-n-cheese or ordering pizza. It keeps you out of an “eat your vegetables” fight. The good news is, getting a picky eater to eat a nutritious meal doesn’t have to be a battle. Here are some tips for dealing with a picky eater:

1. Start by introducing healthier elements into foods that your child already likes. For example, offer blueberry pancakes, carrot muffins, fruit slices over a favorite cereal, chunks of bell pepper in a potato salad, or shredded veggies over rice.
2. Include your kids in the prep work. By being involved in grocery shopping and food preparation, your kids will have more ‘buy-in.’ If they feel some ownership over the meal, they may be more likely to eat it.
3. Don’t buy unhealthy foods. Out of sight, out of mind. If the chips and cookies aren’t around, your kids can’t eat them. They may resist at first, but when they get hungry, they’ll start munching the carrot sticks. Keep healthy foods on hand — 100 percent juice instead of colas or sugary drinks, and a bag of apples instead of a bag of chips.
4. Schedule snack time and stick to it. Most kids like routine. If your kids know they will only get food at certain times, they’ll eat what they get when they get it. Try to have snacks incorporate two food groups. For example, offer cheese and whole-grain crackers or apple slices with low-fat yogurt or cottage cheese.
5. Have healthy finger foods available. Kids like to pick up foods, so give them foods they can handle. Fruit and veggie chunks (raw or cooked) are great finger-food options.
6. Repeal the “clean your plate” rule. Kids know when they’re full, so let them stop. Overeating is one of the major reasons we get too many calories.
7. Encourage kids to “eat their colors.” This game works well with younger kids. Food that’s bland in color often also lacks nutrients. Eating a variety of brightly colored foods provides more nutrients in greater variety.
8. Don’t cut out treats altogether. Think moderation. A scoop of ice cream or a serving of Oreos is all right occasionally. If you cut out all the goodies, your kids will be more likely to overeat when they do get them. Make sure to moderate the treat consumption.
9. Veg out at the dinner table, not the TV. Eating in front of the TV is distracting, and kids may not notice that they’re full because they’re wrapped up in the show. Eating as a family is a great time to catch up.
10. Be a good role model. The best way to influence kids is by example. Don’t expect them to eat spinach if you won’t touch it.

Source : Nutrion Center

Get Non-Athletes to be Physically Active

Team sports are a great way for kids to get their daily activity requirement, but competitive sports aren’t for everyone. Here are some ways to encourage your “non-athlete” to get up and get moving.

Don’t make exercise a punishment. Forcing your child to go out and play may increase resentment and resistance. Try using physical activity to counter something your child doesn’t want to do. For instance, make it the routine that your child can ride a bike for 30 minutes before starting homework after school. Your child will beg for 20 more minutes outside just to put off the homework!

Find an activity they love. Some kids just don’t like competing in sports. That’s OK, there are lots of other ways to be active! Try swimming, horseback riding, dancing, cycling, skateboarding, yoga, walking or jumping rope. Encourage your child to explore multiple activities to find one they really enjoy. Build confidence. Some kids are embarrassed to participate in sports because they don’t think they’re good enough. Find time to practice together and boost their confidence.

Source : Nutrion Center

Make Fast Food Friendlier

Feeding your children nutritious meals between all your daily activities can be a challenge. While you zoom back and forth between soccer practice, the dance recital, the PTA meeting and picking up the dry cleaning, you’re lucky to find time to grab a meal at the drive-thru. If you must eat on the go, here are some tips to make fast food healthier for you and your family members:

• Pass on the “value-size.” When you supersize, the size of your fries isn’t the only thing that gets bigger.
  
• Skip the sides. Eating a burger or sandwich by itself is often filling enough. If you do want a side, consider ordering a fruit cup or side salad. Most fast food restaurants now offer them.
  
• Avoid double meat and bacon. A serving size of meat is 2-3 ounces — about the size of a deck of cards. You’re probably getting well over that with a single meat patty. Bacon is high in calories and fat with little nutrient content.
  
• Try the grilled chicken sandwich. Poultry without skin is significantly leaner than the meats most fast-food companies use in their burgers.
  
• Eat your sandwich open-faced. By eating only half the bun, you can eliminate unnecessary calories.
  
• Ask for a wheat bun. Some places offer a wheat alternative, some don’t. It never hurts to ask.
  
• Skip the mayo and other sauses. These dressings and sauces add unncessary calories.
  
• Drink water, diet soda or low-fat milk. Sodas are loaded with sugars, which have calories you don’t need.

Source : Nutrition Center

Vegetarian Reuben

Daily Recipe Swap at Recipelink.com
From: Betsy at Recipelink.com 1-10-2005 at RecipeLink.com

4 large slices of good rye bread
4 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 large ripe tomatoes, sliced into 8 rounds
1 cup sauerkraut, drained
4 tbsp Russian salad dressing
4 thin slices Swiss cheese, cut in half

Preheat the oven to 350.

Toast the rye bread and spread one side of each slice with mustard.
Place the slices mustard side up in a single layer on a cookie sheet.

Layer each slice of rye with the following in order:
1 slice tomato, 1 slice Swiss cheese, 1/4 cup sauerkraut and 1
tablespoon Russian dressing.

Bake for 20 minutes or until sauerkraut is hot. Top each sandwich
with a slice of tomato and a half-slice of cheese.

Bake for another 5 to 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

Servings: 4
Source: Claire's Corner Copia in New Haven Conn.

Source : Just Vegetarian Recipes

Vegan Lasagna

TOFU FILLING:
2 pkgs (16 oz each) firm tofu
2 tbsp minced garlic
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, (preferably Italian)
1 tbsp chopped fresh oregano, (or 1 tsp dried)
1/2 tsp salt, (or to taste) freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 lb fresh spinach, (optional) OR, large stems removed
3 pkgs. (10 oz each) frozen spinach, (optional), thawed & drained

Make the sauce:
In a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat, heat the olive oil. Add
the onions, and saute them until they are soft, about 5 minutes.

Add the garlic and cook 5 minutes more.

Then add the tomatoes, juice and all, along with the tomato paste,
basil, and parsley. Stir well, turn the heat to low, and let the
sauce simmer for 1 hour. Add the salt and pepper.

While the sauce is cooking, bring a large kettle of salted water to a
boil. Boil the lasagna noodles for 9 minutes, then drain and rinse
them well.

Preheat the oven to 400 F.

Place the tofu blocks in a large bowl. Add the garlic, basil,
parsley, and oregano. Add the salt and pepper, and mash all the
ingredients together by squeezing pieces of tofu through your
fingers. Continue until the ingredients are well-mixed.

If you are using fresh spinach, bring 1/2 cup water to a boil in a
large stockpot. Add the spinach, cover the pot, and boil the spinach
for 3 minutes. Invert the pot over a colander and let the spinach
drain for 1-2 minutes.

Assemble the lasagna:
Spread 1 cup of the tomato sauce in the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking
dish. Add a single layer of lasagna noodles, and sprinkle one-third
of the tofu mixture over the noodles. If you are using fresh or
frozen spinach, distribute it over the tofu. Next, ladle on about 1
1/2 cups of tomato sauce, and top it with another layer of the
noodles. Then sprinkle another one-third of the tofu mixture over the
noodles, top the tofu with 1 1/2 cups tomato sauce, and place a final
layer of noodles over the tomato sauce. Finally, top the noodles with
the final one-third of tofu, and spread the remaining tomato sauce
over all.

Cover the pan with foil, and bake the lasagna for 30 minutes. Serve hot.

Source : Just Vegetarian Recipes

Ginger Peas with Summer Squash 2 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons green onions, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons freshly-grated ginger
1 garlic clove, minced
1 pound snow peas, stems and tips removed and thinly sliced
3/4 pound yellow summer squash, thinly sliced
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded, deveined and chopped
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped (or substitute parsley for cilantro)
Salt and pepper

In a saute pan, heat oil and saute green onion, ginger and garlic for
about 1 minute.
V
Add peas, squash and pepper and saute an additional 4 to 5 minutes or
until vegetables are just tender. Remove from heat, sprinkle with
cilantro and season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Serves: 4

Source : Just Vegetarian Recipes

Beyond vegetarianism

by Anders Sandberg
A vegetarian approached me one day while I was eating, asking me (no doubt with the intention to sow guilt and preach a bit) "How can you eat *carrion*?". Unfortunately for him, I responded by happily explaining that it is quite natural for humans to eat carrion; after all, our evolutionary past suggests that we were opportunistic omnivores, eating meat whenever we could get it. Our teeth seem to be well adapted to chewing meat made tender by a slight rot, something we later replaced with cooking.

In fact, being purely vegetarian is unnatural. There are to my knowledge no indigenous people living only of vegetables (something that is very hard to do without advanced nutrition and availability of a wide variety of vegetables around the year). Being adaptive we can become vegetarian (or purely carnivorous) if we choose today, but it is an individual choice made based on our own values and not on any biological support. Vegetarianism can be seen as a kind of self-expression, a decision to overcome our biological heritage as omnivores for a herbivorous diet more in accordance to our ethics or aesthetic.
This transhumanist way of seeing vegetarianism is of course not very accepted by most vegetarians, of which an eloquent subset regard un- or non- natural things as bad. To get rid of the cognitive dissonance they attempt to show that humans really are herbivores, and that the meat-eating establishment is wrong. It is too bad they lack the courage to see vegetarianism as what it is: a deliberate change in our biology, based on culture not nature.
I will not go into the health benefits and problems of a vegetarian diet, I'm no nutritionist and this essay has other axes to grind. Instead of looking at eating green to improve one's health I'm more interested in strong ethical vegetarianism, the idea that it is wrong to eat meat since it implies killing other animals. There is also "weak ethical vegetarianism", which opposes eating meat because of the often bad conditions animals are brought up in; if these conditions were to be significantly improved this condition would become untenable.
While it is easy to point out that "natural" predators also kill prey all the time without anybody regarding them as unethical, I think ethical vegetarians have a point. Our ethics, a cultural construction that can be as absurd or practical as we or our memes (Self-reproducing idea or other information pattern which is propagated in ways similar to that of a gene) desire, can and should determine in what directions we autoevolve (Evolution directed by intelligent beings instead of natural selection).
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My personal ethics is based on the fundamental assumption that complexity and information is good. What does this imply about eating? Killing other living beings is of course negative, since we lose some of the complexity of the universe this way. On the other hand, the nutrients making up the animals and plants we eat, and their low entropic state, are used to sustain and develop our own beings. And humans are able to create systems of extreme complexity and information content; maybe it is good after all to eat chicken, since we can create more complexity in the world than the chicken could ever do? Or maybe it is just ethical for artists, scientists, engineers and other creative people to eat chicken, while it would be unethical for a bureaucrat to do so?
I think we need to take the long range view of this problem; detailed attempts to measure the complexity of different alternatives quickly run into the same problems as utilitarian happiness-calculations. In the long run, a temporary decrease in complexity can lead to a much greater increase in complexity in the future (a typical example is a forest fire, which enables many species to re-colonize a forest which otherwise would be almost a monoculture). If we as humans can make sure the complexity and information content of the universe increases vastly, then the small violations against the complexity ethics we out of necessity are guilty of can be forgiven. If we just feed on other beings with no intentions of ever changing the universe or our planet, then we are unethical. This leads to the interesting conclusion that the bio- fundamentalists, even if they are vegetarians, are behaving unethically as they prey upon other complex lifeforms while trying to preserve the complexity of the world as it is, with no increase or decrease, while it might be ethical for transhumans (Someone actively preparing for becoming posthuman [Persons of unprecedented physical, intellectual, and psychological capacity, self-programming, self-constituting, potentially immortal, unlimited individuals]. Someone who is informed enough to see radical future possibilities and plans ahead for them, and who takes every current option for self-enhancement) to enjoy a delicious dinner if it helps make the universe a more complex place one day. Fruitless table discussions are immoral!
Of course, it can still be argued that eating meat is bad even if we will eventually "repay" the universe by a huge increase in complexity. Not eating meat does however not guarantee more complexity, since fewer meateaters would mean less livestock reared and hence no net complexity increase. But there is a very real overhead in producing meat the current way by growing plants to use as food for the meat animal. So it seems like eating meat is slightly entropic, and the entropy increase becomes smaller the more we move towards the bottom of the food-chain.
So does this mean I have turned vegetarian? Not yet; I have never pretended to be completely rational, and eating habits are one of the more hardwired parts of our neural wiring. I realize that I do a lot of things each day that decrease the complexity of the world unnecessarily; reprogramming myself to avoid them is possible, but at present I think the mental resources needed to do it can be used in more constructive ways (or is this just my subsystems speaking?). So while I asymptotically move towards vegetarianism, it is interesting to consider other possibilities which would change the rules of the game, or go much further beyond vegetarianism.
One interesting possibility is the development of cultured meat. Growing tissues in vitro is at present a hot research subject, mainly directed toward culturing transplants, but if it succeeds there is no reason that the same techniques could be simplified and commercialized to meat culturing. Using a few precursor cells meat could be grown with no need of killing any animal and no animal suffering in a stock-yard, and likely with less waste of resources. It is interesting to note that many ethical vegetarians still react negatively to this idea, which suggests that it is not just intellectually considered ethics that has made them vegetarian.
Another possibility is to develop an animal which can produce meat without any need for killing. The archetypal example would be lizards who can shed their tails to escape predators; why not a meat animal which can shed meat without dying? This is essentially cultured meat that is grown in vivo instead of in vitro. It would in many ways be equivalent to eating fruits, which are harvested from plants (usually) with insignificant damage. The purely biological problems of implementing this are of course immense, since the kind of meat we usually eat consists of muscle tissue: how to grow muscles that can easily (and with no pain or danger to the animal) be removed, especially since muscles usually needs to be in use to grow? Needless to say, the idea of cows with "flesh fruits" on their backs would scare and sicken many, but ethically it is clearly preferred over killing animals for their meat unless one takes the extreme position that it is more wrong per se to change animals than to kill them.
In his book Islands in the Net Bruce Sterling suggests a radical alternative to vegetarianism based on eating yeasts and cultured bacteria (mainly for health reasons, since plants produce poisons to protect themselves, but maybe also ethical reasons). This may appear an extreme step, but it is possible to go one step further in the nutrient chain.
When I get the chance I plan to become fully autotrophic. Writers have speculated about plant-humans for a long time, but I plan something more original. I want to live in free space, living of sunlight and the minerals in asteroids. This way I will not need to sacrifice the complexity of any other lifeform to increase my own. This is the logical conclusion of the line of inquiry started by the vegetarian accusation of being a carrion-eater.

Benefits of Eating Vegetarian Food

a. Vegetarian food is the staple food of the world!
In reviewing typical menus around the world that are based primarily on grains and legumes with only a fraction coming from meat, milk and eggs, scientists have found a diet of about 2500 calories would supply 50% more protein than needed by 98% of the world's population!
b. Vegetarian food is healthy!
BY now all the most respectable and conservative nutrition journals have proclaimed that a good vegetarian diet is wholesome and healthful.

c. Vegetarian food does not cause deficiency!
As long as some milk is included in the regular diet, no evidence of deficiency is found.
d. Vegetarian food is good for your heart!
In fact, even conservative nutritionists have begun to speak of the dangers of eating too much meat. A wealth of evidence shows that increases in dietary cholesterol in take, present in animal products, leads to coronary heart disease. Vegetarians also have lower blood pressure because of an increased fibre intake.
e. Vegetarian foods help fight disease!
Further a vegetarian diet may reduce the risk of some kinds of cancer like cancer of the colon, rectum and breast. The ability of white cells to fight disease, is twice as much in vegetarians as in omnivores.
f. Vegetarian food is great for athletes and kids, too!
Children who are vegetarian still have enough nutrients for promoting growth and health. The balanced vegetarian diet provides the athlete with added reduction in coronary risk factors while meeting all known nutrition all needs.

Changing back to nature
First and foremost, the foods we eat should be as near the natural state as possible. They should be free of unnecessary chemicals in preserving, preparation and storage. The best anti - ageing pill is to eat less altogether and more lightly at each sitting, following the natural need of our bodies.

A word about fasting
In the ancient Asian tradition, fasting is termed a process of "Making one lighter". When properly done, it is a process of revitalization. This meant that one should be offered all the most nutritious aspects of the best quality of foods. The ideal technique for successful fasting is the use of fresh, raw fruits and vegetables or their juices. On such a diet, the full spectrum of nutrients is supplied in an easily assimilated form, so the digestive tract can remain essentially at rest. Try this when you've had a particularly heavy meal (don't we all!) or over eaten at a celebration!

Try carrot or celery juice supplemented with cucumber or spinach juice. Fresh apple, pineapple, black and green grape, mango juice are also popular. Although fresh sugar cane juice contains sugar, there is something in the fresh juice which does not cause dental decay! Eating refined sugar causes dental cavities. Try different combinations of fruit juices and spice them up with ginger or lemon juice.

Arthritis: relief through vegetarianism

by Lara Greguric

The symptoms began a few years ago. One morning, I awoke and was unable to move my hands. They were swollen shut into fists and attempting to wiggle my fingers was extremely painful. Over the next couple of weeks, the symptoms spread into other joints. My wrists, my shoulders, my knees and the joints in my feet became stiff, swollen, and tender. After a few weeks of suffering, I finally realized that this was not normal and went to see my family doctor. He referred me to a rheumatologist. At the ripe old age of 21, I was diagnosed with arthritis.
I was in shock upon hearing this diagnosis. I kept thinking "why me?" Arthritis was something that 85-year-old grandmothers get, not healthy, fit young adults.
Unfortunately, that belief is a myth. Arthritis is a blanket term for a disease that encompasses over 100 different conditions ranging from mild forms of tendinitis and bursitis to the crippling rheumatoid arthritis. As a disease, arthritis does not discriminate. It can inflict young children still in diapers, individuals in the prime of their lives, as well as the elderly. The condition is marked by an inflammation of the lining of the joints, resulting in joint and muscoloskeletal pain and eventual loss of mobility. Doctors do not yet know what causes arthritis and, although there is no known cure, symptoms can be treated through a variety of medications and lifestyle changes.
Immediately after my diagnosis, my symptoms worsened. I was mildly depressed and in a great deal of pain. There were days when I couldn't even get out of bed because of the swelling and stiffness. I was also experiencing a limited range of motion in some affected joints. I could no longer lift my arm up high enough to blow dry my hair and doing up zippers on the backs of dresses was impossible.
I was put on a series of non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). For those unfamiliar with NSAIDs, they are not the most user-friendly family of pharmaceuticals. They are quite powerful drugs that suppress immunity, have negative side effects on the liver and kidneys, and are corrosive to the lining of the stomach. I was unable to tolerate these medications. They gave me violent stomach cramps, nausea, and diarrhea. In my case, the prescribed treatment was almost as bad as the disease itself.
Growing increasingly impatient with traditional courses of therapy, I became convinced that there had to be a gentler, more effective way to treat my arthritis. After many hours spent reading everything I could on the topic, I discovered the link between diet, exercise, stress, and arthritis. Many conventional therapies treat only the symptoms of arthritis. On the other hand, lifestyle changes affect the individual as a whole, making him or her healthier and providing a more positive outlook. In turn, such changes have a positive effect on the disease itself. That is how I came to be a physically active, stress-managing vegetarian.
Countless studies published in various medical journals show that a vegetarian diet lessens the symptoms of arthritis in most people. Both the Arthritis Society in Canada and the Arthritis Foundation in the USA provide the following dietary recommendations for individuals suffering from arthritis:
· eat a variety of foods
· maintain an ideal weight
· avoid too much fat and cholesterol
· avoid too much sugar
· eat foods that are high in fibre
· avoid too much sodium
· limit alcohol consumption
The above recommendations are highly compatible with a vegetarian diet. Specifically, I started eating plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes. I limited my intake of processed foods, caffeine, and sodium and stopped consuming alcohol altogether. My new vegetarian diet was high in antioxidants and phytochemicals, which promote joint health. It was also naturally low in fat, cholesterol, and sugar and high in fibre.
I also started a regular exercise program. The benefits of exercise were threefold. Exercise strengthened my muscles allowing them to support more of my weight, taking some of the pressure off of my joints. Exercise also helped me maintain an ideal weight ensuring there would be no excess pressure on my joints. Finally, exercise gave me an outlet to release stress in a positive manner.
After only a few short weeks, my lifestyle changes were having a profound effect on my quality of life. My pain and stiffness disappeared. I regained a full range of motion in the affected joints. Most importantly, I once again had a positive outlook on life. For the first time in a long while, I felt I had some control over my body.
Now, six years after my diagnosis, I no longer have to take medications for my arthritis. I am living relatively symptom-free thanks to vegetarianism, exercise, and stress-management.
I initially became a vegetarian for medical reasons, but eventually I evolved, taking up the ethical cause and becoming a vegan. Although I don't recommend that individuals forgo medical treatment altogether, I do suggest that they educate themselves and make positive lifestyle changes such as vegetarianism as soon as possible. In some cases, doing so may alleviate the symptoms of the disease making traditional therapy unnecessary.
For more information on arthritis see:
Arthritis Society: www.arthritis.ca
Arthritis Foundation: www.arthritis.org

A Senior's Guide To Good Nutrition

A Senior's Guide To Good Nutrition
by Suzanne Havala, M.S., R.D.

Introduction to Diet and Aging
Relatively little is known about how the nutritional needs of older people differ from those who are younger. Although many people enjoy a generally healthy and vital old age, age-related health problems do increase with advancing years and often have an effect on eating habits.

The science of gerontology, or the study of normal aging, is still quite new, and science is giving us new insights into aspects of aging that in the past have been accepted as "normal." While there is a similar pattern of changes that takes place among all humans as they age, these changes can occur at different rates in different individuals. We do not know how much of this difference is due to genetic make-up, and how much is due to lifestyle factors such as diet.

There is abundant evidence to show that an optimal level of nutrition can extend the lifespan and improve the quality of life. A large body of research examining the health of vegetarians, who typically consume a diet that is lower in calories, saturated fat, and protein, and higher in fiber and phytochemicals than nonvegetarians, shows that vegetarians suffer from less heart disease, obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, and some forms of cancer. Vegetarians also tend to live longer than nonvegetarians.

Good eating habits throughout life can help to promote physical and mental well-being. For older people, eating right can help to minimize the symptoms of age-related changes that, for some, can cause discomfort or inconvenience. Although the aging process affects some people differently from others, everyone can benefit from eating a well-planned vegetarian diet.
Do Seniors Have Special Nutritional Needs?

Very little is known about how the aging process affects the body's ability to digest, absorb, and retain nutrients such as protein, vitamins, and minerals. Therefore, little is known about how the nutritional needs of older people differ from those of younger adults. Recommended nutrient intakes for seniors are currently extrapolated from those of younger adults.

One point that is generally agreed upon, however, is that older people tend to take in less energy, or calories, than younger people. This may be due, in part, to a natural decline in the rate of metabolism as people age. It may also reflect a decrease in physical activity. If the total intake of food decreases, it follows that intakes of protein, carbohydrate, fat, vitamins, and minerals also decrease. If calorie intake is too low, then intakes of necessary nutrients may also be low.

Many other factors can affect the nutritional needs of older people and how successfully they meet those needs, including their access to food. For instance, some of the changes that take place as people age can affect the kinds of foods they can tolerate, and some can affect their ability to shop for or prepare food. As people age, problems such as high blood pressure or diabetes become more common, necessitating certain dietary modifications. Digestive system problems become more common, and some people may have trouble chewing or swallowing.

Generally, current dietary recommendations for adults also apply to older people. These are summarized in the following chart:
1. Limit:
· sweets
· regular coffee and tea
· greasy or fatty foods
· alcohol
· oil, margarine, and "junk" foods
· other added fat
· salt
2. Eat plenty of:
· fruits
· whole grain breads and cereals
· vegetables
3. Drink plenty of fluids, especially water

Who Should Be Concerned About Their Diet?
Young or old, it pays to eat well and under stand some nutrition basics. For starters, since food intake usually declines with age, it may be increasingly important for older people to make sure that what they do eat is nutritious. There may be less room in the diet for sweets and other "empty calorie" foods, which provide little in the way of nutrition in exchange for the calories they contribute to the diet. Eat fewer snack chips and commercially made cakes and cookies, and do your best to limit soft drinks, candy, and alcohol.

A sensible program of exercise, such as walking, may also be wise. People who are physically active have an easier time controlling their weight while still taking in more calories than those who are sedentary. The higher the calorie intake, the more likely a person is to obtain all the nutrients he or she needs.

A simple way to assess your own diet is to keep a written log or diary of everything that is eaten over a period of a few days to two weeks. Include some details about how foods were prepared, and be sure to make a note about portion sizes. Then compare the results to the general guidelines above. Write down ideas for improvement in areas that need some attention.

Should I Take Supplements?
With few exceptions, vitamin and mineral supplements are rarely necessary for people who eat a varied diet and enough food to meet their energy needs. In fact, taking large doses of some vitamins and minerals may cause imbalances in body stores of others, and some are toxic at high levels. Your best bet is to get the nutrients you need from whole foods, without the use of a supplement, unless otherwise directed by your dietitian or physician.

How Can My Diet Help Me?
Digestive system problems are the most frequent source of discomfort for older people. Sometimes these problems cause people to avoid foods that would otherwise be a healthy addition to the diet. For instance, flatulence or intestinal gas may prompt some individuals to forgo certain vegetables such as cabbage or beans, which are good sources of vitamins, minerals, and fiber. In other cases, adding more of certain types of foods can reduce the severity of some problems. Let's take a look at how a well-planned diet can help with a variety of common complaints.

Constipation
Constipation can result from not drinking enough fluids and by eating a diet that is too low in fiber or bulk. Certain medications, including antacids made with aluminum hydroxide or calcium carbonate, can also cause this problem, and it can be made worse by the habitual use of laxatives.

There are several things that people can do to prevent constipation from. Including a liberal amount of whole grain breads and cereals in the diet, as well as plenty of vegetables and fruits, is a start. Eating dried fruits such as prunes or figs, or drinking prune juice, may also help, since they have a natural laxative effect for many people. Drinking plenty of fluids is very important, and water is the best choice. Most people should drink six to eight glasses of water or other fluids each day. Foods that are high in fat, such as many sweets, meats and high fat dairy products, oils and margarine, or fried foods should be limited. These foods are very calorie dense and may displace foods that would otherwise provide needed fiber in the diet. Decreasing the consumption of fatty foods may also lessen the need for antacids. Don't forget, too, that a regular routine of exercise is effective in promoting good muscle tone and preventing constipation.

Gas and Heartburn
Many people experience general abdominal discomfort after eating, which may include belching, intestinal gas or flatulence, bloating, or burning sensations. These complaints have many causes, including overeating, eating too many high-fat foods, alcohol, or carbonated beverages, swallowing too much air when eating, lying down to rest immediately after eating, and taking certain drugs or aspirin. Switching to a diet that is high in fiber may also cause some flatulence at the start, although it usually lessens as the body adapts to the increased fiber intake.

One way to help relieve problems such as these is to eat smaller, more frequent meals over the course of the day instead of eating one or two larger meals. Avoiding fatty foods, alcohol, and carbonated beverages is a good idea, too. It may also be helpful to eat slowly and to chew food thoroughly before swallowing. If heartburn is a problem, avoid reclining immediately after meals, or if you do so, keep the back elevated to at least 30 degrees so that you are not lying flat on your back. Regular exercise can also help to minimize trouble with intestinal gas.

Chewing and Swallowing Problems
These may occur for a variety of reasons. For people who have trouble chewing foods, it may be helpful to cut food into small pieces and to allow extra time to chew food at a comfortable, unhurried pace. Cooking some fruits and vegetables may also be helpful and necessary for some. Poorly fitting dentures should be checked by a dentist and possibly replaced.

Drinking plenty of fluids can alleviate some swallowing problems if the throat or mouth is dry, which may be caused by certain medications or may simply be related to commonly-occurring changes that accompany the aging process. Lozenges or hard candies may be helpful in keeping the mouth moist. It may be necessary to ask your physician about whether or not a particular medication may be contributing to the problem.

What If I Have to Follow a Special Diet?
The older people get, the more likely it is that they will develop medical problems that require a special, or therapeutic, diet. People who develop diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease, for instance, may have special considerations in meal planning. Most conditions, however, benefit from a diet that is high in fiber from whole grains, fruits, and vegetables, and low in animal products. Well-planned vegetarian diets can help to control blood sugar levels. By limiting fat, salt, and sugar, vegetarian diets can also be useful in controlling high blood pressure, heart disease, and other conditions. However, since individuals vary in their needs, those who must follow a special diet should consult a registered dietitian for more detailed recommendations and help with meal planning.

Many people also wonder if diet can help to treat conditions such as arthritis and osteoporosis. At present, no conclusive evidence exists to recommend one kind of diet over another for the treatment of arthritis. However, a lowfat vegetarian diet may be helpful in promoting normal weight, which, in turn, may help reduce or prevent some symptoms of arthritis.

The risk for osteoporosis is influenced by many factors, including diet. Diets that are excessively high in protein and sodium can accelerate the loss of calcium from bones. Vegetarian diets tend to be moderate in protein content and, when care is taken to avoid processed foods, they can be lower in sodium as well. Including plenty of greens and other vegetables in the diet will help to ensure an adequate intake of calcium.

One of the most common surgical procedures for older people is cataract surgery, and there is a considerable amount of research being conducted presently on the relationships between diet and the incidence of cataracts and macular degeneration.

What If I Have No Appetite?
Depression because of changes in living conditions, loss of companions, certain medications, and complications in preparing meals can all result in a loss of interest in food. Sometimes eating smaller, more frequent "mini-meals" can help. It may also be a good idea to seek out meals in a social context. For instance, local vegetarian societies may have regular organized potluck dinners or restaurant outings that provide an opportunity to make new friends and enjoy a meal in the company of others.

Some common nutrition-related problems that older people encounter, and suggestions for dealing with them, are summarized in the following chart:

Common Problems and Suggested Solutions
Flatulence or gas Eat smaller, more frequent
Burning sensation, meals.
heartburn

Belching or bloating Avoid alcohol, carbonated beverages,
and high fat foods such as some
sweets, meats, oils and margarine,
and high-fat dairy foods.
Eat slowly and chew foods well.
Avoid lying down after meals.
If you do, keep head and back
elevated at a 30-degree angle.

Consider reducing aspirin intake
Ask physician to check medications.

Difficulty chewing See dentist if problem is poorly
fitting dentures. Cut food into
small pieces and chew food at a
comfortable, unhurried pace.

Cook some vegetables and fruits
to soften.

Difficulty swallowing Ask physician to check medications.
Drink plenty of water. Use lozenges
or hard candies to keep throat moist.

Constipation Eat liberal amounts of whole grains
as well as vegetables and fruits.
Try dried fruits such as prunes
or figs, or drink prune juice.

Drink 6 to 8 glasses of fluid,
especially water, each day.

Limit greasy or fatty foods such as
high-fat dairy foods, oils and
margarine, fried foods, high fat
sweets and meats.

Limit use of antacids.

Get into a regular routine of
exercise, such as walking.

High blood sugar Limit sweets and alcohol.

See a registered dietitian for
help with planning a high-fiber,
high-carbohydrate diet.

High blood pressure Limit salty foods.

See a registered dietitian for help
in planning a heart-healthy diet.

Heart disease See a registered dietitian for help in
planning a diet low in saturated fat.

Loss of appetite Eat small, frequent meals or snacks.

Also, see "Handy Hints for Quick Meals."

How Can I Make Preparing Meals a Little Easier?
Some older people may find meal planning is more burdensome if shopping or preparing meals is difficult. Arthritis, for instance, or impaired hearing or poor eyesight may make it hard to drive to the grocery store, to read food labels or package instructions, or to open bottles and handle cooking utensils. It may also be difficult to maintain the motivation to cook for only one or two people.

For all these reasons, it may be necessary for meals to be simple, quick, and convenient to prepare. Ready-to-eat, whole grain breakfast cereals are a nutritious meal or snack anytime, as are quick-cooking hot cereals like oatmeal, which can be cooked in a microwave oven. Fresh fruit is also convenient, but canned fruits, packed in their own juice or water, will keep for months in the cupboard and can also make a simple snack. Whole grain breads, bagels, and lowfat muffins can be kept in the freezer and individual servings taken out as needed. Other good freezer and cupboard staples include bags of mixed, plain frozen vegetables, whole grain crackers, peanut butter, canned beans such as pinto beans or black-eyed peas, and jars of vegetable salads such as three-bean or beet salad.

It also makes sense, for those who are able to do more extensive cooking, to fix enough of a recipe so that some can be frozen in small batches to be reheated at a later date. For example, bean chili, vegetable lasagna, some casseroles, whole grain cookies, lowfat muffins, or pancakes all freeze well and can be stored in small containers that can be reheated in a conventional or microwave oven.

A summary of some handy hints for quick meals follows:
Handy Hints for Quick Meals

Cupboard staples Ready-to-eat, whole grain
breakfast cereals; quick-cooking
whole grain cereals such as
oatmeal; canned fruit packed in
own juice; whole-grain crackers;
nut butters; canned beans such as
pintos or black-eyed peas; jars of
vegetable salads such as beets or
three-bean; low-sodium vegetarian
soups; aseptically-packaged
(long-life)containers of soy milk;
popcorn; dried fruit.

Freezer staples Frozen fruit pieces such as
strawberries or raspberries; whole
grain breads or muffins (to take
out as needed); bags or boxes of
plain, mixed frozen vegetables;
fruit juice concentrate.

Make-aheads Bean chili; vegetable lasagna;
(to be frozen in small vegetable and bean soups; whole
batches and reheated grain-and-vegetable casseroles;
at a later date) whole grain cookies, lowfat
muffins, or pancakes.

Also keep on hand Flour tortillas; salsa and
chutneys; fresh fruit.

Shopping tips Split bags of fresh vegetables,
such as carrots, celery, and
onions, or heads of lettuce, with
a friend to reduce the amount of
spoiled food that has to be thrown
away.

Shop with a list, and keep a list
on-going at home.

Does Eating Well Have To Be Expensive?
For many elderly people, a limited income or limited access to transportation to a grocery store can complicate meal planning. So, good planning can not only be efficient, it can also be economically helpful as well. Foods prepared from scratch at home are usually less expensive than packaged mixes and frozen entrees, for example, and the cook has more control over what ingredients are used, also. For example, salt or fat in a recipe can be reduced when food is prepared at home, or whole wheat flour can be substituted for refined white flour.

Wise food choices can help save money. Buying in bulk, whether an item is on special or not, can be cheaper than buying small containers of food, although storage space must be available. If a person has access to food outlet stores, substantial savings can be had on things such as baked goods or breads. If freezer space is available, trips to an outlet can be less frequent. Coupon clipping, especially for brands that are usually purchased anyway, can save as much as 10% off food bills. Many stores offer double or triple the face value of the coupon. On the other hand, store brands of certain items can be much cheaper than name brands, even after coupon discounts, and often with little detectable difference in quality. Paper goods, canned goods, jams and jellies, and breakfast cereals are just a few examples of items which may have store brand or generic options.

There are certain food items that tend to be relatively costly and also should be limited for health reasons for most people. Sweets, especially prepared desserts such as cakes, pies, and cookies, and junk foods such as chips and other fried snacks, snack cakes, and some candies can be fairly expensive. High-fat dairy foods such as cheese and ice cream are relatively expensive, and for nonvegetarians, meat is typically the costliest item on the grocery list.

Desserts can be prepared at home, with alterations in the recipe to make them more nutritious, and money can be saved. Junk food snacks can be replaced with less expensive snacks such as air-popped plain popcorn, mixtures of dry cereals, bagels, whole grain muffins, or seasonal fresh fruit. If cheese is eaten, buy small quantities and use it sparingly. Add a sprinkling of grated cheese to salads or on top of a casserole or sandwich, rather than using it as a more prominent ingredient. Meatless meals, incorporating mixtures of vegetables, whole grains, and legumes such as canned or rehydrated beans and lentils, are economical and healthful, not to mention delicious.

What Food Assistance Programs are Available for Seniors?
Food assistance programs, such as food stamps, can increase buying power for people who are eligible. Food delivery programs, such as Meals-on-Wheels, are also available for people who are housebound or have difficulty getting around or preparing meals. Congregate meal programs are available in some areas, where older people can meet in a central location to enjoy a meal in the company of others, and transportation is frequently provided to the meal site.

It is usually necessary to ask if vegetarian meal options can be made available, and the ability of food service personnel to accommodate the vegetarian's needs may vary from site to site or city to city. If there is difficulty in obtaining vegetarian meal options, contact the local vegetarian society. They may be able to refer the problem to a local dietitian-member for assistance. Find out if others are interested in lowfat vegetarian meal options. Quantity recipes are available from the Vegetarian Resource Group and other organizations, and these can be provided to food service directors or dietitians who may be able to incorporate them into menus.

Meal delivery programs may be organized by community nonprofit organizations or health and social service agencies such as hospitals, churches, nursing homes, and visiting nurses associations. To determine who is eligible, call these organizations directly. Otherwise, people can be referred by another family member, a physician, a visiting nurse, or a social worker.

Grocery delivery service is also available at stores in some communities. For people who have trouble finding transportation to the grocery store, or for those with physical limitations, a list can be phoned in to a local grocery store and someone will deliver the purchases to the home.

Summing It All Up
A well-planned vegetarian diet is health-supporting for all ages. While age-related changes affect different people in different ways, a good diet can help to overcome or reduce symptoms of certain problems that may become more common with age.

Sample Meal Plan
Breakfast 6 oz. orange juice
1 cup cooked oatmeal with
1/4 cup chopped raisins and dates
6 oz. soymilk

Snack 1 banana
1 slice whole grain toast with
2 teaspoons peanut butter

Lunch 1 cup vegetarian chili * (* see recipe source below)
1/2 fresh green pepper, sliced
1 corn muffin *
water

Snack 2 bagel halves with apple butter
6 oz. soymilk

Dinner 1-1/2 cups spinach salad with onions,
mushrooms, and cherry tomatoes
2 tablespoons no-oil dressing
1 cup cooked spaghetti topped with
1/2 cup tomato-basil sauce
Chunk of Italian bread
2 chilled, canned peach halves
water

Snack 3 cups plain popcorn
6 oz. apple juice
14% fat 14% protein 72% carbohydrate 30 grams of fiber

Recipe Suggestions
Recipe Suggestions from Simply Vegan (available for $13 from The Vegetarian Resource Group, PO Box 1463, Baltimore, MD 21203)
· Blended Delight (p. 18)
· Apple Raisin Spice Muffins (p. 20)*
· Banana Muffins (p. 21)*
· Corn Bread (p. 21)*
· Oatmeal Medley (p. 22)
· Cindy's Light and Fluffy Pancakes (p. 23)*
· Garbanzo Spread (p. 28)
· Peanut Butter and Fruit (p. 29)
· Popcorn Treat (p. 34)
· Mini Pizzas (p. 34)
· Apple Celery Salad (p. 41)
· Easy Pasta Salad (p. 44)
· Quick Pea Soup (p. 47)*
· Creamy Lentil Soup (p. 49)*
· Tomato/Zucchini Stir-Fry (p. 57)
· Vegetable Medley (p. 58)
· Mexican-Style Chickpeas (p. 73)
· Bean Tacos (p. 83)
· Pumpkin Casserole (p. 83)*
· Hearty Macaroni Dinner (p. 87)
· Broccoli Pasta Dish (p. 88)
· Ginger Cookies (p. 109)*
· Chocolate Pudding (p. 108)
· Karen's Creamy Rice Pudding (p. 115)
* indicates items which can be prepared ahead and frozen

Suzanne Havala is a nutrition advisor for The Vegetarian Resource Group.
Reprinted from Meatless Menu Alternatives for Seniors-The Vegetarian Resource Group.

Food Poisoning & Pesticide Residues

Over 58,000 cases of food poisoning were reported in 1990 and the actual incidence of food poisoning is estimated to be ten times this figure. Meat, eggs and dairy products are the primary sources of food poisoning. Professor Richard Lacey of the University of Leeds has stated that "More than 95% of food poisoning is derived from meat and poultry products".

Pesticide residues in foods include PCB's and dioxins. These are found in highest concentrations in meat, fish and dairy products. Studies have shown these toxic chemicals can be passed on from pregnant women to infants during both pregnancy and lactation and may damage the developing nervous systems. Hall (1992) has stated a vegetarian diet minimises the risk of contamination.

Diverticular Disease

Diverticular disease affects the colon and symptoms include lower abdominal pain and disturbed bowel habit. It occurs frequently in western countries where intake of dietary fibre is low. Gear (1979) found diverticular disease to be less frequent in vegetarians, 12% of vegetarians studied having diverticular disease compared with 33% of non-vegetarians. This is thought to be due to the increased fibre of vegetarian diets.

Other Cancers

Studies have shown vegetarians to suffer less from various other cancers.
Mills (1989) studied the incidence of prostate cancer amongst 14,000 Seventh Day Adventists and found a relationship between increased risk and increasing animal product consumption.

Mills (1988) also found pancreatic cancer to be associated with consumption of animal products. Increasing consumption of fruit, vegetables and pulses was shown to have a protective effect.
Rao (1989) found a vegetarian diet to be protective against oesophageal cancer.

Studies have also shown vegetarians to have lower incidence of lung cancer. This can be largely attributed to vegetarians tending to be non-smokers. High consumption of fruit has also shown to be protective against lung cancer (Fraser, 1991).

Breast Cancer

Evidence also suggests a vegetarian diet is protective against breast cancer (Phillips, 1975). This may be due to the increased fibre and reduced fat intake of vegetarian diets. Vegetarian diets can alter the levels of circulating sex hormones which may have a beneficial effect. Fibre is thought to be protective by modifying circulating oestrogen levels.

Studies of adolescent girls have shown age of menarche to be delayed in vegetarians (Sabate, 1992). Later age of menarche is believed to lower the risk of breast cancer in adult life.

Colon Cancer

Vegetarians have lower rates of colon cancer than non-vegetarians (Phillips, 1980). Incidence of colon cancer has been strongly linked to the consumption of meat (Armstrong, 1975, Singh & fraser, 1998). Willett (1990) carried out a study of over 88 000 women aged 34 to 59 years. Women eating red meat daily ran over twice the risk of developing colon cancer than women eating red meat less than once a month.

Reduced incidence of colon cancer in vegetarians may be attributed to dietary differences which include increased fibre intake, increased consumption of fruit and vegetables, and decreased intake of total fat and saturated fat. The mechanism by which a vegetarian diet is protective against colon cancer is unclear and a great deal of research is being carried out in this area.

It has been suggested that secondary bile acids are carcinogens which may play an important role in colon cancer. These are derived by bacterial metabolism from primary bile acids made in the liver and secreted into the intestine. Vegetarians have lower levels of secondary bile acids than non-vegetarians (Turjiman, 1984). The differences in bacterial populations between the intestines of vegetarians and non-vegetarians may also be important. Bacterial flora in vegetarians has been shown to possess reduced ability to transform bile acids into potential carcinogens (Johansson, 1990).

The role of dietary fibre in prevention of colon cancer may also be important. This was first noted in 1971 when it was suggested the high incidence of colon cancer in Western countries was linked to low fibre diets. Other dietary components associated with high fibre foods, such as folate, have also been implicated as having protective effects.

Cancer

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in Britain, accounting for 25% of all deaths. It has been estimated that diet may be linked to 30-70% of cancers (Doll, 1990). Certain cancers, such as colon, breast and prostate are clearly diet related (Cummings & Bingham, 1998).
Sir Kenneth Calman, Chief Medical Officer, has stated (1997) that "there is a relationship between eating red meat and cancer".

The Oxford Vegetarian Study found cancer mortality to be 39% lower among vegetarians compared with meat-eaters (Thorogood, 1994).

A study of 23,000 largely vegetarian Seventh Day Adventists found cancer mortality rates to be 50-70% of those of the general population for several cancer sites unrelated to smoking or alcohol (Phillips, 1975).

Professor Nick Day of the University of Cambridge and the European Prospective Study into Cancer has stated that vegetarians may suffer 40% fewer cancers than the general population.
The World Cancer Research Fund's dietary advice to minimise cancer risk involve reducing the intake of dietary fat and increasing the consumption of fruits, vegetables and wholegrains.

Diabetes

Snowdon (1985) found type II diabetes to be only half as common as a cause of death amongst the largely vegetarian Seventh Day Adventist population as in the general population.

An average vegetarian diet closely matches the British Diabetic Association's recommendations for diabetic patients. Vegetarian diets tend to be high in complex carbohydrates and dietary fibre, which has a beneficial effect on carbohydrate metabolism, lowering blood sugar levels. The leanness of vegetarians also contributes to reduced incidence of diabetes. Diabetes is often associated with raised blood cholesterol levels and a vegetarian diet confers protection against this.

Obesity

Vegetarians are leaner than non-vegetarians and their weights are generally closer to desirable levels. The British Medical Association (1986) has stated that vegetarians have lower rates of obesity. Appleby et al (1998) as part of the Oxford Vegetarian Study concluded that non meat eaters are thinner than meat eaters. This may be partly due to a higher intake of dietary fibre, a lower intake of animal fat, and only in men a lower intake of alcohol.

Hypertension

Hypertension, or high blood pressure, can contribute to heart disease, strokes and kidney failure. A number of studies have shown vegetarians to have lower blood pressures than non-vegetarians (Sacks, 1974, Armstrong, 1977).

A vegetarian diet has also been shown to reduce blood pressure in hypertensive patients (Margetts, 1986).

The reason for the low blood pressure associated with vegetarian diets is unclear. The relative leanness of vegetarians is one suggestion, as is the effect of reduced sodium or increased potassium or calcium in the diets of vegetarians.

Heart Disease

Cardiovascular disease is the major cause of mortality in Britain, being responsible for around 50% of all deaths. The majority of these deaths are from coronary heart disease.
Vegetarians suffer markedly lower mortality from coronary heart disease compared to non-vegetarians (Key et al (1999). This reduced risk may be related to the lower blood cholesterol levels of vegetarians.

Findings from the Oxford Vegetarian Study, a 12 year study of 6000 vegetarians and 5000 meat-eater found that the incidence of coronary heart disease mortality was 28% lower in vegetarians compared with matched omnivores, after all non dietary factors had been taken into consideration (Thorogood, 1994).

Burr & Butland (1988) found vegetarians to suffer significantly lower mortality from heart disease than health conscious non-vegetarians. Mortality from ischaemic heart disease was 57% lower in vegetarians than the general population, and 18% lower than in non-vegetarians following a healthy lifestyle. Deaths due to cerebrovascular disease was 43% lower in the vegetarians compared with the general population.

A study of nearly 28,000 Seventh Day Adventists in California noted a clear trend of increasing incidence of heart disease with rising frequency of meat consumption (Snowdon, 1988).
The Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) Study examined diet in relation to health in over 5,000 young adults aged 18 to 30. Vegetarians were found to have greatly improved cardiovascular fitness and a lower risk of heart disease (Slattery, 1991). A low level of meat consumption was linked to improved general health.

An eleven-year study of 1,900 German vegetarians has found mortality from cardiovascular disease to be 61% lower in male vegetarians and 44% lower in female vegetarians than the general population. For ischaemic heart disease, mortality was reduced still further, to only one-third of that expected (Claude-Chang, 1992).

The protective effect of a vegetarian diet is believed to be related to the lower blood cholesterol levels seen in vegetarians. Repeated studies have demonstrated the low blood cholesterol levels of vegetarians (Resnicow, 1991). Thorogood (1990) found vegetarians to have cholesterol levels 10% lower than health conscious meat-eaters. High blood cholesterol is a primary risk factor in heart disease. Significantly, vegetarians have lower levels of low-density-lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. This is the cholesterol fraction particularly associated with heart disease.

Research has suggested that a 10% reduction in blood cholesterol may be associated with a 30% reduction in the incidence of coronary heart disease (Martin, 1986).
The California Lifestyle Heart Trial has indicated that a low fat vegetarian diet together with other lifestyle changes such as exercise and stress management can in fact reverse the progress of heart disease, by reducing cholesterol plaques in coronary arteries (Ornish, 1990).