Volume 2, Issue 6 |
June 27, 2005 |
As we age, our body needs vary and we have to adapt our nutrition to these changes so we can live to our full potential. What we eat plays a very important role on how we feel, look and act. Practicing healthy habits throughout life is your best bet on aging well. Exercise is a good way to maintain lean body mass and speed up your metabolic rate that has a tendency to slow down as you get older. It is noted that vitamins and minerals deficiencies are very common in the Elderly. Among these are: B vitamins complex, folate, vitamin C and zinc.
Vitamin B1: deficiency in vitamin B1 (or Thiamine, or Thiamin) can cause weight loss, cardiac abnormalities and neuromuscular disorders, but also psychosis, depression, apathy, anxiety and irritability.
Vitamin B2: deficiency in vitamin B2 will cause eye sensitivity to light, skin rash and cracks at the corners of the mouth, and can cause depression and irritability.
Vitamin B6: deficiency in vitamin B6 (or Pyridoxine) makes you more subject to depression, irritability and sensitivity to sound.
Folate: deficiency in folate (or folic acid) can cause forgetfulness, insomnia, apathy, irritability, depression, psychosis, delirium, dementia.
Vitamin B12: deficiency in vitamin B12 can cause depression, irritability, confusion, memory loss, hallucinations, delusions and paranoia. In some rare cases psychotic states. Among patients, alcoholics and ones with Scandinavian descent are more at risk.
Vitamin C: too little of this vitamin opens the door to thinning skin, capillary fragility and, consequently bedsores.
Zinc: deficiency can cause a wound to heal much more slowly.
Vitamin B1 is found in yeasts, liver, pork, whole-grain cereals, rye and whole-wheat flour, wheat germ, navy beans and kidney beans.
Vitamin B2 (or riboflavin) is found in some enriched bread and cereals, red meats, green leafy vegetables and dairy products.
Researchers discovered that when healthy elderly people had vitamin B6 almost completely taken out of their diets, the immune response went down. The amount of B6 needed to restore strength to the immune system was higher than the Daily Vale of 2 milligrams. When the study participants were provided with 50 mg of B6 daily, immunity was boosted to a level that was even better than before the study began. That does not mean that you should head for the vitamin store at once. Since all the B6 that is taken but not absorbed is released in urine, taken an higher daily dose than the one recommended for your age group might be just like flushing money down the drain - vitamins supplements are not cheap! Instead, ask your doctor for a test of your B6 blood level, and see with him or her if you need any supplement or, more likely, if you need to change your dietary habits. If the doctor allows supplements, first it will probably be a B vitamins complex (B6-B12-folate), second it will be just temporary and you will eventually get all you need from your meals. Supplements are available to the general public without prescription, and that is the only difference with medications: you should still be taking them only if you need them, with great caution.
High levels of vitamin B6 occur in cauliflower, watercress, spinach, bananas, okra, onions, broccoli, squash, kale, Brussels sprouts, chick-peas, peas, prune juice, turkey, potatoes and radishes.
Note that drugs such as aspirin, barbiturates, anticonvulsants and oral contraceptives can inhibit the absorption of folic acid in the body. Good sources of folate include pinto beans, navy beans, asparagus, spinach, broccoli, okra and Brussels sprouts.
The use of gastric acid blocking agents can lead to decreased B12 levels. Vitamin B12 is found mostly in meat and animal proteins. It is stored in the liver.
Having people who have bedsores tested for vitamin C and zinc deficiencies is a good idea. However, if the patient does need supplements, you have to keep in mind that the zinc-to-copper ratio should be in check too. Testing for ceruloplasmin can be part of any routine blood work.
Zinc is found in red meat, seafood, wheat germ, whole-grain breads and cereals.
Very hot temperatures and prolonged cooking will destroy vitamins; be careful to cook your vegetables just enough for them to be safe to eat, yet not to the point that they have no nutritional benefits. With dark green vegetables you can't eat raw, cook them so they become soft, but not so that they change color.
Broccoli, green beans, Brussels sprouts, spinach, and the like, should be cleaned and dumped directly into a large amount of boiling water for 20 seconds (it is called blanching) before being cooked the way you want them: cooled and put into salads, fried, baked, etc. Best is steamed in a steamer, but here too you have to be careful not to overcook them! If you find them hard to digest, boil them as explained previously, then drain, and boil again into new hot water.
No matter what the vitamin industry says all supplements should be taken only after talking to your physician about your problems to avoid creating interactions with medications or supplements you are already taking.
A clinical study at the Princess Margaret Hospital, Christchurch - New Zealand on response to treatment of sub clinical thiamine deficiency in the elderly shows that people who suffer from thiamine deficiency will benefit from thiamine supplements and can improve their overall life.
Some drugs may increase the need for vitamin B2 supplements: AZT, Didanosine, Doxorubicin, Oral Contraceptives, Tetracycline, Tricyclic Antidepressants.
B6 supplements do enhance immunity.
Studies suggests that a daily oral supplement of vitamin B12 can alleviate deficiency due to inadequate vitamin B12 absorption or intake. In a case of severe deficiency, a series of shots are usually prescribed followed by a daily routine intake to keep levels close to normal.
Why elderly people don't get their vitamins and minerals? It gets hard and harder to prepare or even buy the food they need to stay healthy. I will sound like a broken record, but planning is necessary like for anything else; when you plan for retirement, it is not only necessary to think about what you are going to do, but also to think about what you are going to eat! Will you have time and space to plant a garden? Good idea!
www.intelihealth.com (Aetna) M. Murray and J. Pizzorno: Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine, Prima Publishing. Tufts University School of Nutrition in Medford, Massassuchets, USA University f Wisconsin-Madison Mitchell V. Kaminski Jr., MD, staff surgeon at the Thorek Hospital and Medical Center in Chicago chemistry.gsu.edu
www.lifeclinic.com www.vitamins-nutrition.org T.J. Wilkinson, H.C. Hanger, J. Elmslie, P.M. George, R. Sainsbury, Department of Health Care of the Elderly, Princess Margaret Hospital, Christchurch, New Zealand. K. Moriwaki, Y. Kanno, H. Nakamoto, H. Okada, H. Suzuki, Department of Nephrology, Saitama Medical School, Japan. Aybak M., Sermet A. Ayyildiz M.O., Karakilcik A.Z., Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Dicle, Diyarbakir, Turkey. Hartman T.J., Woodson K., Stolzenberg-Solomon R., Virtamo J., Selhub J., Barrett M.J., Albanes D., Department of Nutrition, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA.
| Ingredients for base | |
| 2 1/2 cups of water | |
| 1 1/4 cups of sugar (granulated finely) - use substitutes if needed | |
| 1/2 tsp. finely shredded lemon peel | |
| 1 1/4 cups of lemon juice |
Breaking the fasting period of the night is what we all do when sitting down for our first meal of the day. Without the extra energy that a good breakfast can offer some breakfast skippers feel lethargic and turn to coffee to get them through the morning. Studies show skippers are 4.5 times more likely to be obese. A real breakfast possibly reduces risk of obesity and high cholesterol, decreases insulin resistance and improves performance on memory related tasks. It also minimizes impulsive snacking and overeating at other meals. It increases the intake of essential nutrients that are rarely replenished by other meals. A real breakfast should have all 5 nutritional groups (). Eat early at night so you are hungry when you get up. High fiber breakfasts help last until lunch so you don't snack.
Diabetes Products—July 18, 2005 at 12:30 pm (1 credit hour)
Oxygen Therapy—August 1, 2005 at 12:00pm (2 credit hours)
Wound Care Products—August 29, 2005 at 12:00 pm (1 credit hour)
7/2 - 7/4 Cherry Creek Arts Festival
7/4 Independence Day
7/5, 7/12, 7/19, 7/26 - Englewood - KidStage Family Night
7/6 - Sloans' Lake Park - Colorado Symphony Concert
7/7 - Denver Confluence Park - Dotsero Concert or Englewood - Sounds of Summer
7/9 - Denver - SHARE Colorado
7/14 - Denver Confluence Park - Nelson Rangell Concert
7/16 - Washington Park - Donor Dash 5K Run or Walk
7/16 - Invesco Field @ Mile High - Drum and Bugle Regional Championship
7/16 - Englewood - Manhattan Swing Jam
7/16 & 7/30 - Fillmore Plaza - Cherry Creek North Gourmet Series
7/21 - Denver Confluence Park - Lisa Bell Concert
7/21 & 7/28 - Fillmore Plaza - Cherry Creek North Films on Fillmore
7/23 - Englewood - Car Show and Sidewalk Sale
7/28 - Denver Confluence Park - Darren Rahn or Highlands Ranch - Hawaiian Luau
8/1 to 8/27 - Denver - Venice on the Creek
8/3 - Denver - River Flicks, "E.T."
8/4 - Englewood Sounds of Summer - Littleton Southwest Region Woman's Club
8/5, 8/12 & 8/19 - Highlands Ranch - Film in the Park
8/5 - Denver - Concert Series Skyline Park
8/7 - Littleton - Woman's Club Picnic at Clement Park
8/10 - Denver - River Flicks, "Princess Bride"
8/11 - Englewood Sounds of Summer - Denver Midsummer Night's Dance City Park
8/13 - Highlands Ranch - Splash N'Dash
8/13 & 14 - Highlands Ranch - Rocky Mountain Highland Games
8/15 - Littleton - Greater Littleton AARP Meeting
8/17 - Littleton - CPR for family and friends
8/17 - Denver - River Flicks, "Raiders of the Lost Ark"
8/20 & 21 - Englewood - American Cancer Society Relay for Life
8/21 - Denver - Neighbors in Health
8/22 - Littleton - Arapahoe County Council on Aging
8/24 - Denver - River Flicks, "Shrek"
8/27 - Highlands Ranch - Arts Festival & Patio Wine Testing
8/28 - Denver - 2nd Annual Global Market