NUTRITION
Battle against aging is food for thought

BY JANET HELM
SPECIAL TO THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE

Eating well as you age is fraught with irony. Your metabolism slows down so you need less food. But you need just as many nutrients-if not more-than before.

Some studies suggest that certain nutrients may play a role in keeping you young, or at least delay the onset of age-related diseases and improve your quality of life.

" The foods we eat can be our most empowering weapon in the battle against aging," said dietitian and chef Cheryl Forberg, author of "Stop the Clock! Cooking," one of several new books that focus on age-defying eating.

It turns out that what most people assumed were the inevitable consequences of aging - an escalating risk of heart disease, osteoporosis, diabetes, cancer, and perhaps even Alzheimer's disease - may have more to do with the diet and lifestyle choices they make.

And the irony continues: Just at a

stage in life when nutrition plays an increasingly important role, older adults are often faced with challenges that can make it more difficult to eat right.

Often, physical ailments, prescription medications or emotional factors such as loneliness and depression can negatively influence appetite, according to Mitchell Ashcroft, director of dining services at Wyndemere Senior Living Campus in Wheaton, Ill. The health of older folks can decline quickly without adequate nutrition, Ashcroft said.

Many seniors live alone and may not cook frequently for themselves - turning to a "tea and toast" routine instead of eating three well-balanced meals a day, said Alice Lichtenstein, a senior scientist at Tufts University's Human Research Center on Aging.

Lichtenstein and colleagues created a food pyramid for older adults to showcase the unique nutritional needs of seniors. The illustration is narrower than the government's guide, thus showing that less food is required to maintain the same weight as you age. But because bigger helpings of nutrients may be needed, they have flagged high-nutrient foods.

" If you're decreasing calories, eating more foods that provide a concentrated source of nutrients becomes increasingly important," Lichtenstein said.

That means loading up on brightly colored fruits and vegetables, fiber-rich whole grains, lean protein and low-fat dairy products, while eating fewer sweets, sugary beverages and high fat foods that don't have much to offer in return.