Goodwin Living Registered Dietitians Offer Guidance for Healthy Aging
By Kenia Huezo
As we recognize National Nutrition Month, we’re taking the opportunity presented by this year’s theme, “Discover the Power of Nutrition,” to explore how the foods and beverages we consume every day can truly power our lives. At Goodwin Living, we know nutrition is more than what keeps us healthy; it’s also fuel for fun activities and joyful moments, especially as we age.
The dining services teams at each of our Goodwin Senior Living Campuses work closely with our registered dietitians to plan menus that are not only delicious but also nourishing and personalized. We spoke with Goodwin Living dietitians Alex Freiman, RDN, FAND, and Sammie Jones, MS, RD, who shared insights on how nutrition can power daily life, especially for older adults.
Q: This year’s theme is “Discover the Power of Nutrition.” What does that mean to you?”
Sammie: To me, “Discover the Power of Nutrition” means we have the power to use food to enhance our lives. I think this theme is important because food has so much more power than we realize. Food is our superpower!
Alex: I love this year’s theme. We all have different goals in our lives, and the foods we eat can help us achieve them. This year, I teamed up with Sammie to lead a class related to this topic. We emphasized how particular foods can make your exercising more effective, prevent age-related loss of muscle mass and strength (sarcopenia) and help manage your mood. While there are general basic nutrition recommendations, we can also make small tweaks to our choices to help us “power up” and achieve our personal goals.
These goals don’t always have to be health-related. For example, I love learning about the world and its different cultures. Trying foods from different places allows me to expand my cultural and culinary understanding. This National Nutrition Month, I challenge you to identify your goals and priorities and consider how food and nutrition can help you achieve them!
Q: What are the ways that Goodwin Living makes sure residents are eating healthily?
Alex: The Dining Services team understands that each resident chooses their meals with different priorities. Our goal is to empower residents to make the best choices for themselves. We encourage residents to review the nutritional facts for our meals and choose the options that fit into their lifestyle. I teach newcomers how to interpret the nutrition fact labels on our menus and review them in one-on-one sessions with our existing residents.
We also try to make changes to our menu offerings in subtle, yet significant ways. For example, instead of cooking our vegetables in butter, we will opt to steam, roast or grill them. We decrease the salt used in our cooking and allow residents to add salt at the table as desired. We offer more plant-based entrees and allow plant-based substitutions for entrees that contain meat. These small changes can make a big difference in overall health without sacrificing choice.
Sammie: Alex and I work closely with our chefs to ensure meals are nutrient dense and follow federal guidelines while honoring the food preferences of the residents. We also work with residents to create personalized nutrition recommendations that align with their health and wellness goals. Additionally, dietitians are part of the interdisciplinary team that cares for residents in higher levels of living, ensuring residents on therapeutic and/or altered texture diets receive adequate nutrition in their diet.
Q: Why is nutrition important as we age?
Sammie: Food has so much more power than we often realize. It can be used to fuel fun, physical activities like swimming, dancing or biking. Food can help us build lean muscle mass and maintain independence. Food can also be used to improve cognitive function and mood. It plays a crucial preventive role in our physical and mental health.
Alex: For older adults, studies show that the more restrictions we impose, the higher the risk of malnutrition. I would rather someone with high blood pressure add a little salt to their food and work with their doctor to adjust their medication, than to tell them they need to cut out salt entirely and watch their oral intake plummet. It’s all about finding a balance that allows people to enjoy their meals and achieve their health goals. I love working with residents to help them find that sweet spot.
Q: What is a misconception about building better, healthier habits? What habits would you, as a dietitian, recommend?
Sammie: A common misconception about building healthier habits is that you have to eliminate all of your favorite foods. I believe all foods can fit into our lives in moderation. As a dietitian, I don’t recommend labeling foods as “good” or “bad.” This can lead to unnecessary guilt and shame when a so-called “bad” food is consumed. Instead, I like to focus on the nutrient density of foods and their role in nourishing the body.
Alex: Living a healthy life is about balancing the things that are good for you and that make you feel good. If you’re craving french fries, order them! But instead of pairing them with a burger, try ordering an entree salad with grilled chicken instead. I’ve found that people who impose strict restrictions on themselves often end up “cheating” on their diet and developing feelings of guilt and frustration. Give yourself some flexibility and grace with your meals. You’ll feel physically and emotionally better in the long run.
Q: What are ways someone can build healthy and enjoyable nutrition habits into their day?
Alex: Share your goals, preferably with someone who has similar goals. Positive reinforcement and influence are helpful tools when making changes. Oftentimes, residents say, “I’m trying to lose weight, but everyone at my table orders ice cream for dessert, so I feel like I have to get the ice cream as well.” What if we took that pressure and reversed it to, “everyone at my table ordered fruit for dessert, so I did too!” Stating your goals can create accountability and help inspire others to build healthy habits. We’re more successful when we have someone to talk to about the lifestyle changes we struggle with and to celebrate our accomplishments. It builds good habits and connections with those around you.
Sammie: I love to build healthy habits while keeping my days enjoyable by habit stacking. Research shows it is easier for our brains to add a habit than to break one. For example, I enjoy watching television shows. To “stack” onto this habit, I will walk on the treadmill or perform a few squats while watching my show. This adds movement to my day while still allowing me to enjoy my TV time.
Q: What are some food recommendations that can help an older adult power through their day?
Sammie: Start by looking at the foods you already eat and ask yourself how to make them more nutritionally dense. You could add berries and chia seeds to yogurt, pair chocolate with a handful of almonds or include cooked spinach with scrambled eggs. It’s also important to include a balance of nutrients in each meal, especially protein, whole grains and healthy fats to help maintain muscle mass and overall energy. Hydration is also key. Keep a water bottle nearby throughout the day as a simple reminder to stay hydrated.
Alex: I encourage people to focus on protein, fiber and vitamin D, especially after age 65.
Protein can be found in meat, poultry, fish, beans, eggs, nuts and seeds, dairy and tofu. Getting enough protein in our diet is the gold standard in preventing sarcopenia. Adequate muscle tone is crucial to maintaining our independence and preventing functional decline.
Fiber is key to our digestive health. Fiber can be found in whole grains such as oats, quinoa, bulgur, whole-wheat bread and pasta, bran and brown rice. It is also found in fruits, vegetables, beans, lentils, nuts and seeds. Adequate fiber can prevent constipation, decrease cholesterol and manage blood sugar.
Vitamin D is crucial for bone health, muscle function and overall immunity. Inadequate vitamin D can lead to osteoporosis, increased risk for fractures, increased muscle weakness and decreased ability to fight infections. As we age, our bodies become less efficient at producing vitamin D from sunlight, so it becomes more important to get it from our food. Good sources of vitamin D are fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel, trout, tuna and sardines. It is also found in both dairy and plant-based milks, orange juice, egg yolks and fortified cereals.
It’s Never Too Late to Discover the Power of Nutrition
Good nutrition has the power to help us stay healthy and active as we age. As we’ve learned from Sammie and Alex, getting the nutrition we need doesn’t have to be difficult. Simple changes such as habit-stacking, balancing “good for you” and “feel-good” foods and sharing our goals with friends can all help us to live healthier lives.
We are grateful to have dedicated dietitians here at Goodwin Living who ensure that residents receive nourishing, enjoyable meals that align with their health and wellness goals. If you are interested in a community that takes a holistic approach to your health and wellness, learn more at Goodwin Senior Living Campuses.
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Kenia Huezo is a Marketing and Communications Intern at Goodwin Living. She plans, writes, and designs for internal and external campaigns that support all areas of the organization. When she isn’t busy with school at Marymount University or work, she enjoys going shopping, making floral arrangements, and going out with her friends and family.
