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Prime Times Weekly feature of the Mail Tribune , Medford, Oregon As we age, the nutritional balance we ignored in youth, becomes the necessary ... DIET of LIFE Photo by Bob Pennell Eda Hayes is getting the vegetables and grains she needs during a Loaves and Fishes lunch at the Multipurpose Center in Ashland. Nutritionists say a proper diet becomes increasingly important as we age. By JOHN DARLING The onset of age brings a harsh reality: the health-nut diet that would have been a good idea to follow in youth is now almost mandatory. As we age, we're less active, our appetite decreases and our metabolism slows down. If we continue the eating habits of youth, we'll simply get fat, said Mary Stansell, dietitian at Rogue Valley Medical Center, and that lays the groundwork for many ailments associated with aging, such as heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, colon cancer and osteoporosis. "We have to make our intake more nutrient-dense," said Cindy Cole, Providence Hospital dietitian. "We need about the same protein we ate in youth, so we have to eat quality to get it. We have to pack more vitamins and minerals into less food and not waste it on junk food, fats and sugars." The solution is simple: Eat vegetables and fruits, whole grains, nonfat dairy products and moderate protein, and drink plenty of liquids (eight cups a day of water, juice and milk), said naturopathic physician Shandor Weiss of Ashland. People at any age require about 6 to 12 ounces a day of protein, with the best sources being poultry, fish, eggs, cheese and tofu. Bob Caswell, 89, holds down the conversation at his end of the table during the senior lunch, which is offered five days a week at the Multipurpose Center in Ashland. "Many older people think they'll be healthier and save money if they eat less protein," he said, "but that depresses the immune system and shifts the metabolic balance to favor aging." Water, an easily neglected nutrient, is critical to digesting fiber, keeping up blood pressure, maintaining healthy kidneys and avoiding constipation, he said. A key to the senior diet is cutting down on carbohydrates, keeping them in "the zone," so that for every ounce of carbs, you eat half to three-quarters of an ounce of protein, he said. Most seniors gathered for a Loaves and Fishes lunch at Ashland Senior Center showed awareness of current dietary wisdom. "I watch the fatty foods pretty close," said Bob Evans, 85. "I eat less. I don't need it. If I ate the same as 20 years ago, I'd be a miserable, bloated mess." 10 WARNING SIGNS Are you endangering a healthy old age? The following is a 10-question screening used by Rogue Valley Medical Center. If you answer yes to three or more questions, you are at risk for nutritional compromise. Help and advice are available from your physician, nutrition specialists and from nutrition awareness programs offered both at RVMC and Providence Medford Medical Center. Is an illness or condition changing the kind or amount of food you eat? Do you eat fewer than two meals a day? Do you eat few fruits, vegetables and little dairy? Do you have more than three alcoholic drinks a day? Do you have a tooth/mouth problem that makes it hard to eat? Do you lack money to buy enough food? Do you eat alone most of the time? Do you take three or more prescription or over-the-counter drugs? Have you lost or gained 10 or more pounds in the last six months? Are you unable to shop, cook or feed yourself? "I'm staying away from fat," said Betty Silbowitz, 90, after watching a younger, overweight sister die recently. "I grew up on a farm, working hard and eating piles of ribs and bacon," said Raymond Frieson, of Ashland. "If I'd kept eating like that, I'd weigh 500 pounds now." Fat is the big bogeyman, but many other factors converge to threaten senior nutrition. One of the least apparent is the solitary lifestyle that can follow loss of a spouse and friends, said Stansell. "Eating is a social activity," she said. "Seniors look at preparing a meal and eating it alone and they just won't do it. A lot of people skip meals day after day and it can really take its toll." Compounding this is the fact that many seniors lack the money, transportation or cooking skills to handle shopping and meal preparation. Much of the purpose of congregate care and senior centers, she said, is to create the social setting for people to enjoy eating. Sometimes solitude in old age can lead to drinking too much, which can create toxicity and deficiencies in B vitamins. "We don't clear alcohol from our system as efficiently with old age," Stansell said, "and it can interfere with other drugs. It can easily happen that friends and family aren't aware of the drinking and one can get into depression and die alone." Seniors need plenty of roughage and fiber _ found in vegetables, fruits and grains _ to keep the digestive system working well and to fight colon cancer, said eldercare physician John Conwell of Talent. However, problems with teeth or dentures can steer seniors away from food that needs much chewing. This leads to a limited diet of soft foods such as applesauce, soup and breads, Stansell said, and malnutrition can result. Weight loss also can cause dentures to fit poorly. The solution is getting good dental care and properly fitting dentures, she added. The senses of taste and smell diminish with age and this can make seniors lose interest in eating, setting up poor nutrition and lessened resistance to disease, said Rebecca Astell, dietitian at Ashland Community Hospital. It can lower the body's protein and can slow the knitting of bones if seniors should break a wrist or hip. Bones also need lots of calcium _ but old age is not the best time to start getting it. We lose bone mass with age, so the more calcium you get in younger years, the less degeneration you'll have when you're old, Stansell said. However, she recommends against supplements and vitamins if at all possible. "It's all there in your diet if you're eating right. We say: food first!" Prime Times Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA