Amy Zell leads a class on “Nutrition As We Age.”
By JUDI SWOGGER
NEWS On the Green
For most of us, eating is, well, a piece of cake. Eating nutritionally sound meals? Maybe not so much. A three-part series at the Brookfield Library aimed to change that.
Eight participants brought their questions and concerns to the free program “Nutrition As We Age,” a three-session class presented by Amy Zell of Grief and Loss in Motion. Zell’s organization presented the series in cooperation with Silver Sneakers, an organization that promotes health in older age groups.
When asked to share the barriers they have encountered in their quests to eat healthily, Zell’s audience noted such factors as: time; finding affordable, available and doable options; feeding others who might not appreciate the resulting changes in taste; holidays and events; and challenges in understanding food labels.
Zell empathized.
“It can be really difficult to prepare different foods and figure out what’s best,” she said, noting that the digestion changes that come with age can upend the way you eat and having to “worry about what it (a new food) does to mess with your medications” is another concern.
Merely following the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s “MyPlate” recommendations for healthy eating can raise all kinds of questions.
One of its guidelines recommends that half of your plate should contain fruits and vegetables – and that’s daily, not weekly or monthly, Zell joked. Participants noted the availability of healthy choices in that category can be affected by the seasons.
The recommendation to make half of your grain servings whole grain raises the question as to what constitutes a “whole” grain.
Another guideline is to choose low-fat and fat-free milk or yogurt. “But there are so many mixed resources,” such as milks made from beans, nuts and grains, Zell said. “Where do you go with that?”
MyPlate’s recommendation to drink and eat less sodium, saturated fat and added sugar prompted a question as to what qualifies as “high” sodium in a diet.
Protein considerations can be another confusing facet of the plan – especially with protein drinks. Zell’s audience debated the goods, the bads and the downright tasteless. “Sometimes, it comes down to what you will drink,” Zell said.
Zell offered a tip that eating revs up a body’s metabolism, and eating 5 to 6 small meals a day – with heavier items earlier in the day and nothing after 6 p.m. – can keep your body using more energy over the course of a day and can be helpful for weight loss.
The group also discussed the 80/20 plan for eating – 80 percent healthy and 20 percent “not so healthy.”
“There are some things we don’t give up,” Zell said, suggesting her audience “set boundaries” – such as confining treats to certain times of the day or certain days of the week – as a way of controlling how much is eaten.
“Know that it’s OK to make that slow choice,” Zell said. “It makes a big difference.”
The class will be offered again, Zell said. “Community organizations and businesses are welcome to reach out to Grief and Loss in Motion to partner to bring more of these opportunities to our community.”
For information, call or text Zell at 330-506-1232.
