Page 3 - Senior Times South Central Michigan April 2023 - 30-04

Senior Times - April 2023 Page 3
magically going to love all vegetables, I even have those I avoid, just that it is possible to meet your health goals without having to sac- rifice the food you love to eat!
they work, what they can or can’t do for your body, how to correctly follow the diet, and no one helping you deciding which one is most appropriate for your specific health needs and health goals. The food you put into your body doesn’t have to be as complicated as some of these diets are recommending, and speaking with a nutrition professional can help get you on the right track of where you want to be.
Kelsi: I love this question. Food is the basis of all life. If you think about Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs, physiological needs – food, air, water, and sleep – are at the bottom of the pyramid. They are holding everything up. If we don’t eat, and we don’t eat well, there will be no other parts of our life that will thrive. But food is not all that we need to meet our health needs. As we move up
the pyramid, our physical, mental, and emo- tional health are important, along with our social interactions, doing the things we love daily and feeling a sense of purpose are all very important. One of the best parts about my job is getting to be the person to help people choose the foods to eat that will let them fully thrive in all these other aspects of health. Health will always be multifactorial, and it is important that we all figure out what that looks like in our lives.
bedtime, but that can’t always be accommo- dated and we ALWAYS recommend eating over not eating just because it is close to bed- time. Again, listening to hunger cues. I think the problem is a lot of people tend to choose less nutrient dense foods when they are snacking right before bed, so it is important to be mindful of our food choices at this time. As far as the “in between” hours, there is no right or wrong time to fuel your body as long as you are eating when you feel hungry.
Ryan: Two factors that I struggle with when it comes to healthier eating habits are cost and convenience, especially fast food. How do you address those struggles?
Kelsi: This is a huge struggle in many peo- ples’ lives, especially today with the cost of food continuing to increase. I think the first step in alleviating some of that struggle is
Ryan: This may seem like a rhetorical question, but I’m going to ask it anyway. Is there more to healthy living than just what we eat?
Ryan: Another area that readers may struggle with is portion size. Do you have any tips on getting a better understanding how much we should be eating of certain foods?
to stop demonizing canned and frozen foods that are still good options to fuel your body. While fresh foods are great, they tend to be more expensive and are not feasible for many people. An RD can provide education on how to choose these items, read nutrition labels, and provide creative ways to create meals with these items. As far as convenience, pre-planning is key. Meal planning and prep- ping for the week really is an effective way to eat more meals at home if that is your goal. Fast food is often the more convenient choice, especially if you know there is noth- ing already prepared at home.
Kelsi: It is common in the U.S. to con- sume portions much larger than what is rec- ommended as a serving size. Many people are shocked when they find out what most food recommendations are for a serving size. Ways to help with portion control is to read labels to identify appropriate serving sizes and eat from a plate or bowl rather than the package. It is also helpful to use tools to stick to portion sizes such as measuring cups and spoons and using smaller dinnerware to make the portion seem larger and leave you feel- ing more satisfied. Lastly, skip the upgrade. When dining out, the upgrade may seem like a good deal, but it can often cause you to overeat with the urge to finish your plate and leave you feeling stuffed.
Ryan: It feels like every few weeks a new diet is being pitched. How do I know what is right for me?
Kelsi: Meet with a Registered Dietitian! With TV and social media influencing our food choices at an all-time high, we all know how difficult it is to sift through all the infor- mation and figure out what is best for our own individual needs. It is truly overwhelm- ing, even for someone who is a nutrition professional, to keep up with the latest food trends. I can’t imagine how the general public feels. A lot of times, many of the “FAD diets” can actually cause more harm than good because there is no one sitting down with
you and explaining the science behind how
Ryan: We’ve addressed some of the “what to eat” questions. Is there a right or wrong time to eat?
I was apprehensive about having this con- versation because I knew that some of the answers were going to be convicting. I have some work to do. I appreciate Kelsi taking time to share with us and for providing prac- tical suggestions that we can incorporate into our daily lives. In my option, healthier eating shouldn’t be viewed so as much as restricting us as it is helping us to do more, live more, be more. We can do this!
Kelsi: Ideally, the goal is to eat something within two hours of waking up, but that isn’t always the case for everyone. If someone
is just not a breakfast eater, we recommend eating as soon as you feel hungry. There is also the debate of not eating food too close to