“You are what you eat.” The old adage is now truer than
ever. Good health is largely dependent on good nutrition, so much so that
doctors trace many physical and emotional ailments back to a diet deficient in
vitamins and minerals. Eating a well-balanced diet is a major part of
encouraging long life, lowering the incidence of disease, and helping sick
people recover. On the flip side, inadequate nutrition and poor quality foods
can generally cut life span and open us up to many illnesses and disease. In
effect, food is medicine per Webster's definition of medicine: "The
science and art dealing with the maintenance of health and the prevention,
alleviation, or cure of disease." Food acts as medicine - to maintain,
prevent, and treat disease.
With this month’s Alive in All Seasons focus on food, we’d
like to give you a prescription for a healthy diet: breakfast daily (do not
skip); meals x3 (at least) daily; foods from each of the food groups per meal daily.
The food pyramid defines the food groups as grains, vegetables, fruits, dairy
and proteins. The amounts vary according to age, sex, height, weight, and
physical activity level. Here’s a good guideline to start you on your way. Make
half your plate fruits and vegetables. Make half your grains whole grains. Move
to low-fat and fat-free dairy. Vary your protein routine and eat and drink the
right amount for you.
Join us as we continue our focus on healthy aging by
shedding light on our hydration program with healthy snacks and juices, and
demonstrate how food and nutrition help us to Live in Wellness from a
dietitian’s point of view.
Our fabulous June 2017 events in Meadville, PA at Juniper
Village at Meadville include our:
§ Dulcimer Music and Delightful Desserts & Alive in All Seasons Dinner
with Carol Myers who will perform the Dulcimer as we celebrate food month and sample
delightful desserts prepared by our own Chef Erin following our meal on June 8th
at 4:30pm. (RSVP by June 4th to 814-333-4400.)
§ Certified Dementia Practitioner Training with Liz Plozner-Chalfa,
Executive Director of Juniper Village Wellspring Memory Care at Brookline, who will
be presenting this training for those in our local community who wish to become
certified dementia practitioners with a class fee of just $25 on June 22nd
from 9:00 am to 5:30 pm and June 23rd from 9:00 am to noon. (RSVP by
June 18th to 814-333-4400.)
§ Friends and Family Concert featuring Concertina researcher and musician,
Roger Juntunen, who will be performing on the concertina keyboard for us to
enjoy including polkas, oldies, sing-alongs and more on June 24th at
2:00 pm. (RSVPs appreciated but not required.)
We look forward to sharing our June 2017 events in Meadville,
PA at Juniper Village at Meadville with you as you Live In Wellness.