DETERMINE-ING Nutrition
When seniors are unable to choose what they eat, due to decreased abilities, resources and/or changes in independence, a nation-wide screening initiative may help caregivers assist the individual in meeting their daily needs. The Nutrition Screening Initiative (NSI) is a collaborative effort of the American Academy of Family Physicians, the National Council on Aging and others that use the acronym DETERMINE to identify potential risks associated with poor nutrition and/or malnutrition.
Some general facts about eating and the food we consume:
- Clean eating is “consuming food in its most natural state—or as close as possible to it. It is not a diet but a lifestyle approach to food and its preparation, leading to health, well-being and a lean look” (Clean Eating, Winter 2008).
- Carrots really do help you see in the dark. Carrots are loaded with Vitamin A, which is known to prevent night blindness.
- It takes 3500 calories to make 1 pound of fat. If you eat 500 calories more than your body needs each day, you will gain 1 pound in 7 days or 52 pounds a year!
- Unsweetened cranberry juice contains a high-molecular-weight nondialysable material (NDM) that inhibits and even reverses the formation of plaque on teeth. (The Cranberry Institute).
- In 2002, new regulations went into effect that governs the labeling of foods produced using organic agriculture. Only products with either 100% or 95%; 100%-organic ingredients can use the USDA Organic symbol.
DETERMINE
Disease
Eating Poorly
Tooth Loss/Mouth Pain
Economic Hardship
Reduced Social Contact
Multiple Medicines
Involuntary Weight Loss/Gain
Needs Assistance in Self-Care
Elder Years Above Age 80
