By Leslee Jaquette
Tomatoes are one of my two favorite foods. The other is greasy, batter slathered, deep-fried chicken. So according to recent information on how colorful foods are often the most nutritious, I’m batting .500. I get top points for inhaling pounds of juicy, fresh red tomatoes and no points (probably negative points) for the artery choking, fried chicken.
Still, on balance I consume lots of cantaloupe (orange), broccoli (green) and peppers (yellow). I am working very hard to add more blue/purple (blueberries, eggplant) and red ( cherries, red peppers) to my diet.
Prevent, fight dementia with colorful foods
An article I read recently called “One dish dining” in the AFA Care Quarterly (Spring 2015) says often people with Alzheimer’s or other dementias experience a lack of appetite. For these people, even the act of eating and swallowing can be difficult.
As a result, the author suggests caregivers consider how to deal with those and additional risk factors such as diabetes and obesity.
Experts suggest:
- Consult a professional – Get help from your physician or dietician/nutritionist
- Stick to the seasons – Eat locally grown, fresh foods
- Think variety, think color – The color on the outside of food gives a good picture of its nutritional value. Bright & colorful is better!
