Expert Column
Christine Salazar, RD 
Christine Salazar, RD, has been a practicing dietitian since 1998. She is a consulting...read more
Articles In This Column
- How Antioxidants Affect Your Health
- Ditch the Diet Forever: 7 Healthy Habits for Seniors
- The Facts About Fat: How Fat Affects Cholesterol & Cardiovascular Disease
- Food Labels: What Does It All Mean?
- Straight Talk: How Important is Calcium, Anyway?
- Too Much or Too Little: Get the Right Amount of Salt for a Healthy Diet
- The Nutrient That Can Help You Lose Weight, Lower Cholesterol and Reduce Your Risk of Colon Cancer
- Food Safety: 10 Guidelines for the Elderly
- Undernutrition and Overnutrition: How To Prevent and Treat Through Diet
Senior Nutrition
Too Much or Too Little: Get the Right Amount of Salt for a Healthy Diet
The average amount of salt in the American diet is twice the necessary DV (daily value). A key to eating healthy is choosing foods lower in sodium and salt, which is a mixture of sodium and chloride. The current DV is less than 2,400 mg of sodium a day. That is one teaspoon of salt! Too Little Salt A diet low in sodium may put people with chronic illness or the elderly at risk for hyponatremia. Hyponatremia, also known...Read entire article »
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The Nutrient That Can Help You Lose Weight, Lower Cholesterol and Reduce Your Risk of Colon Cancer
What Is Dietary Fiber? Dietary fiber comes from the portion of plants that is not digested by enzymes in the intestinal tract. Different types of plants have varying amounts and kinds of fiber. Pectin and gum are water-soluble fibers found inside plant cells. They slow the passage of food through the intestines but do nothing to increase fecal bulk. Beans, oat bran, fruit and vegetables contain soluble fiber. In contrast, fibers in cell walls are water insoluble. Such fibers...Read entire article »
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Food Safety: 10 Guidelines for the Elderly
It’s that time of year again, when picnics and family gatherings are most popular. We all know the drill: make food at home, and family and friends will take home the leftovers. What you might be surprised to learn, however, is that some of the symptoms typically associated with the flu are the same symptoms seen in foodborne illnesses. As we get older, our immune systems weaken, making it harder to fight off bacteria and serious illness. Stomach acids...Read entire article »
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Undernutrition and Overnutrition: How To Prevent and Treat Through Diet
Undernutrition is a serious problem for some elderly people. As we age, the decrease in sensation of taste and smell can make foods less appealing. With age, our caloric needs also decrease, so it is important to get the most out of foods by choosing foods with higher nutritional value. Oral health may also diminish. Ill-fitting dentures, poor dentition and periodontal disease all make chewing difficult, so oral health should be prioritized. Vitamins We Need and Where to Find...Read entire article »
