Whether it’s digging into a big bowl of fresh, crunchy salad greens, opting for grilled rather than fried foods, or drinking lots of water, eating healthy is vital for people of any age. But it is especially important for older adults who are residing at home or enjoying life in a senior living community and want to do things like:

• Provide their body with the fuel it needs to help them stay active and strong
• Avoid obesity
• Reduce the risk of heart disease
• Manage conditions like Type 2 diabetes
• Help prevent certain kinds of cancers

That last point about preventing cancer is especially timely for February is Cancer Awareness Month. Let’s talk popular senior dietary options that are nutritious, healthy and totally delicious.

Indulge in Fabulous Fruit

Who doesn’t relish biting into the juicy goodness of a ripe piece of fruit? Fresh fruit, especially blueberries, is even better for you in terms of warding off cancer.

Small, sweet, and bursting with the glorious taste of summertime, blueberries are often called a superfood—and for good reason. Blueberries are packed with antioxidants which protect cells from free radicals, unstable and highly reactive molecules the body makes as part of metabolism, but also in response to toxins like ultraviolet sunlight and tobacco smoke. Cells damaged by free radicals can mutate and become cancerous. Numerous studies have shown antioxidants may prevent or slow the progress of cancer.

While wild and cultivated blueberries top the charts for high antioxidant content, there are other readily available fresh fruits with powerful cancer prevention properties. These include cranberries, blackberries, strawberries, sweet cherries, black plums, red grapes, Granny Smith and Red Delicious apples, navel oranges, mangos, peaches and pineapples. Enjoy them alone, on cereal, or whip up a luscious bowl of Nigella Lawson’s Antioxidant Fruit Salad to impress dinner guests or delight yourself.

Enjoy Whole Grain Goodness

Whether it’s rice, wheat, oats, barley, quinoa, or farro, research has proven foods which contain whole grains offer a wide range of cancer-preventing nutrients including fiber, phytochemicals, B vitamin/folates, and protein.

Perhaps the biggest benefit of whole grains is fiber. Because they are coarse and complex, the undigested carbohydrates in grains help move food through the body more quickly which can reduce the risk of colorectal cancer. A study done by the American Institute for Cancer Research showed eating a 6-ounce serving of whole grains a day can reduce the risk of colorectal cancer by 21%.

However, it’s important to note colorectal cancer isn’t the only cancer whole grains help protect against. This inexpensive food source can also stave off breast and liver cancer as well as reduce the risk of heart disease and Type 2 diabetes.

For maximum health benefits, nutritionists recommend eating at least 3 servings of whole grains a day, easy to do considering you can get two servings of whole grain when you enjoy:

• 1 cup of oatmeal
• 1 sandwich
• 1 whole wheat English muffin
• 1 bowl of cooked quinoa

You can round up to three servings of whole grain by munching on three cups of popcorn, a cup of whole grain cereal, or a half-round whole wheat pita stuffed with favorite veggies. Each of these count as one serving.

More importantly be sure you’re eating foods that are indeed whole grain. Processing and refining remove the bran, germ, and endosperm layers of the seed, which reduces the healthy fiber and nutrients. Look out for words on packaging that fool you into thinking the product is whole grain…when it is not. These include terms like:

• Multigrain
• 7 grain
• Cracked wheat
• Stone ground
• 100% wheat
• Enriched flour
• Even “made with whole grains''

A good rule of thumb: if you can see the seeds in what you are eating, you can be pretty sure you’re getting true whole-grain goodness.

Green Scene

When it comes to helping to prevent cancer, few food groups do it better or in more delicious ways than vegetables. Take your pick of dozens of shapes, sizes, tastes and textures that deliver fiber, vitamins and compounds that reduce inflammation and may turn on genes that slow the growth of cancerous tumors. Best choices include:

• Broccoli
• Brussels sprouts
• Cabbage
• Turnips
• Cauliflower
• Kale
• Collard greens
• Beans
• Peas
• Lentils

Whether cooking in or dining out in the coming weeks, keep these popular senior dietary options in mind during Cancer Awareness Month. A forkful or two of these superfoods can help keep you healthy and living your life to the fullest.

MorningStar Senior Living

If your loved one lives far from family and friends, it could be time to move into a senior living community near their adult children where they’ll have the companionship of fellow seniors and a compassionate service team. At MorningStar Senior Living, a 24/7 team is dedicated to offer care and hospitality services that meet each resident’s social, emotional, physical, and spiritual needs.