“But I Hate Broccoli.”

Do you remember trying to encourage your toddlers to eat broccoli? I dared my son, “I bet you can’t eat a whole tree.” He’d stuff it in his mouth and munch away, and I’d pretend to faint with the wonder of it all. When he got older that ploy didn’t work, and I tried to spice it up with various sauces, or ground it and hide the evidence in spaghetti sauce. At one point during his teenage years, the only vegetable he ate was the “sweet 100” cherry tomatoes that grew like grapes in the back yard. As a diehard health nut, I worried about stunted growth and early death. I’m happy to report that in his twenties his dietary bent turned toward the vegetable aisle, and now he cooks and eats wonderful meals.

Elders have challenges when it comes to nutrition. This week we’ll examine some of the difficulties, and the following week we will look for solutions.

Micronutrient deficiency is rampant among elders. Why? So many reasons.

• Many suffer from some form of a disease, which depletes their bodies of nutrients or makes it difficult for them to get proper nutrition from their food.
• The treatment for some diseases (such as various forms of cancer) can leave the body drained of certain nutrients.
• Some diseases such as Parkinson’s disease or arthritis can make the handling of utensils difficult.
• Medications can lead to certain deficiencies or loss of appetite. Some side effects, such as nausea or constipation discourage eating.
• Common pain relievers cause constipation, leading to bloating and uncomfortable bowel movements. Someone who is constipated is seldom hungry.
• Elders living alone often need a ride to a grocery store. 
• Finances may be a problem, causing them to shun more expensive fresh foods.
• Missing teeth or ill-fitting dentures can make eating difficult and painful.
• Some elders experience swallowing difficulties and need their food minced or pureed.
• Cognitive impairment can lead to forgetting meals, or not remembering how to prepare them.
• Depression, common among the elderly, can lead to a lack of appetite.
• Stubbornness. Stubbornness?? Yes, Many have eaten a certain way all their lives and aren’t about to change now. Often this “certain way” includes unhealthy habits that overindulge in breads and sugars and don’t include enough fresh foods. 
• Elders are notoriously dehydrated. Without enough water, every system in the body has difficulty functioning correctly.