Vitamin D has been a very popular micronutrient for the past couple years. It has been the focus of several studies that show the benefits of Vitamin D as well as discovering that the RDA was not meeting our needs. The RDA for Vitamin D was increase and we are continually hearing about new found benefits to adequate levels of the micronutrient for our health.

Regardless of all of the research and information on the risks of Vitamin D deficiency, we are still not getting enough.

A recent study published in the German journal Deutsches Ärzteblatt International found the rates of deficiency in one German elderly care rehabilitation facility to be significantly high. Of the almost 1600 participants, mean age of 82, 89% were found to be deficient in Vitamin D and 67% were found to be severely deficient. This is an alarming statistic when you consider the benefits that Vitamin D provides for elderly individuals. Not only does Vitamin D have a positive impact on bone and calcium metabolism, it has been found to also benefit muscle. This helps to prevent falls and fractures, which are serious health risks to the older population.

The recommendation for Vitamin D for individuals aged 70 or greater should get 800 IU daily. Seniors have higher requirements because they produce less of the improtant nutrient in their skin and also spend less time in the sun. This requirement was increased in 2010 to the current recommendation. To read more on the recommended intakes of Calcium and Vitamin D, please visit the Institute of Medicine’s website.

Foods that are naturally high in Vitamin D include fatty fish, oysters, and soy milk. There are also several foods high in calcium that are fortified with Vitamin D, including several dairy products. Recipes OnDemand™, a component of ThreeSquares® OnDemand food service software, has several recipes that contain ingredients high in Vitamin D for inclusion on your menus. Supplements are also a great option to help meet Vitamin D recommendations.

How do you make sure that you residents and customers are getting all of their nutrient needs met? What nutrients do you monitor for deficiencies?

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietitics (Formerly known as the American Dietetic Association, read about the name change here) hosts the largest gathering of Registered Dietitians in the country every year at the Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo. SureQuest makes sure to attend this event every year to do do some networking, promote our great product ThreeSquares® OnDemand, and have fun! This year is definitely no exception.

We’ll be in the city of brotherly love (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) October 6-9th, 2012, hobnobbing with the best of the best in the nutrition world. Make sure to stop by and chat with us at booth 332 on the expo floor!

A new review, published online before inclusion in a full issue of Nutrition Reviews, looks at published studies focusing on the relationship between refined grain intake and disease risk. The 135 studies for review were published between 2000 and 2010. The summarized study results found that a moderate consumption of refined grains, about half of total grain intake, was not associated with increased risk of negative health outcomes. However, at an increased intake, refined grains are linked to a increased risk of certain types of cancer.

It is important to note that the results do not extend to refined grains that are high in added fats, sugar, or sodium.

This finding is nothing particularly new. Dietitians and health advocates have been saying for years to make at least half of your grain intake from whole grains. This review is more “fuel for the fire”, confirming the fact that if you increase your intake of refined grains to more than half of your total grain intake, your risk for negative health outcomes increases. For more information about refined and whole grains, take a glance at the USDA’s Choose MyPlate website. They have easily understood information about the benefits of whole grains as well as tips for how to include more whole grains in your daily intake.

The food industry is changing, including more whole grains into products that were previously only refined grains. Things like whole grain cereals, brown rice, and whole wheat pasta are more abundant and easier to include in menus. Some customers and residents are also coming around to the idea, being open to trying new foods or ingredients in recipes that are whole grain.

How do you include whole grain into your recipes and menus? For example, in some recipes, such as casseroles or soups, brown rice can be easily substituted for white rice without a distinct change in flavor or texture. Do you sense that customers and staff are more open minded to the idea of whole grains vs the refined grains they may have grown up with?

The theme for this May’s Older Americans Month has been announced by the Administration on Aging. The theme for 2012 is “Never Too Old to Play”, which encourages older Americans to stay active in their lives physically, socially, and mentally. This theme will allow for a lot of fun, creative activities that the staff and customers we serve can engage in. Additional information will be released soon, visit the AOA website to stay abreast of developments.

This theme comes at a very good time. There is an increasing amount of research being done that touts the positive impact playing simple games, including electronics, can can have on preventing physical and cognitive decline. U.S. PharmD, a list of pharmacy schools and degrees in the U.S., has a list of the 50 best video games for improving health and preventing senior decline.

This theme does not end with activities! There are a variety of ways you can include “Never Too Old to Play” in your menu planning for the month. Have a game night and let residents decorate their own sugar cookies. SureQuest’s Recipes® OnDemand contains  great, simple recipes for Sugar Cookies and Vanilla Icing. Cut the dough into crazy shapes and add some food dye to the icing. Have interesting, interactive meals that allow the residents to “play” with their food, all the while letting them know how important they are to you and your facility.

Most importantly, have fun!

The use of supplements has seen a sharp increase in recent years. The dietary supplement industry has gone from being a side note to a major player in today’s health world, being valued at over 25billion a year and steadily going up. This is not something only seen in a certain age group or ethnicity; dietary supplement use has been increasing across the board. As health practitioners or facilitators, it is our responsibility to be aware of the effects of supplement use on the population we serve.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, supplement use has increased from 40% in 1988-1994 to almost half of the U.S. Population in 2003-2006. According to a study published in the Journal of Nutrition, about 70% of individuals aged 71 or more used dietary supplements. The majority of supplements taken consist of vitamins or minerals, including sharp increases in calcium, vitamin D, and folic acid.

That can’ t be a bad thing, right? Well, that all depends. Calcium is good for bone health and may possibly help prevent cancer. Vitamin D is imperative in the body’s metabolism of calcium, as well as maintaining blood levels of phosphorous and may be involved in cancer prevention. Folic acid helps to keep your blood healthy. However, in the case of Calcium and Vitamin D, individuals who take too much can develop toxicities of these nutrients with negative side effects like hypercalcinemia, kidney stones, or calcium deposits.

Not all dietary supplements are as harmless as vitamins and minerals. Individuals are also increasing their intake of herbs, like St.John’s Wort or Garlic extract, and different combinations of holistic medications meant to treat obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and many other types of chronic diseases. There can be major problems with some of these supplements, particularly if these patients are also on a pharmacological treatment for their health issues. For example, St. John’s Wort can have a major impact on things like birth control pills or the cancer medication Camptosar, making them less effective.

Are you aware of how many of your clients employ a holistic regimen for their complaints? What do you find to be used most in your facilities? Do you yourself take part in the use of supplements?

Make sure to ask your clients, customers, and patients of any dietary supplements they are taking. These need to be evaluated for effectiveness and safety, especially when combined with pharmacological treatment of certain chronic diseases. It may also prove to be beneficial to monitor blood lab values of vitamins with known issues with toxicity. In the case of the supplement world, the more knowledge you possess, the better for you and your customers.

MyPlate, which replaced the old food group icon of MyPyramid earlier this year, now has a version specifically for the older population. The Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University has released the MyPlate for Older Adults, developed by Alice H. Lichtenstein, DSc, senior scientist and director of the Cardiovascular Nutrition Laboratory at the USDA HNRCA and Helen Rasmussen, PhD, RD, senior research dietitian at the USDA HNRCA. This MyPlate is based upon the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

One issue with the MyPlate system in regards to the older population is that calorie needs decrease but nutrient needs stay the same. It is important then to focus on nutrient-dense food items, like fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, and low-fat dairy items. Trans- and saturated fats should be limited, particularly the trans-fatty acids found in many fried foods. It is also important to limit salt and added sugar intake, which is also emphasized on MyPlate.

An interesting addition is the use of frozen or low-sodium, no added sugar canned food items. Fruits and vegetables that are frozen have the same nutrients as their fresh counterparts, and are particularly useful during off-seasons when fresh fruits and vegetables aren’t widely available.

There are also images depicting physical activity, which reinforces the concept that exercise is just as important in the elderly population as it is for the other age groups. Included in the images are house chores, which is an attempt to show that there are a variety of options in regards to physical activity. It is important to remember that these house chores do not always take the place of regular cardiovascular exercise.

Do you think that this covers nutrition for older individuals? Is anything lacking that you find to be important? Is it realistic to make half of your resident’s daily intake fruits and vegetables?

For more information about the MyPlate for Older Adults developed by Tufts University, please click here. Also, for a printable version of the MyPlate and other information regarding MyPlate, visit The United States Department of Agriculture’s website, ChooseMyPlate.

Every year several different writers try their hand at guessing what the emerging food trends will be. 2012 is no different, with lists coming from celebrity chefs, major news outlets, blog writers, magazines, and Food Network, just to name a few. Hospitals and acute care facilities have greater freedom in deciding what trends and new food items they will introduce, particularly within the cafeterias or updated “cafe” concepts. Updates in acute-care dining options are often celebrated, with an example being a recent blog post “Healthcare Goes Gourmet” which featured a cooking competition among hospital chefs.

 The long-term care field has to be incredibly careful when deciding to try something new on the menu. Residents and customers may not like the new options. It is widely known that comfort foods and food choices that customers grew up with tend to be better received in long-term homes. There is also the concern with therapeutic diets. Food trends typically do not drift towards heart-healthy, diabetic friendly, or altered texture meals.

A few examples of the many predicted trends for 2012 can be found on Huffington Post Food, Nation’s Restaurant News publication, and The James Beard Foundation. A common theme seems to be different ethnic cuisines, such as Nordic or Asian, and local, sustainable ingredients. To read about one senior living establishment that is making local, from-scratch cooking work for them, click here.

 Have you found any food trends you think would work in your establishment? Are you brainstorming creative ways to introduce change to your menu without your customer base balking?

A new study that will be published in the January 24th issue of Neurology looked at the vitamin levels in older patients and how that might be linked to both brain size and mental functioning. 104 men and women with an average age of 87 participated in the study. Blood levels of various vitamins were measured, as well as brain scans to look at brain volume and six different cognitive tests to determine how well an individuals brain was functioning.

What the researchers found was that higher levels of Vitamins B, C, D, and E were linked with better cognitive functioning. The researchers controlled for age, gender, blood pressure, BMI, and other factors. 

 Higher levels of Omega-3 fatty acids were also shown in those with better brain function. It is thought that the fatty acids may show improvement through a different biological pathway, as those with higher levels also had a larger brain volume and healthier blood vessels in the brain. High levels of Trans Fatty Acids were associated with poor cognition and a smaller brain size.

The information from this blog was found on the New York Times Health Research page. You can access the full story by clicking here.

More research needs to be performed before any definitive links can be made between these nutrients and health benefits. However, serving residents a diet that is high in fresh/frozen fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, fatty fish like tuna or salmon, and low fat dairy products would provide all of these nutrients without causing any harm. What’s stopping you?

 A new study, published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, looks at obesity in the elderly population and their risk of falling.

Obesity is a growing problem in the United States, no pun intended. It doesn’t just effect a few; it effects everyone. Young and old alike are seeing an increase in obesity and co-morbid conditions associated with increased weight. The most recent published study found that obesity increases the risk of falling by 50% in people ages 65 or older who have a BMI of 40 or higher. However, those same individuals with BMI’s of 40 or higher were less likely to report an injury from a fall.

Christine L. Himes, a researcher for the study, said that these findings make sense. She says that obese people, in general, are more likely to fall than thinner people due to a variety of issues- including arthritis, diabetes, or stroke. Himes also says that when they do fall obese people benefit from the extra padding their weight provides. Benefit or not, obese people do have a harder time recovering from injuries related to falls due to their poorer physical condition.

To read more about the study’s findings on MSNBC Diet and Nutrition Click Here. 

Diet and physical activity play a large role in the continued health of our elder population. SureQuest ThreeSquares OnDemand® can help you manage your customer’s diet needs, including theraputic modifications or calorie restrictions.

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year to all of our SureQuest family!

Are you planning on making big changes to your community in the coming year? Do you have goals, ideas for improvement, and excitement for the future of your organization?

Let SureQuest ThreeSquares OnDemand® be a part of that excitement with you. There are MANY reasons to opt into a dietary management software. Here is a list of 5 reasons to begin using food service management softare we’ve found to be incredibly important to our current and potential customers.

Our software is now cloud based, meaning you can access it from anywhere you can use the Internet simply by entering your log in ID and password. It is also affordable; rather than a large, up-front fee for an installed product, we charge you monthly for our services. ThreeSquares OnDemand® comes pre-loaded with thousands of HACCP compliant recipes that you can use as-is or edit to your preferences. We also have base menus available so you can begin using it as soon as your organization subscribes.

To make things even easier- you can choose to have US do all of the work for you. Our professional services staff is here to do just that, making sure your menu and recipes are maintained with your needs in mind. This allows you to focus on other areas of your organization while knowing your food service department is being taken care of.

For more information about how SureQuest ThreeSquares OnDemand® can work within your food service department please register for our live demo, Demo with Dianne, or contact us.