Guess Who in America has the Best Diet in America

According to National Health and Nutrition Examination survey of 2009-2010  Seniors aged 71 years and older have the best diet.  I personally find this to be true when I speak with my patents about their diet.  I am amazed by how many seniors are already eating a very healthy diet.  I do not even need to give many of them that much advice because they are already doing a great job.  Many of them eat plenty of vegetables and whole grains.  A few of them may lack in protein.  Getting enough calcium seems to be the biggest issue I see since most seniors do not like drinking milk.  Taking calcium supplements can  help with those individuals. But overall these individuals are doing great with their diet and we should take time to learn from our elders.  They are living long and part of the reason why is because of what they ate growing up and now.

Unfortunately the group with the worst diet is currently the teenagers.  Many teens nowadays live off of junk food from fast food restaurants, chips, cookies, and sugary beverages.  As adults it is our job to teach them how to eat right and be an example to them.  Teenagers who have parents who eat healthy are more likely to pick healthier choices than teens with parents who do not eat healthy.  Get the junk food out your house.  Don't allow your kids to get fast food for lunch everyday, or even every week.  Teach them that junk food is suppose to be for special occasions and should only be consumed once in a while.

  For me and my husband, we find that if it is in the house we will keep eating it until it is gone.  Our solution,  we don't buy it!  I love cookies!  I remember buying some frosted animal cookies right after me and my husband got married.  I kid you not,  I walked around with that bag of cookies for two days straight until it was gone.  If I, being a professional in the nutrition world cannot have self control with junk food, what makes you think you can.  What I do when we want junk food we will go and make it a special treat.  Perhaps me and my husband will go to an ice cream shop and get one serving of ice cream instead of bringing the whole tube home to be eaten within a few days.  If I want cookies, I go to the gas station and buy an individual pack so I am not tempted to splurge.  Controlling your environment is key to your success.  When I visit my senior clients, they do not have junk food in their house.  And if they do it is literally only one item.  This shows that controlling your environment can help you control your eating habits.