WARNER ROBINS, Ga. — For seniors like Marjorie Hogan, she understands how food can benefit them in a better way.
"It helps me to grow mentally as well as physically," Hogan said.
Alexandrea Gust is the Certified Dietary Manager at Summer's Landing assisted living facility in Warner Robins. She is in charge of ensuring people like Marjorie and other residents here meet their nutritional needs.
"Delicious, nutritious food is very important to me," Hogan said.
Now that certified dietary managers can teach people about the foods they put in their bodies, Gust wants to make sure she teaches the seniors at Summer's Landing what they need to know about their nutritional needs because she knows health is wealth.
"Especially with their age, it's really important for them to have the right foods and to have the right vitamins so that way they can age and heal and let the body function the way that it should," said Gust.
She said it's typically harder to get seniors to eat protein because they don't always have an appetite for it. But it's fundamental for healing.
It's also essential for them to cut back on starches and carbs. Too much can lead to complications like diabetes and other health-related issues.
Gust said it's crucial to note that whether you're a child, a teen, a young adult, or a senior, you can have very different nutritional needs.
" As we age, what we need changes," Gust said. "If its diet, whether its fluid or cholesterol levels in your food, it's always going to change as you get older."
Gust said it's very common for young adults and older adults to skimp on eating veggies.
She said how you prepare your food matters. For example, if you heat your vegetables longer, they're more likely to lose their nutritional value.
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