Healthy Lifestyle information lays around every corner these days making what is fact or fiction sometimes hard to sort out. As the senior population increases, so does a misconception surrounding bottled drinks. Advertising leads seniors to believe that energy drinks, sports drinks, sodas, or other types of sugary beverages have favorable health benefits. In some instances, this may cause seniors to believe that drinking only these types of products would give their bodies an adequate allotment of daily vitamins and water. Or leave them so overwhelmed with trying to figure out what is best, that they continue bad habits without concern.

St. Joseph Hospital Berea in Madison County offers a holistic program geared toward Senior Citizens called Senior Renewal. This program offers mental health services, home health services when needed, transportation for increased independence and nutritious meals served at the center to people over the age of 55, just to name a few. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (Snap-Ed) Assistant Senior was asked to offer classes for this group to show these seniors plausible ways of achieving a healthier more balanced daily diet without spending hours deciphering healthy or not.

 A program was planned for seven lessons to be taught every Thursday for seven weeks. The assistant senior would teach these lessons at the center during the clients’ lunchtime where each client would request their choice of meal for the day. Each visit would consist of a food group lesson, teaching the health benefit of each one. The assistant would also bring food models to demonstrate what proper portions look like allowing each senior to create a healthy beautiful meal alternative. She was occasionally given permission to bring samples of a healthy recipe as encouragement for them to cook at home. Each class time the clients were given nutritious, cost-effective recipes to try, and were expected to report any substitutions or opinions during the next meeting.

Every senior learned an easier way of creating tasty meals by budgeting, meal planning, and safely storing nutritious food options. During their last lesson, better beverages, the assistant senior brought a sugar display to show how much sugar is in some beverage choices. One client, who was suffering from debilitating GI infections and migraines, asked the on-duty nurse if her many bottles of soda per day could be causing these health issues, after learning about the many benefits of water and how much a person needs every day. A short time later, it was reported that she had traded in her soda for water, allowing herself only one 12oz can per day. The headaches and infections were much less severe leading her well down the path to recovery.