As we get older, more than a few seniors have seen their body change into a shape they had hoped it never would. I was hoping mine would actually shrink, but of course that didn’t happen. After working a high stress job, gaining 25 pounds and losing lots of sleep, I decided to get off that roller coaster. I’m now semi-retired. Fortunately for me, I am rarely sick and do not take any medication. So, I’m healthy despite weighing more than I should.
Last year in the United States, sales of organic food and products topped $48 billion — that’s up almost 10 percent over the previous year, according to the Organic Trade Association. And while this growing industry is showing no signs of stopping, organic farming is hardly a trend; it’s how our parents and grandparents tended to their crops and cattle. Then in the 1950s, pesticides and artificial fertilizers were introduced — creating what is now called “conventionally-grown” food. So what’s the difference and why does it matter?
Since 1989, ALU LIKE’s Elderly Services Department, Ke Ola Pono No Nā Kūpuna (KOPP), has provided nutrition and supportive services (recreation, education, promotion of well-being) to independent Native Hawaiians 60 years of age or older on the islands of Hawai‘i, Kaua‘i, Maui, Moloka‘i and O‘ahu. Today, there are 18 site locations statewide.
Lanakila Meals on Wheels, a program of Lanakila Pacific, works with registered dietitians and chefs to ensure their healthy and delicious meals meet or exceed USDA nutrition guidelines while addressing the age-related dietary needs of seniors.
