I’M AGING, NOW WHAT SHOULD I EAT? – THE (PSEUDO) SCIENCE OF DIETS AND NUTRITION (30)

Knights of Columbus, 50 Pine Rd, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866

Mondays, 9:30-11am, October 5, 12, 19, 26, November 2, 9

Low carb, high protein, low fat, keto, paleo, vegan, Mediterranean – the range of popular diets and their contradictory recommendations can be bewildering.  Popular diets vary considerably in recommendations such as relative consumption of macronutrients (carbohydrates, fats, and proteins), foods to consume and avoid, risks and benefits, and ease of compliance. To gain perspective, we will examine the Standard American Diet (SAD), the association between dietary factors and mortality, and the manner in which the body uses macronutrients. Using evidence-based scientific research, we will discuss guidelines for healthy eating patterns that encompass a balance and variety of foods, so that participants can make dietary decisions based on their own medical history, lifestyle, and personal tastes.  Each session will feature small food samples that exemplify a featured macronutrient.

1.Nutrition and health – chronic diseases and how nutrition affects them; introduction to carbohydrates – definition, how your body uses carbs, digestion and absorption

2.Carbs in our diets – nutrition facts labels, what Americans actually eat, what Americans should eat to be healthier, carbohydrate myths

3.Proteins – definition, how your body uses proteins, digestion and absorption

4.Proteins in our diets – nutrition facts labels, what Americans actually eat, what Americans should eat to be healthier; introduction to fats – definition, how your body uses fats, digestion and absorption

5.Fats in our diets – nutrition facts labels, what Americans actually eat, what Americans should eat to be healthier

6.Practical considerations – nutrient density vs. calorie density, The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, food preparation, dining out, nutrient timing, constructing healthy meals, the role of exercise

Cost: $5 for samples

Leader: Tomlinson (“Tom”) Rauscher, Ph.D., is a Certified Nutrition Coach, Fitness Nutrition Specialist,

Weight Loss Specialist, Senior Fitness Specialist, Personal Trainer, Spinning Instructor, Pilates Instructor,
and CrossFit Trainer.  He has presented nutrition lectures at senior centers, churches, fitness centers, and
civic organizations, and he teaches exercise classes at the Saratoga Regional YMCA.  Rauscher is an All-American Masters athlete and has won multiple National Masters Championships in the pole vault and powerlifting.  He earned his B.S. at Yale University, M.B.A. at the University of Rochester, and Ph.D. at the University of Maryland.