In honor of Healthy Aging Month, Layne Langley, an LSU AgCenter area nutrition and community health agent, teamed with RKM Primary Care to present the Stay Independent nutrition series throughout September and October.
Participants from East Feliciana, West Feliciana and East Baton Rouge parishes attended the six-week program hosted at RKM Primary Care in Clinton.
Stay Independent is a research-based nutrition and wellness program designed for adults aged 60 and older to help reduce nutrition risk and lower the risk of sarcopenia, which is age-related progressive loss of muscle mass and strength.
The objective of the nutrition series was to provide participants with practical tools to set goals for maintaining independence in mid and later life.
Over six weeks, topics included Three Meals a Day, Feast on Fruits & Vegetables, Power Up with Protein, Cooking for One or Two, Brain Health and Exercise Your Independence. Each session featured hands-on activities such as meal makeovers using food cards and creating healthy snacks and meals with fruits and vegetables based on MyPlate guidelines.
Participants explored strategies for cooking for one or two, practiced recipe conversions, and learned to read nutrition facts labels. They received tips for making semi-homemade meals.
Physical activity was addressed through discussions on barriers and demonstrations of chair exercises and cardio drumming. For cognitive health, participants completed a brain health quiz to identify lifestyle changes that could help slow cognitive decline. Additionally, they prepared and sampled new recipes.
Celebrating healthy aging: LSU AgCenter partners with RKM Primary Care
