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Baby boomers taking charge of eating habits

CHICAGO - Chicago attorney Ray Gordon looks at food in a whole new way. At 59, he has taken over the responsibility of grocery shopping and cooking, a role his wife had for 30 years.

Salmon, broccoli and whole grains may decrease your risk of disease. (MCT)
Salmon, broccoli and whole grains may decrease your risk of disease. (MCT)Read more

CHICAGO - Chicago attorney Ray Gordon looks at food in a whole new way.

At 59, he has taken over the responsibility of grocery shopping and cooking, a role his wife had for 30 years.

"The kitchen is now my domain," he said. "I enjoy cooking. It's like a hobby."

This transformation was spurred by rising blood pressure and cholesterol levels that landed Gordon at Northwestern Memorial Wellness Institute, a health and preventive-medicine center in Chicago. After identifying his "food personality," working with a dietitian and exercising for the first time in his life, he dropped 30 pounds and lowered his blood pressure enough to scale back on medication.

"I never used to think about my meals or what I was eating," he said. "I knew I had to make changes."

Gordon is typical of other baby boomers who are getting their act together when it comes to what they eat. They are taking their health into their own hands and changing the American foodscape along the way.

Born between the years 1946 and 1964, boomers have driven some of the most powerful cultural shifts in our nation's history, and that includes food, said Michelle Barry, an analyst with the Hartman Group, a market research firm in Bellevue, Wash.

This huge demographic is behind a majority of today's food trends - everything from nutritionally enhanced foods and functional beverages to fresh local produce and artisanal foods.

"This generation is redefining what it means to have quality food," Barry said. And, she added, they're investing the time to become more knowledgeable about food.

Aging boomers approach food with a sense of optimism and hope, viewing it as a way they can help control their future, she said.

Nearly 80 million strong, this generation may have grown up on meatloaf, mashed potatoes and tuna casserole, but now they're seeking foods that can help them stay young, or at least feel young.

Boomers have traded in their Tang for orange juice fortified with ingredients that can lower their cholesterol. They've ditched their beloved Pop-Tarts for high-fiber flaxseed cereal and said goodbye to Tab for acai berry smoothies and green tea.

"The Boomers, [now between the ages of 42 and 62, more or less] do not view themselves as 'old' like their parents tended to at this age," said Matt Thornhill, president of The Boomer Project, which collects marketing data on boomers.

But today's boomers are not searching for the fountain of youth; rather, they're seeking the fountain of vitality, he said. "They accept that they're no longer 25, but they want to be the best they can be at 50 or 60."

As luck would have it, there's no shortage of advice on what boomers should eat to stay vital and fit. In fact, an anti-aging diet movement seems to be sweeping the nation: Bookstores and grocery stores are filled with how-to tomes and foods promising to keep your mind sharp, arteries clear, bones strong and joints pain-free

A major champion of this movement is Dr. Michael Roizen, creator of the RealAge program and co-author of the new book, "You Staying Young: The Owner's Manual for Extending Your Warranty" (Free Press, $26).

His approach is based on research suggesting that your food and lifestyle choices can add years to your life. For instance, one recent study found that people who eat five servings of fruits and vegetables a day, drink moderately, exercise and quit smoking live on average 14 years longer than people who adopt none of these behaviors.

On the flip side, other habits can shave off years or make you age even faster.

But before you throw in the kitchen towel, it's not too late to get started. No matter what kind of life you've already led, aging is reversible, Roizen said. "It's never too late until you're 6 feet under."

Unlike final exams in class or free-throws on the basketball court, Roizen said, we can get a "do-over" when it comes to our diet.

Damages of indulgent, careless eating can be erased in a matter of three years. Even better, within three months of changing a behavior you can start to measure a difference in your life expectancy, Roizen said. *

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