Elizabeth Eckstrom, MD, MPH, has a recipe to help her older patients stay healthy and strong: orange slices topped with toasted almonds and maybe a splash of balsamic vinegar. It’s just one piece of dietary advice she gives her patients—most of whom are in their 70s, 80s, 90s, and 100s—to ward off frailty.
Of course, Eckstrom’s menu includes a bevy of other nutrient-rich foods such as blueberries, spinach, tomatoes, squash, olive oil, avocados, and more. Her mantra for older adults goes beyond long-standing dietary advice. “Don’t just eat a healthy diet, eat the Mediterranean diet,” said Eckstrom, professor and chief of geriatrics at the Oregon Health & Science University in Portland.