• 1 (14.5 ounce) can garbanzo (or chick peas) beans, rinsed
  • 1 head of garlic
  • For Hummus
  • 4 tbsp. Tahini (sesame paste can be found in the international aisle at most grocery stores)
  • 1 tsp. kosher or sea salt
  • Zest of two lemons
  • Juice of both lemons
  • 1/2 c. good olive oil
  • For Pita Chips
  • 12 pita bread (I like Ezekiel pita bread)
  • Olive oil spray
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/2 tsp. salt

I am looking forward to being a speaker at the National Commission of Aging Conference in Greensboro, NC. I will be discussing ways to amplify flavors for our elderly. Eating well in old age is essential to enjoying life to its fullest. As we age, our experience of taste begins to change. Like all cells in the body, the special sensory cells that make up your taste buds eventually wear out. The taste buds begin to disappear from the sides and roof of the mouth, leaving taste buds mostly on our tongue. These remaining taste buds eventually become less sensitive.

The good news is that God thought of everything and even as we age our five senses allow us to enjoy food and cooking to the best of our abilities, so although our taste buds change over the years, we can still see, smell, taste, feel and hear the food which can ultimately bring back childhood and family memories!

I created a recipe for hummus packed with optimum flavor and nutrients! This recipe is nice adn soft which is very helpful for older people as well. the chickpeas, or garbanzo beans, are loaded with zinc, folate and protein. Chickpeas are very low in fat and provide lots of dietary fiber. this is especially good for elderly living with diabetes or insulin problems. The olive oil contains a wide variety of valuable antioxidants that are not found in other oils. Olive oil provides heart healthy benefits as well. Daily omega-3 fatty acid consumption is important and olive oil is a great choice.

What can omega -3 foods do for you?

Reduce inflammation throughout your body
Keep your blood from clotting excessively
Maintain the fluidity of your cell membranes
Lower the amount of lipids (fats such as cholesterol and triglycerides) circulating in the bloodstream
decrease platelet aggregation, preventing excessive blood clotting
Inhibit thickening of the arteries by decreasing endothelial cells’ production of a platelet-derived growth factor (the lining of the arteries is composed of endothelial cells)
Increase the activity of another chemical derived from endothelial cells (endothelium-derived nitric oxide), which causes arteries to relax and dilate
Reduce the production of messenger chemicals called cytokines, which are involved in the inflammatory response associated with atherosclerosis
Reduce the risk of becoming obese and improve the body’s ability to respond to insulin by stimulating the secretion of leptin, a hormone that helps regulate food intake, body weight and metabolism, and is expressed primarily by adipocytes (fat cells)
Helps prevent cancer cell growth

 

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Expose the garlic by carefully cutting the top of the garlic head with a serrated knife. Place your garlic head (I do more than one at a time) in a glass baking dish. Drizzle a little olive oil over the top and bake for 30 minutes or until the garlic has softened. Baking garlic brings out the natural sweetness of what can normally be bitter. Allow the roasted garlic to cool down, so that it can be handled easily.

Drain your beans well to remove any salt. Place beans, sesame paste, salt, the zest and juice of two lemons and olive oil into your blender or food processor. Squeeze your garlic out of the skin and into your hummus. Blend until very smooth. Enjoy with these homemade healthy pita chips packed with flavor. Excessive amounts of salt is detrimental to most individuals but particularly our elderly. alt is. Store-bought pita chips can be loaded with sodium. These homemade pita chips are quick and easy to make and are flavored with a small amount of salt and a lot of dried herbs!

Blend all ingredients together in a food processor and enjoy!

Toasted Pita Chips

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
Cut each pita into 8 triangles. Place triangles on lined cookie sheet.
Spray pita chips with olive oil spray and sprinkle with spices.
Bake in the preheated oven for about 7 minutes, or until lightly browned and crispy. Watch carefully, as they tend to burn easily! We love these with our homemade hummus.

You can find Ezekiel Pita Bread at many health food stores. I like the bread in the orange package best!