My Million Dollar Idea

My grandparents live in a retirement community. At 90, they are approaching senior status among the residents, yet they're doing pretty well. They have social interaction with a large peer group. They've always been a fan of board games which keep their brains sharp. And, get this, they exercise everyday, including lifting weights.

Good genes help, too, I'm sure. But I'm also sure that, in their ninth decade of life, they deserve a reprieve from the constant bombardment of dietary advice/strategies which run 180 degrees contrary to how they spent their first eighty years. When I have lunch with them at the home's cafeteria, they're fed food which is politically correct. Low fat dairy. Lean meats. And sugar free (but not aspartame free) ice cream for dessert.

History buffs may remember that, at the age of 64, President Eisenhower had a heart attack. His total cholesterol at the time of the attack was only 165 ml/dl. Yet he was still placed on a highly publicized low fat diet which consisted of "health" foods like dry toast, cereal and skim milk, corn oil, and allowed to eat only 1 egg per week. His cholesterol numbers continued to climb on this "heart healthy" diet until it reached 259 ml/dl the day he left office. Eisenhower had several more heart attacks and, yes, eventually died of heart disease.

So I want to make a few points here. First of all, my grandparents are 90 years old. Secondly, the above diet is the same one responsible for the current state of health in this country which finds 1 in 2 with cancer, 1 in 3 with diabetes, and more than 2 in 3 overweight. And third, MY GRANDPARENTS ARE 90!!! What's a few milligrams of cholesterol in their food going to do to them?

I'll tell you what it would do. It'd help them live longer and better. In fact, I think someone out there should start an Organic Retirement Community. Feed the residents a full fat, organic diet--the same stuff they grew up with and might actually recognize as food. Sure, this might cost more. But you could charge more, too. And since the residents would live longer, healthier, happier lives, you could make a fortune. So somebody needs to hop on this--it's a cash cow! And I don't even want a cut of the money for giving you my idea.

I just want a change.