Many of us are familiar with the food-guide pyramids prepared for the health-seeking public by accepted nutritional experts. One such recent pyramid designed particularly with older adults in mind has been made accessible by Tufts on its website at nutrition.tufts.edu. (If you need help, ask a friend to download this useful graphic or see your friendly neighborhood reference librarian.)

On this pyramid you will find recommended a minimum of three servings of bright-colored vegetables and two servings of deep-colored fruit, six or more servings of whole, enriched, and fortified grains and cereals, with eight or more glasses of water and other liquids that can include juices, milk or soup. Dairy products are limited to low-fat and nonfat versions. Lean meat, poultry and fish are only part of the protein choices shown, with dry beans, nuts and eggs, in the minimum of only two servings per day. Saturated and trans fats, sugar and salt are to be used sparingly.

Specifically recommended are calcium and vitamins D and B12 as supplements. Clearly, these reflect significant changes from the traditional food pyramids of years past that were dominated by meat and dairy.

Another well-known tool for the health-conscious reader has been the Recommended Dietary Allowances, prepared by the Food and Nutrition Board of the National Research Council since 1941, and used by food supplement manufacturers as a measure of the minimum daily requirements needed for their vitamin and mineral products. It is important to note that a minimum dose is not necessarily the optimum dose.

Unfortunately, the RDAs were originally established only to prevent severe nutritional deficiency diseases such as scurvy, pellagra and beriberi in the general population. Individual nutritional needs may vary widely. Age, sex, culture and health status will affect nutrient needs, as well as environmental and lifestyle factors that can deactivate vitamins and minerals. Smokers, for example, can need twice as much vitamin C as nonsmokers; and the effects of alcohol consumption, food additives, heavy metals (mercury or lead) and carbon monoxide are known to interfere with nutrient metabolism.

More is being learned about so-called accessory nutrients (flavonoids, probiotics, carnitine) that are not considered "essential" in the classical sense, but that play a major role in preventing illness.

With today's highly refined foods in mind, most experts seem to agree that the basic nutritional program should include a high-quality multiple vitamin-mineral supplement. Dr. Roger Williams, a well-known biochemist, says that healthy people should use these supplements as an "insurance formula" against possible deficiencies.

Another protection recommended by most experts is to ingest extra antioxidants to combat the free radicals that have been shown to initiate many diseases, including the two biggest killers of Americans: heart disease and cancer. Antioxidants that help to protect against free-radical damage include beta-carotene, selenium, vitamin E and vitamin C. Nutritionists Michael Murray and Joseph Pizzorno recommend combining antioxidants rather than taking high doses of any single antioxidant. Mixtures appear to work synergistically. In other words, say Murray and Pizzorno, "1 + 1 = 3." They recommend 400­800 IU of vitamin E (d-alpha tocopherol) and 500­1,500 mg of vitamin C (ascorbic acid) as a daily total that includes what your daily supplement is already providing.

A promising recent study of 4,700 men and women over age 65 found that those who took at least 400 IU of vitamin E and 500 mg of vitamin C daily were 60 percent less likely to develop Alzheimer's disease. While more studies need to be done, Dr. Peter Zandi of Johns Hopkins School of Public Health says, "Taking antioxidants is safe and has plenty of other health benefits, too."

A third and final recommendation by many nutritional experts is a daily one-tablespoon dose of flaxseed oil to correct the typical lack of essential fatty acids in the American diet. About 80 percent are not getting this protection against degenerative diseases such as stroke, cancer and heart disease. Flaxseed oil (buy organic) contains both alpha linolenic (omega-3) and linoleic (omega-6) fatty acids. This oil is damaged by heat, so add it to uncooked foods.

Water is an important part of a healthy diet. We seniors become less aware of thirst as we age. Holistic health practitioner Frankie Avalon Wolfe says that the formula to check for our individual needs for water is to divide body weight by one-half, and that number in ounces is the minimum. (Note: 8 glasses x 8 ounces = 64 ounces x 2 = 128-pound body) The 8-glass average will need to be increased whenever you're perspiring from hard work or play, or in hot weather.

Clearly, each of us—especially seniors—must take responsibility for designing a food plan that uses the recommendations of the food pyramids and the RDAs as a good beginning but that also makes the necessary adjustments for individual needs. Check with your trusted health-care provider whenever you make changes, even for the better.