EP46:
Dr. Joan Salge Blake

QUOTES

“It’s like a marathon that you’re running and you want to feed yourself healthfully for the long haul. So the sooner that you can start a healthy diet, it’s never too late.” (Dr. Blake)

“It’s never too late to make that plate more healthy.” (Dr. Blake)

“Your mother told you to eat the vegetables on your plate, but you didn’t listen. You should be listening to her. We’re not getting enough vegetables in our diet.” (Dr. Blake)

“Fresh is not always best. Let me tell you why, Derek. Sometimes, all good intentions, you go and you buy that broccoli and it’s fresh and it’s just gorgeous. And then you take it home and you put it in your refrigerator in the vegetable bin, which I call the produce graveyard.” (Dr. Blake)

“As you get older, you’re going to be losing lean muscle tissue. So what you want to do is make sure that you have enough protein in your diet to synthesize that lean muscle tissue during the day.” (Dr. Blake)

“Food is your first line of defense. A supplement, if you have it on top of a very unhealthy diet, it isn’t really going to do much.” (Dr. Blake)

“It is the Wild West in the supplement aisle. And you could be taking things that you don’t need or that maybe go against the medications that you may be having, spending a lot of money on supplements that you don’t need.” (Dr. Blake)

“There’s no superfood, but there are super diets.” (Dr. Blake)

“If I see protein being put in toothpaste, I’m packing it in, okay? I mean, protein is going in everything right now, and it’s absolutely crazy.” (Dr. Blake)

“Everybody eats and because everybody eats they think they’re sometimes an expert on nutrition and they are not.” (Dr. Blake)

“That connection with other people is a really, really important part of longevity. It’s always this community that is going on and that helps with longevity. Get that calendar filled so that you’re around people. You’re going to find that it’s so supportive. It helps lower your stress. It helps you feel happier, which is going to be great for longevity.” (Dr. Blake)

NOTES

Dr. Joan Salge Blake is a registered dietitian, nutrition professor at Boston University and nationally recognized expert on nutrition, wellness and healthy aging. She has spent her career helping people understand the science behind healthy eating and how everyday food choices can influence health, longevity and quality of life.

Dr. Blake is the author of Nutrition and You, a widely used nutrition textbook, and host of Spot On!, a nutrition and wellness podcast that separates credible science from popular health trends and misinformation. Through her teaching, writing and public education, she helps people make informed, practical decisions about nutrition.

Dr. Blake teaches Boston University students about the Mediterranean diet and lifestyle through an immersive educational experience in Italy. She emphasizes how fresh, locally grown foods, shared meals, walking and strong family and community connections contribute to healthier living.

Dr. Blake encourages people to think about nutrition as a lifelong investment in their healthspan, not simply their lifespan. Healthy eating can help reduce the risk of chronic conditions such as heart disease, certain cancers, stroke and type 2 diabetes. She stresses that it’s never too late to improve eating habits, even for people in their 60s, 70s and beyond.

One of the simplest changes people can make is eating more vegetables. Dr. Blake recommends filling half the plate with vegetables to increase fiber, vitamins and other nutrients while leaving less room for foods high in saturated fat and sodium. She also encourages eating a variety of fruits and vegetables, particularly those in season when flavor is at its best.

Fresh produce isn’t necessarily more nutritious than frozen or canned alternatives. Frozen vegetables are typically processed shortly after harvesting, preserving nutrients, while canned and frozen options can be more affordable and convenient. Dr. Blake encourages people to take advantage of all three rather than assuming fresh is always best.

As people age, their metabolism slows and calorie needs generally decrease, even as certain nutritional needs increase. Calcium, vitamin D and protein become especially important. Dr. Blake recommends distributing protein throughout the day to help maintain lean muscle mass and support fullness rather than consuming most of it at dinner.

Dr. Blake cautions against relying on supplements as a substitute for a balanced diet. While supplements can help address specific nutritional deficiencies, they may be unnecessary, expensive or potentially interfere with medications. She recommends consulting a registered dietitian nutritionist for personalized guidance rather than navigating the supplement aisle alone.

Nutrition misinformation and food trends can distract people from established science. Dr. Blake challenges the idea of individual superfoods and questions the growing obsession with protein-fortified products. She emphasizes that adding protein doesn’t automatically make a food healthy and that nutritious choices can be found throughout the grocery store, not just around its perimeter.

Healthy aging also depends on enjoying food and sharing meals with others. Dr. Blake points to the Mediterranean lifestyle as an example of how nutrition, physical activity and social connection work together. For older adults living alone, she suggests cooking clubs, preparing extra portions for later and participating in community meal programs to make eating easier and more enjoyable.

Dr. Blake warns that overly restrictive diets can be particularly harmful for older adults, potentially contributing to nutrient deficiencies, unintended weight loss and malnutrition. She also emphasizes that malnutrition isn’t limited to people who are underweight. Someone can have a higher body weight while still lacking essential nutrients.

When asked what she wishes she could tell her younger self, Dr. Blake emphasizes the importance of laughing every day. She sees humor, happiness and sharing knowledge with younger generations as valuable parts of living well as we age.