No bones about it
Bite This: Osteoporosis affects more than two hundred million women worldwide. Costs to the United States health system is over 17 billion annually for the treatment of over 1.5 million fractures.
Now that I am 3 days away from turning...ahem...30, I thought I'd discuss things that keep me awake at night. Like losing my bone mass. Commonly people think that osteoporosis is an old woman's disease, but it can affect women at any age (and men - just much less common in men - so any manly readers can stop here). Osteoporosis is a disease in which bone strength is compromised which leads to hip fractures and other bone fractures. So a woman reaches her peak bone mass by the age of 30 and once she hits the big 3-0, bone mass starts to steadily decline. So right now, my bones are probably as strong as they will ever be. (It's sad when you come to the realization when something is the best its ever going to be.) Come Sunday night, my bones are going to say, "forget this" and gradually become more brittle.
Fortunately, I grew up liking the foods and nutrients that helped my bones get to be as strong as they are now. (And coming from someone who has never had a break or fracture, I can brag about how hard my bones are. Actually, I should reserve this statement for after Sunday as I am skiing in 24 hours and could very likely break something...)
When one grows up eating foods rich in calcium, vitamin D, protein, phosphorus and potassium, she is likely to build bone density that will help her sail through her old age without breaks or fractures. Add impact exercise on top of that and viola! Recipe for healthy bone mass.
So the two most important nutrients for building healthy bones are calcium and vitamin D. The two work together so getting one without enough of the other won't get you anywhere fast. I could do a whole post on vitamin D alone - which I will eventually. So let's review - you get calcium from foods such as diary products - milk, cheese, yogurt, etc. and green leafy vegetables like broccoli and spinach. Vitamin D is a little harder to get, but you can get vitamin D from some fish, and foods fortified with vitamin D like some cereals and juices. Again, the sun can also increase the vitamin D level as well.
Protein is just great for many things discussed in previous posts such as keeping hair healthy, building muscle and for bone mass. I've already posted about protein before so I won't repeat myself - as with phosphorus and potassium. Guess you'll have to do some of your own work and look back at previous posts or you can find some info about potassium here. While you're at it, check out the post I did last year on Easter about eggs and its protein power which you can find here .
Alright, I am on vacation so I'm done with this. Until next time...
Sound bite: If you're under 30, eat all of the calcium and vitamin D that you can now! (Disclaimer: there is a risk of getting too much vitamin D, but you usually cannot achieve this without massive supplementation.)
Now that I am 3 days away from turning...ahem...30, I thought I'd discuss things that keep me awake at night. Like losing my bone mass. Commonly people think that osteoporosis is an old woman's disease, but it can affect women at any age (and men - just much less common in men - so any manly readers can stop here). Osteoporosis is a disease in which bone strength is compromised which leads to hip fractures and other bone fractures. So a woman reaches her peak bone mass by the age of 30 and once she hits the big 3-0, bone mass starts to steadily decline. So right now, my bones are probably as strong as they will ever be. (It's sad when you come to the realization when something is the best its ever going to be.) Come Sunday night, my bones are going to say, "forget this" and gradually become more brittle.
Fortunately, I grew up liking the foods and nutrients that helped my bones get to be as strong as they are now. (And coming from someone who has never had a break or fracture, I can brag about how hard my bones are. Actually, I should reserve this statement for after Sunday as I am skiing in 24 hours and could very likely break something...)
When one grows up eating foods rich in calcium, vitamin D, protein, phosphorus and potassium, she is likely to build bone density that will help her sail through her old age without breaks or fractures. Add impact exercise on top of that and viola! Recipe for healthy bone mass.
So the two most important nutrients for building healthy bones are calcium and vitamin D. The two work together so getting one without enough of the other won't get you anywhere fast. I could do a whole post on vitamin D alone - which I will eventually. So let's review - you get calcium from foods such as diary products - milk, cheese, yogurt, etc. and green leafy vegetables like broccoli and spinach. Vitamin D is a little harder to get, but you can get vitamin D from some fish, and foods fortified with vitamin D like some cereals and juices. Again, the sun can also increase the vitamin D level as well.
Protein is just great for many things discussed in previous posts such as keeping hair healthy, building muscle and for bone mass. I've already posted about protein before so I won't repeat myself - as with phosphorus and potassium. Guess you'll have to do some of your own work and look back at previous posts or you can find some info about potassium here. While you're at it, check out the post I did last year on Easter about eggs and its protein power which you can find here .
Alright, I am on vacation so I'm done with this. Until next time...
Sound bite: If you're under 30, eat all of the calcium and vitamin D that you can now! (Disclaimer: there is a risk of getting too much vitamin D, but you usually cannot achieve this without massive supplementation.)
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