FitSugar -- Healthy, happy you.

Daily Calcium Quiz

FitSugar — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 09:00:00 -0700

My mom recently revealed to me that she takes medication for osteoporosis, and not only did it spook me a bit, it also made me think about my own bone health. Am I getting enough calcium? Am I doing enough to keep my bones strong as I age? Am I at risk for osteoporosis? Take this little quiz to see how much you know.

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Tea and Bone Density

FitSugar — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 02:00:00 -0700

I am always up for a cup of tea. I like all colors and varieties. Herbal, green, black, rooibos, iced, hot, with lemon, with cream — I am game for any and all.

I just learned of another reason to take time out for tea: It may slow the loss of bone density. A new five-year study measured the bone density of 275 women at the beginning and end of the study. They found that women who regularly drank black and green tea had higher bone densities. The results did factor in the use of calcium supplements and smoking history.

Researchers believe that it's the estrogen-like properties found in the phytochemcial called flavanoids, which are abundant in tea, that are protecting bones against thinning.

While the study focused on elderly women in their 70s and 80s, I think it is never to young to start a healthful habit. So put on the kettle and have a cup of tea.

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Eating Calcium Is Better for Your Bones

FitSugar — Mon, 09 Jul 2007 08:45:00 -0700

Hopefully ever woman knows that calcium is good for her bones and that it can help prevent osteoporosis. A new study indicates that eating your calcium, as opposed to taking a calcium supplement, may be more effective in creating strong bones.

Though not definitive, the study found that women who obtained most of their daily calcium from food had healthier bones with a higher bone density than women whose calcium came mainly from supplemental tablets. What I find even more fascinating is that this held true even though the supplement-takers had higher average daily doses of calcium.

Although more studies are necessary, the evidence should not be ignored. So do eat your calcium and this doesn't mean chow down on ice cream.

First thing's first, the RDI for calcium is 1,000 mg and milk is not the only source for this bone fortifying mineral. You can find calcium in nuts, broccoli, fortified orange juice, even sardines. Click here for a very complete list of foods and their calcium content.

Another simple way to add calcium to your diet is to have a latte in the morning - it doesn't have to be from Starbucks - you can make your own.

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The Benefits of Doing Cardio...

FitSugar — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 03:00:00 -0700

With all this talk about cutting cardio out of your routine, I thought it was important to outline the major benefits of cardiovascular activity. So here it goes:

Reduces risk of disease: Including obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, stroke and certain types of cancer.
Improves blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels: Exercise increases your HDL cholesterol (the "good" cholesterol) and decreases your LDL cholesterol (the "bad" cholesterol) in your blood.
Improves heart function: A stronger heart doesn't need to beat as fast and pumps blood more efficiently, which means improved blood flow in the body.
Reduces risk of osteoporosis: Weight-bearing aerobic exercises (walking) reduce the risk of osteoporosis.
Improves muscle mass: Muscles move your body, the healthier the muscles are, the better you move.
Increases calories burned: More calories burned means more weight lost.

This does not include all the emotional and aesthetic benefits you get from a few good runs or workouts on the elliptical (less stress, more sleep, improved sexual performance etc.). Now that you know the benefits, check out some of the cardio workouts I have created.

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Part 4: Are You in the "Pre" Phase of Disease? Osteopenia

FitSugar — Mon, 09 Apr 2007 03:00:00 -0700

I've been talking a lot about Diabetes and if you're putting yourself at risk or not. So, along with Diabetes, what are the identifiers of common health diseases? Medical News Today has outlined four "prediseases" to watch for, here is the first:

Osteopenia:

Why It's Important: Approximately 34 million Americans over age 50 have the precondition called osteopenia, putting them at risk for osteoporosis. Although women are at greater risk, it also affects men. Osteopenia has no symptoms, but as bones get thinner, the risk of fracture increases. Without a bone density test, a broken hip may be your first clue that osteopenia has progressed to osteoporosis.
How to Identify: Bone density that is lower than normal, but not low enough to be considered osteoporosis, is called osteopenia. It is best diagnosed with a bone mineral density test that uses dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA).

Don't forget to check out the other three prephases of disease.

Fit's Tips: If you suspect you are at risk for any disease, you should definitely see your doctor.

Soda Makes For Brittle Bones

FitSugar — Wed, 03 Jan 2007 09:03:21 -0800

I think it is fairly obvious that I am pro water and anti soda. It seems that the evidence against soda keeps stacking up. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition recently released a study on bone density and cola consumption. They found that women who drank cola regularly, diet not excluded, had significantly less bone density mass. This means those women have a higher risk for developing osteoporosis, the brittle bone disease that approximately 55% of Americans are at risk of developing.

By "drink regularly" they mean only 5 servings of cola per week. The good news for all of you soda drinkers is that non-cola soft drinks did not affect bone density in the same way.

The culprit could be the caffeine found in soda, because the potentially harmful effect was less for decaffeinated cola. Researchers think that the phosphorus content of the drinks may be the issue. The scary news is the more colas the women drank, the lower their bone mineral density. Yikes!!!

I say it is time to drink more water and all those un-colas out there. Or make your own juice spritzers with carbonated water and a splash of fruit juice. Car