Calcium- Choose it or loose it!
99% of the calcium in your body is stored in your bones and teeth. It keeps them strong averting injuries and breaks. But, what you may not know is how important the remaining 1% of calcium in your body is. This small percentage, found in your blood and soft tissues, keeps your body alive. Without calcium your muscles could not contract, your blood would not clot, and your nerves would not carry messages. Think of a particularly important muscle that keeps you alive by contracting over and over and over again. You got it, without calcium doing its job your heart would stop beating.
As you can see, it’s important to have a continual supply of calcium available to keep your heart beating and your muscles moving. Amazingly, the body is designed with its own calcium bank- your bones. If your body does not get enough calcium from the diet, it “steals” calcium from the bones in order to stay alive. This leads to osteoporosis increasing your chances of fractures and breaks. In America millions of people suffer from this preventable disease.
Right now is your last chance to increase your bone density! Just like any bank, you can make deposits and withdraws. But, a person’s peak bone density is reached around 20 years of age. The bigger the "deposits" you put into your bone bank NOW, the more you will have to withdraw from later.
Build up your bone bank by including calcium rich foods in your diet. Calcium is found in a variety of foods including:
Dairy Products: milk, cheese, yogurt, milk powder, cottage cheese, lattés
Meat/ Meat Substitutes: fish with bones, dry beans, tofu (if fortified)
Vegetables: broccoli, spinach, dark green veggies
Fortified Products: orange juice, hot chocolate, some breads, cereals, and breakfast bars
Not all of these foods contain calcium equally- check labels and brands to see the amounts. It takes 10 cups of spinach to equal the amount of calcium in one cup of milk. The recommend amount of calcium you need is 1000 mg/ day for adults aged 19-50 and 1300 mg/ day for those of you who are not yet 19. As a reference, 1 cup of milk contains 300 mg of calcium. Think about including a calcium rich food at every meal.
Weight bearing exercise also strengthens your bones. Think about adding running, walking, or a game of ultimate frisbee to your routine most days of the week to keep your bones strong.
It’s all about choices. In this case you choose it or you loose it!
Sources:
- Calcium (June, 2002) The Ohio State University Medical Center Department of Nutrition and Dietetics.
- Calcium Facts. The American Dietetic Association. Obtained from http://www.eatright.org on March 7, 2003.
- Calcium and Osteoporosis Prevention. The American Dietetic Association. Obtained from http://www.eatright.org on March 10, 2003.
|
