Keeping It Healthy Wednesday

3 cups a day can keep WEAK BONES away!

I guess you could say this month is sort of dedicated to the things you
should drink, this hasn't been intentional, but I'm glad to have started
the year this way. As I was reading my most recent copy of my favorite
magazine, SHAPE, there was an article that really inspired this post
(and myself).

The article was titled "how I saved my bones" and it was about a woman
who was diagnosed with osteoporosis at age 41! She wasn't sure how this
could be, because she "had good genes, ate well, loved cheese, and got
plenty of bone building exercise." Obviously, there were many unknowns
in this situation.

After her diagnosis, an endocrinologist helped her sort out the
reasons. A blood test showed she was deficient in vitamin D, which
helps the body absorb calcium. She was told that if she fell her
fragile bones would not only break, but likely shatter!

Woah!!

How scary is that?? I'll let you all in on a little secret of mine that
very few people know, I have a fear of breaking bones. I don't know why
I have this anxiety, but I do. I take my time doing things like walking
up/down stairs, lifting heavy objects, and running. I couldn't imagine
shattering a bone!

Now that I am sooo concerned I've made it part of my diet to get more
dairy in. Since I've began dieting I've always made sure to have one
form of dairy in daily, usually a yogurt or string cheese, but now that
I'm no longer dieting and I'm working on Keeping It Healthy, I need to
up my dairy intake. The daily requirements for dairy products are 3
servings a day. If you're not getting in enough milk, you need to
start.

Milk and milk products are highly nutritious, so people who suffer from
lactose intolerance should not give them up entirely. You can still
consume milk in moderate quantities. You can also buy lactose-free
milk.

Although milk is an excellent source of calcium, it isn't the only
one. Other good sources include:

Cheese, especially hard cheeses, Yogurt, Calcium-fortified soy products,
Calcium-fortified cereals, orange juice, Fish with edible bones, like
canned salmon and sardines, Some nuts (almonds, brazil nuts), Sesame
seeds (tahini), Dried fruit (figs, apricots), Dark green leafy
vegetables (Asian greens like bok choy).

You have more then enough options out there. I'm trying to help you
Keep It Healthy.

Here are some healthy milk facts before I go:

A glass of milk (8oz) has a third of the 1000 mg of calcium your bones
need everyday.

Three glasses of milk--lowfat or fat free--everyday as a part of a
reduced-calorie diet can be a healthy and effective way to lose weight

Osteoporosis - if milk and milk products are removed from the diet, it
can lead to an inadequate intake of calcium. This is of particular
concern for women, who have high calcium needs. Calcium deficiency may
lead to disorders like osteoporosis (a disease characterised by bone
loss).

Colon cancer - recent studies have found that people who regularly eat
dairy products have a reduced risk of developing colon cancer.
Blood pressure - research in the US found that a high intake of fruits
and vegetables, combined with low fat dairy foods, lowered blood
pressure more than fruits and vegetables alone.

Type 2 diabetes - a 10-year study of 3,000 overweight adults found that
consuming milk and other milk products instead of refined sugars and
carbohydrates may protect overweight young adults from developing type 2
diabetes.

Milk and tooth decay -Milk and milk products are thought to protect
against tooth decay. Eating cheese and other dairy products:

Reduces oral acidity (which causes decay)
Stimulates saliva flow
Decreases plaque formation
Decreases the incidence of dental caries.