It's Your Health!

Three Snacks to Increase Calcium Intake

• Trade one of your daily fruits for a glass of calcium-fortified orange juice.
• Stir fresh fruit into a cup of low-fat or fat-free yogurt for a light lunch or midday snack.
• Pour one cup fat-free milk over a bowl of your favorite cereal for a bedtime snack.

Lower Your Risk
Get tested. Have your bone density tested to see if you are or are not at risk or worse, already in the beginning stages of osteoporosis - which has no symptoms at the onset. Factors that put you in a higher risk category are:

• A diet low in calcium, lack of exercise
• Family history of osteoporosis
• Low body weight
• Smoking
• Medications such as corticosteroids and anti-convulsants
• A broken bone as an adult and low testosterone levels in men.
• Double the reason to be tested if you fall into any of these categories.

Moderate to vigorous activities such as dancing, aerobics and tennis get your pulse racing and can reduce your risk of hip fractures by up to 45 percent.

Finally! The Ten Tips:

• Weight-bearing exercise and impact loading stimulate bone growth. Generally, three 20 to 30 minute sessions a week are sufficient. If you can and want to do more, go for it! Activities such as walking, running, aerobics or climbing stairs are also excellent forms of exercise to aid in bone growth.
• You should incorporate calcium rich foods into your diet as much as possible. Dairy products and calcium-fortified foods as mentioned earlier are great choices. Try to get between 1,000 and 1,500 milligrams a day.
• Do not shy away from dairy products because of the fat content. We now can purchase just about any dairy product available in a low/non-fat version. Milk, yogurt, cottage cheese, cheese all come in low-fat or non-fat varieties.
• Consider vitamin K. This vitamin switches on a bone-building protein called osteocalcin. Experts say 100 micrograms (mcg) a day may be best for bones. Food sources include spinach, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, asparagus, cabbage, coleslaw and collard greens.
• Stop smoking. Smoking increases your risk because it accelerates the metabolism of estrogen, making less available to stimulate bone growth.
• Eat cereals fortified with vitamin D. For your body to absorb and deposit the calcium you get from food, you need vitamin D.
• The supplement option. There is always the supplement choice! Our bodies absorb calcium carbonate - the type of calcium in the supplement doctors recommend the most - just as well as calcium citrate.
• Set a time to take that supplement! Plan to take your calcium at a specific time each day to make taking it a habit.
• Make it magnesium. This mineral actually makes up part of your bone. Your daily goal should be 400 milligrams. Good food sources include nuts, dried beans, crabmeat, spinach, wheat germ, wheat bran and chocolate - yes, chocolate!
• Fortify with calcium. If you do not enjoy foods high in calcium or suffer from lactose intolerance, look for foods fortified with calcium. Cranberry juice and breakfast bars are good choices.

Do the math. Is your calcium supplement providing as much calcium as you think? Read the label to check the per-tablet amount. For best absorption, experts suggest you take no more than 500 milligrams at one time. Choose a supplement that provides 500mg per dose. Adjust how much you take base on what you feel you are getting from the foods you eat.