The Healthy Life … Benefits of Nutrition and Fitness in Women
with Dr. Norine Nazareth, Internist, Advanced Healthcare
Nearly everyone understands how important not smoking is to health, even those who smoke.
Nearly everyone understands how important being physically active is, even couch potatoes.
Nearly everyone knows that maintaining a healthy weight is beneficial, especially those who are overweight.
But calcium, the building block of our bone structure, is being bypassed for sweet sodas by children and diet colas by weight-conscious teens at the very time young girls and women need calcium the most. And chances are, they won’t even think about it until they are older and the first signs of osteoporosis surface. In much the same way, fast food and fatty foods are the norm for most people until the need to alter a diet following a diagnosis or high cholesterol forces them to change.
Osteoporosis, along with cardiovascular health, should be the two most important health concerns of women, Dr. Norine Nazareth, an internist with Advanced Healthcare, stated. "And nutrition to prevent osteoporosis will become even more important now that we have more data on hormone replacement therapy," she added.
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If you go to a physician and get a prescription for medication for osteoporosis, that’s not going to be enough. Calcium intake is critical. And those who need it most — young women and girls — may not get enough.
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And, if women follow the health guidelines for these two conditions, the controllable risk factors for a wealth of other conditions, including breast cancer, are also lessened.
A bone-healthy life
Scientists estimate that by age 20 a young woman has laid down over 98% of her bone mass. This will serve her well through her adult years until menopause. After that, it is expected that she will lose approximately 5% of her bone mass per year for the first five years after menopause.
This is because estrogen (and to a lesser extent testosterone in men) protects the bones. With that protection gone, calcium is lost. This process occurs in all women. The rate of loss can be lessened with HRT or certain drugs, but the need for these is determined by how dense a woman’s bones are to begin with.
In your food
Calcium is the building block of bone. Most people know this, but according to Dr. Nazareth, most also are woefully ignorant of the true calcium content of food.
"When I ask patients, do you get enough calcium in your diet, most say, ‘I do. I drink a glass of milk a day’. Most people don’t realize that an eight-ounce glass of milk contains three-hundred milligrams.of calcium, a cup of yogurt contains three hundred milligrams, a slice of cheese contains two-hundred-twenty milligrams. A glass of milk isn’t enough," Dr. Nazareth said.
Recommended daily consumption of calcium varies by age:
1-3 years, 500 mgs.
4-8 years, 800 mgs.
9-18 years, 1300 mgs.
19-50 years, 1000 mgs.
51+ years, 1200 mgs.
In addition, Dr,. Nazareth recommends an extra 500 milligrams of calcium for pregnant or nursing women and a folic acid supplement for women in child-bearing years.
Heavy need years
What’s clearest from the table is that the very years when women need calcium the most, they are apt to be suffering from the universal malaise of young women – a concern with weight.
Water may replace milk in the diet. Or, worse, diet cola may replace water, and the phosphates in darker sodas are believed to contribute to the leeching of calcium from the bones.
Dr. Nazareth’s advice is simple, "If you have a problem with dairy, you probably need a supplement." And calcium alone isn’t enough.
"You also need vitamin D to help the body absorb the calcium. Most people get enough because the skin produces it in sunlight, or they get it from foods such as fortified milk products and breakfast cereals. But older adults and people with little exposure to sunlight may need a vitamin D supplement as well," said Dr. Nazareth.
Bone-healthy exercise
But calcium can only be absorbed if the bones are under a bit of stress due to exercise. And while the news is filled with laments about the lack of physical fitness in American children, all ages can benefit from more activity.
"A lifelong habit of weight bearing exercise such as walking or biking helps build and maintain strong bones," Dr. Nazareth said. "The greatest exercise benefit for older people is that physical fitness reduces the risk of fracture because it promotes better balance, agility and muscle strength making falls less likely."
Dr. Nazareth recommends brisk walking for 30 minutes five times a week, and perhaps a bit of weight training twice a week. While this may seem like a lot to busy adults, she said it is important to combine activities.
Ten minutes of yard work plus ten minutes of walking plus ten minutes of cleaning equals a day’s worth. And on a beautiful day, a noontime walk can be psychologically as well as physically beneficial. For weight training, a gym is not necessary. "Start with two soup cans and gradually add weight," she said.
Dr. Nazareth added that before starting an exercise program, older adults especially should check with their doctors. A doctor can offer suggestions about what sort of exercises would be best for each individual.
One problem those new to exercise might experience is the pain that comes from overdoing it. If you’re older, she advises, "You should be able to carry on a normal conversation while you are exercising. And it’s very important that you respect your body. If something is hurting, just stop. Don’t overdo it."
Exercise, of course, is beneficial for more than the bones. Put a little effort into the workout and you benefit your cardiovascular system as well. This is particularly important because heart disease, for women as well as men, is the leading cause of death in this country.
