Build Your Bones, Girlfriend!

 Bones are living tissue, they provide structural support, and protect vital organs  Bones are made up of:  Calcium  Phosphorous  Protein  Magnesium  Vitamins and other minerals in smaller amounts Facts About Our Bones

 The average adult skeleton contains over TWO POUNDS of calcium  more for taller people  We need calcium to develop teeth and bones, and also to regulate heart and muscle, and clot blood Facts About Our Bones

 When we are young  we store and build bone effectively.  Most bone – 85 to 90 percent – is made before age 20.  As we get older – age 35 to 45 – bones begin to break down faster than they are formed. Facts About Our Bones

Bones and Age

How Much Calcium Do We Need? What the Experts Say

So What does mg. stand for ? Milligram = One thousandth of a gram Ounce = 28 grams

Are We Measuring Up?  Who’s getting adequate calcium  13.5% of girls ages  36.3% of boys ages  About 50% of adult women

Woman B had less bone mass starting out and so suffered ill effects from bone loss later on. Age 20 Danger zone Age 40 Bone mass Woman A entered adulthood with enough calcium in her bones to last a lifetime. Age 60 Osteoporosis Life Cycle of Bones

Building Bones  Ages 9 to 18 years are a key period in life for growth  In these years, you’ll grow faster than any other time other than infancy.  Ages 12 to 18  About 85% of our adult bone mass is made  Up to 80%of our adult weight is achieved  What if the materials needed for this growth are not available, what happens…an opportunity lost??

Osteopenia & Osteoporosis  Osteopenia: “Ricketts”  bones bend due to weakness  Common in the early 1900s  poor nutrition

Osteopenia & Osteoporosis  Osteoporosis: “Little Old Lady Disease”  bones break due to weakness  Common NOW

Osteopenia & Osteoporosis  One in 2 women and one in 8 men over age 50 will have an osteoporosis-related fracture  The estimated cost is $38 million a day

I’m Just A Teenager – Why Should I Care Now ?  During the teen years, most of the adult skeleton is formed  Fewer than 15 percent of teenage girls get enough calcium!  If you build your bones when you're in your teens, you will be less likely to fracture your bones when you're older.  AND…very thin girls, especially girls on diets, can get a type of osteoporosis while they are still YOUNG

I’m Just A Teenager – Why Should I Care Now ?  Certain people are more likely to develop osteoporosis  Don’t exercise  Thin and/or small frame  Caucasian  Asian  Family history – your grandma, aunt, grandfather?  Women are 4 times more likely to develop osteoporosis than men  What puts you at risk NOW?  Being underweight  Not getting enough calcium or exercise

Three of the following foods provide about 300 mg calcium  ½ cup cottage cheese  ½ cup cream soup  ½ cup ice milk, frozen yogurt, or ice cream  2 oz. (1/2 can) canned fish with bones (salmon, mackerel)  ¼ cup almonds  ½ cup bok choy, collard greens, or turnip greens  1 cup broccoli, kale, or mustard greens  5 figs  2 Tbsp. cream cheese How many servings of these foods do you eat per day? Calcium In Your Diet

Just one of the following foods provides about 300mg calcium  8 oz. glass of milk, or calcium fortified soy milk  8 oz. glass of calcium fortified orange juice  6-8 oz. carton of yogurt  1 ½ oz. of cheese  1 cup pudding, custard, or flan  1 Power Bar (or other sports bar)  1 cup Total cereal ( or other breakfast cereal) How many servings of these foods do you eat per day? Calcium In Your Diet

FOOD 1 English muffin 1 cup Total cereal 5 dried figs 1/2 cup orange slices 1 oz almonds 1 cup fortified soy milk 1 cup navy beans 1/2 cup bok choy 1/2 cup broccoli ½ cup mustard greens 3 oz canned salmon, bones 1 ½ oz milk chocolate CALCIUM CONTENT 100 mg 345 mg 135 mg 70 mg 70 mg 80 mg 80 mg 350 mg 135 mg 80 mg 80 mg 45 mg 45 mg 105 mg 180 mg 80 mg 80 mg Calcium That Is Non-Dairy

What About Calcium Pills?  Calcium supplements are great if dairy products don’t work for you, or  If you don’t eat a lot of other calcium-containing foods  Supplements come in a variety of types and flavors, including chocolate.  They can be pills, fizzies, chewies, or shakes

What About Calcium Pills?  One supplement can give up to 500 mg of calcium  Supplements may be the answer if you are:  Allergic to milk  Lactose intolerant  A picky eater  On a calorie restricted diet

Difference Between Milk Allergy and Lactose Intolerance?  Milk Allergy:  Mostly smaller children  Cannot eat the PROTEIN in milk products  Cannot have ANY milk products because the immune system rejects them  Lactose Intolerance:  Cannot digest the SUGAR in milk products (lactose)  Usually OK to have some dairy products, especially cultured products like yogurt

About Calcium Supplements  Two main forms  Calcium carbonate  Good  Calcium citrate  Best Can be taken on an empty stomach and is more easily absorbed  Calcium gluconate  Not Good Poorly absorbed  Read product labels carefully, and remember that all supplements are not the same

About Calcium Supplements  Avoid taking more than 500 mg of calcium at one time  Avoid taking calcium at the same time as multivitamin- mineral  interferes with iron use  Avoid supplements with bone meal, oyster shell or dolomite. They may contain lead, mercury or other toxic metals.

 Calcium has NO CALORIES  Calcium does not cause weight gain  Consuming 1,000 mg of calcium may actually aid in maintaining or losing weight Calcium and Body Weight

 Vitamin D allows your body to absorb calcium  Where do we get Vitamin D?  The Sun  Egg yolks, saltwater fish, and liver  Fortified dairy products  Supplements  Need 400 International Units (IU) a day Calcium Goes with Vitamin D

 UV rays from the sun reach the skin and vitamin D is made in the skin then sent to the blood circulation  In Florida, 15-to-20 minutes of sun on the arms and face each day should do it  Sunscreens above SPF8 will block vitamin D formation on the skin  But don’t ignore sunscreens. Why? Calcium Goes with Vitamin D

 It’s not just calcium  It’s not just vitamin D  Bones also need weight and movement  exercise  Physical activity increases bone mass by an average 3% Exercise is Also Important for Building Bones

 Both weight bearing and resistance exercise are important  Resistance training strengthens existing bones you’ve already made  Weight bearing exercise is best to stimulate NEW bone production WalkingBasketball/Volleyball RunningGymnastics TennisCheerleading What else? Exercise is Also Important for Building Bones

 You should not use tobacco to keep your bones healthy  Smoking interferes with the body’s use of calcium  You should limit caffeine-containing foods and beverages, such as colas and coffee  Drink three cups of coffee or two cans of soda, per day at most  Caffeine causes the body to leech out calcium What Else is Important for Bones ?

 Building strong bones before age 18 is the best defense for bones…for a lifetime  Choose:  A balanced diet rich in calcium and Vitamin D  A healthy lifestyle with no tobacco  Engage in weight-bearing exercise Summing It Up

Build Your Bones, Girlfriend! You’ll never regret it! THANKS!