March 2014

In January my doctor recommended that I have a bone mineral density scan (BMD) to evaluate the health of my bones. I am happy to report that it was a quick, non-invasive and totally painless procedure.  The result of my scan . . . I have osteopenia. That means my bone density is lower than normal peak density but not low enough to be classified as osteoperosis. I was told that as a small boned, thin Caucasian woman over the age of 50 I was at high risk to develop osteroperosis. Good information to know because now I have the opportunity to do whatever I can to prevent further bone loss. 

Preventing osteoperosis means staying active and sneaking more calcium and vitamin D into my diet. I have been taking a 1000 IU vitamin D supplement since 2009. But I’m finding it very difficult to get the 1500 mg of calcium my doctor is now recommending without relying on supplements.  The calcium supplements I’ve seen are either huge pills or disguised as a sugary, gummie treat. Really -- How many pills does a girl have to take to age gracefully? And why would I want to take supplemental calcium when the side effects are gas, bloating and constipation. Combine that information with data from the Women’s Health Initiative that recently reported a 24% increased risk of heart attack among women who took supplemental calcium and I’ve decided no calcium supplements for me.  

My first choice would be to get the recommended amount of calcium through the consumption of real food.  Most nutrition experts suggest the consumption of calcium-rich foods like milk, yogurt and cheese, green leafy vegetables, white beans, fortified juice and cereal, almonds and pistachios, sardines with bones packed in oil, tofu and soymilk to support good bone health. But I hate sardines and when I did the math I realized I would have to drink five 8 oz. glasses of 1% milk a day to hit the 1500 mg of calcium mark.  Those 5 glasses of milk would add over 555 calories to my daily caloric intake and a whopping 12 grams of fat.  

As you might expect I’ve searched the web and I’ve read all I can on the subject trying to find the perfect, low calorie/low fat source of calcium.  That’s when I learned that some people are grinding eggshells to create a calcium-rich powder they dissolve in water or juice and consume several times a day.  I can tell you right now I do not want to grind eggshells and add them to anything. But I am constantly on the look out for new sources of calcium.  Please add a comment to this post and share your favorite source of real food calcium. 

Starting at about 30 years of age everybody begins to lose bone mass. But that doesn’t mean you have to develop ostepoenia or osterperosis. I want to encourage you to make the time to be good to you by staying active and nourishing your body with real food that provides balanced nutrition for bone health.

Good Health!

Terry

“Good luck needs no explanation.”

~Shirley Temple