Prevention

Alcohol and bone health

Bright and early yesterday I heard NPR report the results of study of women who stopped drinking alcohol for 2 weeks. The researcher measured the bone turnover markers and concluded that the alcohol had the effect of slowing the bone remodeling process.

Red flags went off for me – but I listened to the end of the report and thankfully the author included a quote from a scientist who admits that studies can be misinterpreted and we must be careful about the impact of their conclusions and the messages we might send.

OK – excellent. Crisis averted.

Then, later that day, the alerts about news coverage exploded!

“Study Finds Wine Boosts Bone Health” Examiner.com

“Ladies, Drink to Your (Bone) Health” – Newsday

“Say Cheers to Bone Health” allvoices.com

“Alcohol Good for Bone Health in Women” ABC7 – Chicago

“Alcohol Does a Body Good? Study Finds It Boosts Bone Health” TIME

The worst I read included was from my hometown news WRAL whose lead was “There may be new medicine to help prevent bone loss, but it’s not found in pharmacies. Restaurants, bars and ABC liquor stores could hold the key. Women who want to prevent osteoporosis may want to raise their glass.”

I am not a humorless person and I do enjoy wine, but I was shocked with the implications of so many responsible news outlets.

Let’s not kid ourselves – a serving of wine is 5 ounces – a tad over ½ cup. That’s not much. Epidemiological studies have shown that chronic consumption of more than 3 serving a day (15 ounces or 1½ cups) increases risk of fracture.

Moderation = good. Sensational headlines = bad.

Summer Training and Summer Nutrition

Summer is here!  I love this time of year!  The very beginning of summer is the best.  Three months ahead of vacation, sun and fun.  My summer running training is always a blast also.  I love the feeling of getting up early to avoid the heat and finishing my runs with the sun beating on my back.

This summer my training kicks of with preparation for the Olympic trials 10k, which will be held in Eugene, Oregon.  My legs have been feeling great and my workouts have been a breeze so I can’t wait!  The race will be on the track, so that means 25 laps!  As I have gotten older, this race scares me less and less because of the strength that I have built over the years, especially now that I have done a marathon.  When I was in college though, I will never forget toeing the line for my first 10k on the track.   I was so scared!  When the gun goes off however and the race starts at a steady pace (rather than a sprint), I quickly learned that I need to just find the right my pace rhythm and the laps just fly by.

Fueling for this race and for my training is the most important part of being a runner.  I obviously want to keep my bones strong and healthy in order to prevent injuries, but more importantly a lifetime of health.  I measure my nutritional success by keeping track of my menstrual cycle.  While us girls don’t usually like talking about our menstrual cycle, it is very important as athletes.  If we lose our period, we lose estrogen and estrogen is what helps us absorb our calcium keeping our bones strong.  It may not seem like a big deal if we lose our period on the outside, but inside we can be compromising our bone health.  Read More…

An Interview with Sherri Betz: spreading the word of bone safe exercises

Another one of our amazing American Bone Health representatives is Sherri Betz, owner of TheraPilates in Santa Cruz.  Sherri is a physical therapist who started
working with American Bone Health five years ago, because she was interested in promoting safe bone health exercises for people with osteoporosis. Sherri loves her affiliation “American Bone Health’s message is unbiased and evidence-based.  They have an incredible Medical and Scientific Advisory Board that sorts through the research and claims in bone health, so their information is always accurate, timely and helpful for patients

In addition to providing education programs in her community, Sherri serves on the Professional Education Committee and the Board of Directors. She advocated for
using technology for reaching more people and helped launch a podcast series for doctors. She also reviews applications from exercise professionals who wish to be listed as bone-safe practitioners on the website.

Sherri is passionate about helping people who have osteoporosis and low bone mass create a safe exercise programs to build and maintain bone strength.  Sherri explained, “In general, people who exercise are less likely to fall and less likely to have fractures, even if they have low bone density. People who maintain their leg strength through safe exercise can stay out of nursing homes! If we can keep people mobile and active, we can improve someone’s quality of life!”

Sherri is convinced that American Bone Health representatives can impact many people in their communities.  “The organization provides training and support so that volunteers will have the proper knowledge to go out and educate.  One hour a week teaching a seminar about osteoporosis prevention and bone health can have a huge impact.  If everyone could spare an hour to educate their communities we could reach the whole country in no time.”

Join the team!

What you can do to prevent osteoporosis

Bone health is something that is often times looked over. Many people think that osteoporosis doesn’t affect them and when they find out that they have been affected, it often is when they are in the hospital receiving care for a fracture or broken bone. But did you know that there is a way to diagnosis osteoporosis and that there are several steps that you can take to prevent bone loss? Read More…

Calcium + Vitamin D!

The Food and Nutrition Board of the National Academy of Science recommends that children between the ages of 9 to 18 years old get at least 1,300 mg of calcium a day. Everyone needs calcium in their diet every day to build and maintain healthy strong bones. This is especially true for kids in their bone building years. Low calcium intake during childhood is associated with osteoporosis later in life. Osteoporosis is a disease of low bone mass, and thinning of bone tissues that can result in broken bones.

Although milk and foods made from milk are the most concentrated source of dietary calcium, children who don’t like drinking milk can get their calcium from other high-calcium rich foods. Many foods are supplemented with calcium, such as juices and cereals. Be sure to check the label for the amount of calcium and be sure to watch for levels of salt and sugar in processed foods. You don’t want to add too much of that in an attempt to get calcium!

Many dark leafy vegetables contain calcium. So do some nuts. Check out our list to get a sample of great sources for calcium. In addition to eating the right foods and getting enough calcium to prevent osteoporosis later on, children should also get enough vitamin D. Vitamin D promotes calcium absorption so is essential for bone growth. The easiest way to get vitamin D is through exposure to sunlight – but we don’t recommend trying to go that route. Find foods with vitamin D and consider adding a supplement – they’re pretty inexpensive.

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