FitSugar

Bone Up on Your Calcium Supplements

FitSugar — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 03:00:00 -0700

While eating calcium is better for your bones, it can be quite a challenge to eat the recommended 1,000 mg daily. That's where calcium supplements can lend a healthy hand. Both calcium carbonate, found in Tums, and calcium citrate in Citracal work well as supplements. However, calcium carbonate is best absorbed with food and generally has more calcium per tablet, which means it is more cost effective since you can take fewer pills. If you're the forgetful type though, calcium citrate might work better for you. Your body absorbs it well with or without food, so you can take it anytime during your day and reap all the benefits of the supplement.

Do you take a calcium supplement? If so, do you know which version of the mineral you take?

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How to Eat 1,000 mg of Calcium a Day

FitSugar — Fri, 22 May 2009 09:00:00 -0700

Calcium does the body good. Not only does it build strong bones and teeth, it aids with muscle function and helps keep your heart beating regularly. While there are plenty of food sources for this bone-building mineral other than dairy, I am not sure I have been meeting the recommended daily intake (RDI) of 1,000 milligrams. Supplements are always an option, but getting calcium from food sources is better for your bones. With all this in mind, I decided to track what I ate for a day to see if I was meeting the RDI.

See how I did when you read more.

Meal	Food	Calcium
Breakfast	Two whole grain waffles	100 mg
	1/2 cup plain lowfat yogurt	200 mg
	1/4 cup lowfat milk in coffee	78 mg
Snack	1 ounce of almonds	70 mg
	1 cup whole strawberries	23 mg
Lunch	1 spinach and jack cheese tamale	320 mg
	1/2 cup carrots	22 mg
	2 ounces avocado	3 mg
Dinner	Grilled chicken breast	12 mg
	1 cup steamed broccoli	45 mg
	1 cup arugula	45 mg
	1 ounce goat cheese	85 mg
	1 slice whole grain bread	20 mg
	TOTAL CALCIUM INTAKE	1,023mg

While I did hit the magic number of 1,000 milligrams, I feel like I just barely made it. I drink a fair bit of milk in my coffee in the morning, and coffee can decrease the amount of calcium absorbed, but only two to three mg per cup. Of more concern is spinach. While it is relatively high in calcium, it contains oxalic acid, which may bind to the mineral preventing absorption.

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Calcium, Iron, and Fiber - Oh My!

FitSugar — Wed, 20 May 2009 03:30:00 -0700

We eat for our health and to feed our our bones, blood, and bowels, but some nutrients just don't play well with others. Take calcium and iron for instance. Calcium can reduce your ability to absorb iron by as much as 50 percent. However, calcium only interferes with non-heme iron, which comes from plant-based foods, not with heme iron, found in meat. This interplay between calcium and iron is really only important if you suffer from anemia, because although short-term iron absorption is reduced by calcium, studies have found that iron stored in the blood is not.

When it comes to calcium, fiber binds to the mineral, reducing its absorption. Studies have found that wheat fiber reduces calcium absorption by about half. If you're like most folks and you aim to get a jump-start on fulfilling your recommended daily intake of fiber and calcium with your bowl of breakfast cereal, choose cereals that feature oats or other grains since they don't seem to block the calcium.

Ultimately, if you eat a well balanced diet and aim to eat your nutrients rather than find them in supplements, you're probably getting all the vitamins, minerals, and fiber you need. Just think of this post as a little food for thought.

7 Foods For Strong Bones

FitSugar — Fri, 08 May 2009 11:00:00 -0700

Foods high in calcium and vitamin D are essential for building strong bones. The RDI of calcium for women is 1,000 mg a day and for vitamin D, it's 200 to 400 IU. Here are five foods to include in your diet to improve your bone density, which will prevent osteoporosis.
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How Do Calcium-Rich Foods Stack Up?

FitSugar — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 08:00:00 -0700

Calcium is crucial for women's bone health, so it's absolutely imperative that you get enough in your diet. You can fortify yourself with calcium supplements, but since women need at least 1,000 milligrams per day or more, we should also seek out calcium-rich foods. Think you know how these foods stack up, calcium-wise? Take my quiz to find out.

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Adora: A Better Calcium Supplement

FitSugar — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 11:00:00 -0700

When I suggested that chocolate-flavored calcium supplements make a good substitute for dessert, many of you weren't so into the high-fructose corn syrup that comes with most calcium chews. But I'm still concerned about my daily calcium intake, and I still like a sweet bite after meals, so I was excited to discover Adora Calcium Supplements ($6 for a 30-piece bag).

These dark-chocolate supplements are free of corn syrup, as well as gluten, artificial sweeteners, and other weird stuff. In fact, the only thing on the ingredient list that wasn't all natural or a vitamin was soy lecithin.

The individually wrapped candies are sizable and tasty enough to satisfy chocoholics. Though they're not exactly Scharffen Berger, they do taste unvitaminy - actually a lot like Hershey's Special Dark. You can buy a bag here for $6. Have you ever tried Adora? Do you think you will?

Foods That Rob Your Bones

FitSugar — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 13:00:00 -0700

Some food combinations create nutritional synergy, like plums increasing iron absorption. On the other side of the spectrum are food pairings that block absorption of vitamins and minerals. Calcium, a vital mineral for bone health, can be negatively affected by seemingly innocent foods. Two types of chemicals, oxalates and phytates, bind to the calcium and block your bodies ability to absorb the mineral.

Oxalates are found in spinach and rhubarb and phytates are found in bran and beans. Cheese sprinkled on a spinach salad should not be factored into your daily total of calcium consumption. Same goes for milk you eat over your bran cereal.

Since eating calcium is better absorbed by your body than a calcium supplement, make sure you're not undermining your efforts by combining the mineral with an unwanted chemical.

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Daily Calcium Quiz

FitSugar — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 09:00:00 -0700

My mom recently revealed to me that she takes medication for osteoporosis, and not only did it spook me a bit, it also made me think about my own bone health. Am I getting enough calcium? Am I doing enough to keep my bones strong as I age? Am I at risk for osteoporosis? Take this little quiz to see how much you know.

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Healthy Eating Tip: Non-Dairy Foods Can Be High in Calcium

FitSugar — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 10:00:00 -0700

Getting enough calcium is one of the main ways we can maintain strong healthy bones. It's recommended that healthy women get a daily intake of 1,000 mg of calcium. Since when one thinks of calcium we tend to think of milk and dairy products then non-dairy consuming folks may have a hard time reaching that number without supplementation.

If that's the case for you then you can still get your calcium while maintaining your non-dairy status and without popping a pill. In fact, here are some great non-dairy alternatives for getting calcium that may surprise you:

Sesame Seeds. One quarter cup of sesame seeds has 351 mg calcium.
Spinach. One cup of boiled spinach has 244 mg.
Collard Greens. One cup of collard greens has 226 mg.
Kelp. One cup of raw kelp has 136 mg.
Broccoli. One cup of steamed broccoli has 75 mg.

There are a few more ideas so read more.

Swiss Chard. One cup of boiled chard has 101 mg.
Kale. One cup of boiled kale has 94 mg.
Celery. One cup of raw celery has 48 mg.
Tofu. Four ounces of tofu have 100 mg.
Basil. Two teaspoons of dried basil has 63 mg.
Oranges. One medium orange has 53 mg.
Cinnamon. Two teaspoons of ground cinnamon has 56 mg.

I was pretty surprised about the amount of calcium in cinnamon myself. Who knew?

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Healthy Eating Tip: Eat Calcium For Dessert

FitSugar — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 10:00:00 -0700

Even when our willpower is at its peak performance, sweet treats after meals can be the hardest thing to give up. I don't know about you, but after a savory meal, I often crave just a tiny bite of dessert. If you're the same way, I have a tasty tip ensures that you get your RDI of calcium while satisfying your sweet tooth.

After dinner, eat a calcium chew, like the ones made by Viactiv. They taste just like candy - well, I guess they sort of are candy - but each piece has just 20 calories. They come in flavors such as chocolate, mint chocolate, and raspberry; my favorite is caramel, though I actually buy the Walgreens brand. One chew delivers 500 mg of calcium, which is half your RDI.

My only complaint is that they're made with corn syrup. But when the alternative is eating a sugary, high-fat candy bar or cookie, this calcium-rich treat is worth trying.

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