Bone health revisited

Nutrition for bone health

According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation half of all women and one-fourth of all men older than 50 will fracture a bone at some point due to osteoporosis, a condition characterized by weak or porous bones that break easily.

As you get older the need for healthy nutrition changes. You have got this far with the food you eat, but the body starts putting new challenges on us and what you eat can help face those challenges.

Bone density is an issue as we grow older and there are several ways we can assist our bodies to cope with this. Calcium is very much needed to keep our bones strong at any age, but there are certain things in our diet that can  interfere with your body’s ability to absorb calcium and other essential nutrients. Phytates and oxalates are two such things.

 Beans and wheat bran contains high levels of phytates which can prevent your body from absorbing calcium. However, unlike beans 100% wheat bran is the only food that appears to reduce the absorption of calcium in other foods eaten at the same time. For example, when you have milk and 100% wheat bran cereal together, your body can absorb some, but not all, of the calcium from the milk. The wheat bran in other foods like breads is much less concentrated and not likely to have a noticeable impact on calcium absorption.

Your body doesn’t absorb calcium well from foods that are high in oxalates (oxalic acid) such as spinach. Other foods with oxalates are rhubarb, beet greens and certain beans. These foods contain other healthy nutrients, but they just shouldn’t be counted as sources of calcium.

Protein is very important for good bone health, but too much protein can restrict calcium absorption so rather than having multiple servings of meat it is good to add some high calcium protein from low fat dairy products.

Eating foods that have a lot of salt (sodium) causes your body to lose calcium and can lead to bone density loss. Try to limit the amount of processed foods, canned foods and salt added to the foods you eat each day.

Alcohol and caffeine can also lead to bone loss

Middle age spread is something many over 50’s are challenged with and fat around one's middle is bad for bones. A study by doctors at Massachusetts General Hospital shows abdominal fat is associated with lower bone density.

So what is good to increase bone density?

 Nutritionally we need to make sure we get plenty of calcium and vitamin D. Vitamin D aids the absorption of calcium so is very important. Magnesium, Potassium, Vitamin C and Vitamin K are all essential for bone health.

Exercise is an essential part of keeping our bones and joints healthy, it helps to keep the blood circulation feeding muscles, bones and joints and strengthening your muscles will help support your bones. Adapting your exercise to your capability is important, walking is extremely good to keeping active and can be done at your own pace. Yoga and Pilates is also very good to keeping active at any age. All exercise will help to keep belly fat down and keep you active for longer.

Get out in the sun to get your dose of vitamin D, but be careful of harmful rays on the skin. Use sun protection factor creams if in the sun long enough to burn. Eat oily fish which is one of the few foods that contain vit D.

Get some dairy in your diet unless lacto intolerant, chose low fat options and be conscious of eating too much saturated fats. All about the balance.

Foods to eat for good bone health

Food	Nutrient
Dairy products such as low-fat and non-fat milk, yogurt and cheese	Calcium. Some dairy products are fortified with Vitamin D.
Fish
Canned sardines and salmon (with bones)	Calcium
Fatty varieties such as salmon, mackerel, tuna and sardines	Vitamin D
Fruits and vegetables
Collard greens, turnip greens, kale, okra, Chinese cabbage, dandelion greens, mustard greens and broccoli.	Calcium
Spinach, beet greens, okra, tomato products, artichokes, plantains, potatoes, sweet potatoes, collard greens and raisins.	Magnesium
Tomato products, raisins, potatoes, spinach, sweet potatoes, papaya, oranges, orange juice, bananas, plantains and prunes.	Potassium
Red peppers, green peppers, oranges, grapefruits, broccoli, strawberries, brussels sprouts, papaya and pineapples.	Vitamin C
Dark green leafy vegetables such as kale, collard greens, spinach, mustard greens, turnip greens and brussel sprouts.	Vitamin K
Fortified Foods
Calcium and vitamin D are sometimes added to certain brands of juices, breakfast foods, soy milk, rice milk, cereals, snacks and breads.	Calcium, Vitamin D

 Nutrition to help Gout

Gout is a type of arthritis, typically caused by a build-up of uric acid in the blood. When levels of uric acid build up, it can cause crystals of uric acid to be formed, which deposit in joints and cause irritation, inflammation and swelling. This is known as a gout attack, which can be very painful. There are several reasons why the blood may contain high levels of uric acid. It may be a result of the kidney's reduced ability to clear the uric acid. It may be an overproduction of compounds known as purines. It may be a combination of both. Purines are natural substances found in all of the body's cells, and in virtually all foods. The reason for their widespread occurrence is simple: purines provide part of the chemical structure of our genes and the genes of plants and animals. A relatively small number of foods, however, contain concentrated amounts of purines. For the most part, these high-purine foods are also high-protein foods, and they include organ meats like kidney, fish like mackerel, herring, sardines and mussels, and also yeast.

Foods with very high purine levels(up to 1,000 mg per 3.5 ounce serving):	Anchovies, Grains, Gravies, Kidneys,Liver, Sardines, Sweetbreads Yeast
Foods with high and moderately high purine levels(5-100 mg per 3.5 ounch serving):	Asparagus, Bacon, Beef, Bluefish, Bouillon, Calf tongue, Carp, Cauliflower, Chicken, Chicken soup, Codfish, Crab, Duck, Goose, Halibut, Ham, Kidney beans, Lamb, Lentils, Lima beans, Lobster, Mushrooms, Mutton, Navy beans, Oatmeal, Oysters, Peas, Perch, Pork, Rabbit, Salmon, Sheep, Shellfish, Snapper, Spinach, Tripe, Trout, Tuna, Turkey, Veal, Venison

Reducing the amount of uric acid levels in the blood can help to prevent gout attacks. This can be done by:

·         Achieving a healthy weight

·         Limiting alcohol especially beer and red wine

·         Avoiding/reducing foods high in purines, try meat free days

·         Drinking plenty of fluid can help reduce the risk of Goat

·         Limiting foods sweetened with fructose

·         Eating plenty of fruit and vegetables

·         Consuming low-fat dairy products good calcium source

Welcome to 2016

Happy January 2016

I am starting 2016 with renewed vigour and great excitement for this new year. Moving forward and extending my qualifications to 3rd Wave CBT which will allow me to practice. I am bringing all my old and new skills together to offer the Nutrition and Image coach, working with clients not only with weight issues but re-balancing mind and body helping with food and self image issues. I am very interested in Body dis morphia, Orthorexia, exorexia (my label for those hooked on exercise) and all the anxiety behind it and championing healthy balanced eating and daily exercise in a sensible practical way. 

Visit a nutrition/ image coach for a non drug non judgmental approach.

Lets start 2016 positive, mindful and happy.

Cellulite revisit

What is cellulite

Cellulite commonly known as the orange peel effect, or Adiposis Edematosa.It is where the subcutaneous fat herniates within the fibrous connective tissue and manifests as dimpling on the skin, most commonly on the buttocks thighs, belly and top of the arm. In the Beauty profession we call cellulite trapped fat as the fat is trapped in fluid. Some form of cellulite occurs in 90% of adolescent women. It can be almost undetected or very obvious.

What causes cellulite

As I said before most women after puberty will have some form of cellulite, but the main contributing factors are bad and sporadic diet, lack of exercise, weight gain and hormone changes. Cellulite does not only grace the thighs of the over weight either, as witnessed on many slim celebrities. Cellulite seems to be linked to Estrogen as men are generally exempt (lucky them) unless taking certain hormones or excessively over weight.
A diet of processed foods containing high refined sugars and too many saturated fats which are difficult to break down and can cling to the connective tissue resulting in cellulite. Caffeine and alcohol also contribute to cellulite. A change in Hormones can change your body appearance and you can be a lithe non bumpy figure then hit menopause the fat can trap and hello cellulite.

 

How do we get rid

We are told that there is no cure for cellulite, but there are definitely ways we can reduce the effect.

Diet: 

Faddy weight loss diets and sporadic changes in our eating patterns can cause cellulite as well

poor choices in what we eat. So if we cut out too much processed foods with highly processed white sugar, additives and sweeteners, as well as too much saturated fats contained in fast food, red meats

and high fat dairy. We can help the body to reduce the making of cellulite. Also it pains me to say, but reduce your caffeine and alcohol consumption (obviously within reason as we all need some pleasure in life) which will also help. Keep fluids up, you should drink around 10-12 glasses a day including tea and coffee (best not sweetened)this will help flush toxins and keep you hydrated. Like any diet and weight advice it is not about a quick fix get slim quick diet, but about altering your diet as a long term healthier eating alternative which in conjunction with exercise, massage and creams can considerably reduce the effects of cellulite.

Exercise:

Cellulite is fat trapped in fluid so we need to increase the blood and lymph circulation to help the body disperse the fluid through the lymphatic system. All bodies regardless of age, size, gender will generally function better with some form of daily exercise. If we have a build up of cellulite we can benefit greatly from some aerobic type exercise. Swimming, walking, jogging, running, Aerobic class, Dance class,cycling, rowing, jogging machine at the gym or just keep taking the stairs, stand instead of sit. There are so many ways of increasing your exercise without incurring expense or altering your

life.Exercise should be taken as a gradual build up and get a Dr. advice if you have a medical condition but generally exercise will help, not only with cellulite and weight management, but can make you feel so much better in yourself (even if the thought is daunting). 

Massage, Treatments and creams:

Massage can definitely help to break down cellulite and it would be great to afford a regular massage, however, it is something we can do at home. There are many creams that say they are cellulite busters, but the actual process of rubbing and massaging will probably be the thing that makes the difference not necessarily the cream. (there are some creams that are better than others I will get on to in a min) I suggest a vigorous rub with your towel when out the bath or shower then firmly massage

your body lotion in a circular and upward motion so the skin feels warm and slightly red.

Another massage treatments at salons G5 is a mechanical massager known for its deep tissue massage. It can break down the fat and reduce cellulite. It is not for the faint hearted and can be quite painful and not advisable if you are prone to broken veins or varicose veins. Slendertone or passive exercise machines can also help to stimulate the muscles and increase the circulation, but expensive

and will get a better result from actually partaking in active exercise.

If you are after a cream to help reduce cellulite go for creams that have Centella Asiatica which gives the elasticity back to skin or Ginko Biloba which is an antioxidant that helps increase the blood circulation or lastly Menthyl Nicotinate that promotes decongestion of tissues and helps drain liquids and toxins.

I hope this article helps, but remember you are not alone and cellulite is not only associated with

being over weight. Slim celebrities and models also have it and healthy eating and regular exercise

can not only make us feel better but reduce those lumps and bumps.  There is no such thing as the perfect body as we all have our own vision of what that is and maybe as 90% of women have cellulite

why are we so hung up on it perhaps it is normal.