Calcium

Calcium, a vital mineral needed by the body for normal growth and development can only be acquired from our diet. Because the body does not produce calcium, the right amount has to be taken in daily to keep the body at the pink of health.

Why is calcium important?

• Ninety nine percent of the calcium in our body is in our bones and teeth. The remaining one percent is found in the blood and other tissues. This explains why calcium is necessary to build strong bones and maintain bone mass. Calcium also lowers the risk of fracture and in later life, prevents bone diseases like osteoporosis.

• Sufficient amount of calcium in the body not only benefits your bones and teeth, it also ensures normal blood clotting, regular heart beat, cell metabolism, and other muscle movements.

Sources of Calcium

Get enough calcium daily! Milk and milk products are not the only sources of calcium. Mix and match other calcium containing foods with your recipes.

• Milk and milk products
• Cheese
• Smoked and dried fish: dilis, bia, tabios, and ayungin
• Alamang - fresh, dried or bagoong
• Sardines, clams and oysters
• Soybeans and soybean products
• Mongo and other dried beans
• Green leafy vegetables: malunggay, saluyot, kintsay, mustasa, and kalabasa
• Other vegetables: seaweed,
okra, dahon ng paayap, abitsuwelas, and spinach

BONE GROWTH

Know your bone growth. Increase your calcium intake when it counts.

• About 45 percent of bone growth happens during adolescence.
• At age 20 years, bones reach their maximum length, and they continue to build strength and density until age 30.
• Between ages 25-35 years, the peak bone mass is normally achieved.
• By age 39 years, one already lost 20 percent of his/her bone mass. Give it a few more years and another 12 percent goes.
• Peak loss occurs during post-menopausal stage, making women more and more susceptible to osteoporosis.

WORKOUT TO BUILD BONES

Regular exercises that put mild pressure on your bones help maintain bone strength. Muscle- stretching exercises help attract calcium into your bones and aid absorption.

Physical activity also develops your agility and body coordination to avoid falls and fractures even when you age.

The best exercises for yourbones are brisk walking, jogging, stair climbing, and dancing. Weightlifting and racket sports are also good. Do a variety of exercises to keep all your bones strong and healthy.

BONE HEALTH

Our skeleton is made up of 274 bones from head to foot. It protects our major organs and other internal parts, and provides form to the human body. Bones are made of tissues with a rich blood supply, and inherently contain calcium.

Our skeletal system thrives on calcium. Lack of calcium supply in our blood causes it to feed on calcium stored in our bones. Called calcium cannibalism, this process decreases bone density and strength, causing bone diseases:

Rickets (kids) or osteomalacia (adult rickets) - a condition wherein bones soften due to lack of calcium, vitamin D, and phosphorus.

Rickets (kids) or osteomalacia (adult rickets) - a condition wherein bones soften due to lack of calcium, vitamin D, and phosphorus.

Osteoporosis - known as the “silent” disease, bones’ pores enlarge and become frail as it steals calcium from the bones. No symptoms are felt until a fracture occurs in the hips, wrist or spine. Women suffer from this disease more than men because of hormonal imbalances such as during menopause. Less estrogen in the body decreases the bones’ capacity to absorb calcium. Women’s smaller frame than men is also a factor.

Women who smoke, drink large amounts of alcohol or caffeine, get little or no exercises, have a family history of osteoporosis, and are thin or small-boned, are more prone to this disease.

Prevent osteoporosis by getting adequate amounts of calcium in your diet, increasing vitamin D intake, not smoking, exercising regularly, and eating a well-balanced diet.

Whole Grain Goodness

Whole grains are raw, ground or unmilled grains packed with fiber, vitamins and minerals, good fats, enzymes, and phytochemicals. Unlike milled grains that lack the real goodness of grains, whole grains still contain these nutrients found in their three layers:

1. Outer layer or “bran” - protects the inside of the kernel with its hard exterior. It is the best source of fiber in the grain and is a source of B Vitamins.

2. Inner layer - contains the endosperm, which houses the germ and provides energy for its reproduction. This contains starch, protein, and some vitamins and minerals.

3. Seed of the grain or “germ”- the grain’s reproductive kernel. It contains unsaturated fat, B vitamins, minerals, and protein.

Whole Grains vs. Processed Grains

Refined grain products such as white rice, pasta, bread, and some cereals are easier to eat and digest, and store at room temperature. Use of these products produce fluffy flour and aesthetically better pastries. However, health-wise, milling grains cuts the nutritional value of the grains into half or even less, possibly reducing the amount of essential nutrients found in the germ and endosperm in the process.

Sources of Whole Grains

Common whole grain products
• oatmeal
• wild rice
• whole oats
• brown rice
• barley
• whole rye
• whole wheat
• bulgur
• popcorn

Quick Tip: Read the food label or ingredient list and look for “whole wheat” or “whole grain”. Don’t be deceived by product descriptions like “multi-grain” 100% wheat” and “bran”. Pictures of wheat and the product’s brown color do not mean the product is truly whole grain.

CHOOSE WHOLE GRAINS

Get vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals from Whole Grains

The interior of the grain, houses some essential nutrients that help keep the body healthy. The best way to get these are by including whole grain products in your diet.

Whole grains possess micronutrients commonly known as vitamins and minerals. Folate, which forms body cells, as well as vitamin E and selenium, both powerful antioxidants are all found in whole grains. Other minerals present in whole grains are iron, magnesium, copper, phosphorus, and zinc.

Phytochemicals/phytonutrients, only acquired from plant sources are in whole grains. These include flavonoids and phytic acid that may prevent the risk of coronary heart disease, digestive system disease, diabetes, obesity, and many types of cancer.

Whole Grains are good sources of unsaturated fat and fiber which give various health benefits.

Whole grain cereal foods are low in saturated fats and are sources of polyunsaturated fats. A type of unsaturated fat that helps regulate one’s blood cholesterol level, polyunsaturated fats specifically omega 3 linolenic acid is believed to be good for the heart.

Whole grains are also sources of fiber which provides various health benefits, from preventing gastrointestinal disorders to promoting normal bowel movement. Whole grains have both soluble and insoluble fibers that aid in digestion and maintain balanced cholesterol levels. Whole grain products give varying amounts of fiber. Whole wheat contains the highest amount of fiber among other products while brown rice contains the least amount of fiber. The presence of fiber in whole grain products is the reason why whole grains are recommended to promote satiety, help control serum cholesterol, reduce the risk of heart disease, and control diabetes mellitus.

Facts on Fats

People have become more conscious about choosing the right food to limit their fat intake as they age. Fat and cholesterol are believed to be the villains of heart disease, obesity and high blood pressure, causing some people to totally scratch out fat in their diet. However, the key is balancing one’s cholesterol.

Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats improve blood cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of heart disease. These are found in vegetable oils, nuts and seeds, avocado, corn, soybean, and fish among others.

Medium-chain Triglycerides are fats absorbed that go directly in the portal circulation and immediately converted into energy, e.g. coconut oil.

Long-chain Saturated Fat (LSF) is naturally produced by our body. Sufficient intake of additional LSF from meat, poultry, butter, lard, cream, milk and milk products lowers the risk of increasing our blood cholesterol level.

Trans fats or hydrogenated oil, frequently found in fastfood and snacks, worsen cholesterol levels by increasing low-density lipoproteins (LDL) and decreasing high-density lipoproteins (HDL). LDL transport cholesterol into the different organ tissues including arterial wall thus, high levels may block the arteries and cause cardiovascular disease. In contrast, HDL transport excess cholesterol in the tissues and are transported back to the liver for excretion from the body.

Understanding Your Fat Intake

The synthesis of cholesterol and storage of fat are determined by genetics . Genetics plays a role in the synthesis of cholesterol in our body. People who have a family history of hypertension, obesity, stroke, and other chronic diseases are more prone to developing symptoms of these diseases. They must be careful of their trans fat and long-chain saturated fat intake.

Everything in excess is stored as fat. When our body has met our requirements for carbohydrates and proteins, and the storage tissues for these two nutrients are full, the rest are converted and stored as fat.

Our body has unlimited storage capacity of fat. Fat cells do not multiply after puberty. As the body stores more fat, the number of fat cells remains the same and fat cells just gets bigger.

Our own body produces 90% of our blood cholesterol. The remaining 10% comes from our diet, known as dietary cholesterol.

Dietary cholesterol comes only from animal sources. Most vegetable oils and all other foods of plant source are cholesterol-free.

GOOD FAT IN, BAD FAT OUT

Stay away from harmful fats and get the right fat for your body by keeping these tips in mind:

Prevention is key. Take advantage of cholesterol screenings and annual check- ups when you have the chance.

Monitor body weight regularly and determine body mass index (BMI) BMI is estimated by dividing body weight expressed in kilogram (kg) by the square of the height expressed in meter (m2). If BMI is less than 18.5, the person is underweight. An individual with BMI ranging from18.5 to 24.9 has normal weight. One is overwieght if BMI is between 25 to 30, while a BMI over 30 is obese.

Know your family history. Your awareness of how your body digests and absorbs fat comes in handy when planning the right diet and choosing the lifestyle that fits you.

Engage in regular physical activity to help you lose weight and lower blood levels of harmful fat known as Low Density Lipoproteins (LDL).

• Be conscious of the quality of food you eat:
• Eat fruits and vegetables to control blood pressure.
• Read nutrition labels. Choose products without trans fat.
• Use plant-based oils such as coconut, olive and canola for cooking or baking. Choose margarine over butter.
• Include Omega-3 (source of ”good fat”) products, like fatty fish and nuts in your diet.
• Eat lean meat and milk products in moderation. Opt for lean meats and low-fat dairy.
• Eat plenty of soluble fiber daily from foods like oatmeal, oat bran, beans, fruits and vegetables.