Quick Bites Nutrition • Issue 9
Welcome to the 9th Issue of Quick Bites, my New Nutrition Newsletter! Today I will give you a couple tools to make healthier food choices. Let’s dig in! - Trilety
1. Calcium
2. Osteoporosis
3. Whatcha Eatin'?! A Calcium Combo (Salad & Sandwich)
1. Calcium: Add it up!
Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body, 99% of which is in our bones. Over 6 pages of the chapter on Major Minerals in our textbook was about calcium, but I'm only going to tell you about the aspects of calcium that struck me as most surprising or important - the Whoa Moments, if you will.
If you'd prefer to dig even deeper into calcium and the many roles it plays in your body, check out this consumer fact sheet on calcium from the National Institutes of Health.
Your Bones Are A Calcium Bank!
Per our textbook:
“The blood borrows and returns calcium as needed so that even with an inadequate diet, blood calcium remains normal - even as bone calcium diminishes. . . . A person can have an inadequate calcium intake for years and have no noticeable symptoms. Only later in life does it become apparent that bone integrity has been compromised.”
DAMN! Your bones are ROBBED of calcium by your blood!
Vitamin D improves the absorption of calcium, which is why you see calcium rich foods, like milk, fortified with vitamin D.
Don’t forget, sun is a good way to get your Vitamin D as well.
How Much Calcium?
How much calcium you need depends on your age.
Adolescents to 18 years old = 1,300 milligrams a day
19 years to 50 years = 1,000 mg/day
Women over 50 = 1,200 mg/day
All adults over 70 = 1,200 mg/day
Calcium Rich Foods
If you consume dairy, it’s easy to get enough calcium. A couple cups of low fat milk and a cup of low fat yogurt, and you’re set!
But what about the lactose intolerant or vegans?
Eating a variety of good-for-you foods will always help improve your nutrition! From collard greens and tofu, to almonds and fortified foods, check out all the calcium rich foods in this HANDY chart from the National Osteoporosis Foundation!
And guess what, you can even get some calcium from antacids like Tums! However,
"antacids with aluminum or magnesium hydroxides (such as Rolaids) can accelerate calcium losses."
Make sure to choose your antacids wisely, and to prevent excessive calcium intake, don't go overboard on the Tums either.
Vegans, be aware that calcium from plants is less bioavailable than calcium from dairy, so be vigilant about the variety of your diet.
Here's just a sampling of some of the calcium rich foods we have in our kitchen:
Bok choy, almond butter, calcium fortified soy milk, white beans, calcium fortified Life cereal, chia seeds, whole milk, Tums, low fat cottage cheese, non-fat yogurt, kale
Let’s do a Calcium experiment!
Keep a journal of your calcium containing foods for a few days, and try and calculate if you’re getting an adequate amount of calcium. . . . or, keep a journal of your foods and send it to me to try and assess your calcium intake!
So what happens if you don’t get enough calcium. . . ?
Osteoporosis!
Osteoporosis is a disease in which the bones become porous and fragile, also referred to as adult bone loss.
This disease is insidious and predominant, with over 50% of women over 50 suffering from it.
We’ve all heard that when an older person breaks a hip from a fall, this is usually the start of a downward heath spiral. However, sometimes a person with osteoporosis doesn’t even have to fall to break a hip, the bones can be so fragile that they basically collapse under the weight of the person or they shatter from something as minor as bumping into an end table!
DRINK YOUR MILK! DEVOUR YOUR TOFU!
The best time to prevent osteoporosis is from childhood to age 30.
Parents, Figure out how to maintain an adequate calcium intake for your kids - it’ll be integral to their aging!
For those of us who are already beyond the years of peak bone density, we must be aware of our risk factors:
Gender: Women will lose bone mass as they lose estrogen in menopause
Genetics: Caucasians, who do not absorb calcium as efficiently as African Americans, are three times more likely to have osteoporosis
Low BMI: Being too thin can make you more susceptible to osteoporosis, whereas a little weight will improve bone density. Let's aim for a normal BMI rather than a low BMI.
Exercise: Participating in weight bearing exercises and strength training will improve your bone density, so again, lift those weights ladies!
Smoking & alcohol abuse: Both of these habits will compromise your bone density.
Dietary intake: Consume the adequate amount of dietary calcium for your age group by increasing the calcium rich foods in your diet as well as your Vitamin D intake and exposure.
You can't change your gender or genes, but you can control your WEIGHT, EXERCISE, HABITS, and DIET
Quick Bites is just that, Quick, so I encourage you to assess your diet and take a look at the Your Guide to A Bone Healthy Diet from the National Osteoporosis Foundation
3. Whatcha Eatin'? A Calcium Combo (salad & sandwich)
Today, I'm sharing two recipes, both starring calcium rich foods.
A couple of times a week, I will have an open faced salmon salad sandwich for lunch.
Mix half a can of salmon (with bones) with chopped celery and an olive oil based mayonnaise. Toast a slice of whole grain bread. Cover the bread in thinly sliced tomato, then top with the salmon salad. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and thyme, and Enjoy!
The second recipe is an amazing raw collard salad that I've been making for years. The Shredded Collard Greens with Walnuts and Pickled Apples from Gourmet magazine circa 2000 would be a nutritious and delicious addition to your upcoming Thanksgiving meal.
Photo is from the Epicurious website
When I'm short on time, I modify this recipe by dry-toasting the walnuts and just tossing the apple slices with a bit of apple cider vinegar, thus foregoing the pickling process.
Makes 6 servings
Shredded Collard Greens with Walnuts and Pickled Apples
Ingredients:
For pickled apples
2 red apples such as Gala or Idared
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pickling spice
1/2 cup walnut halves (3 ounces)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 bunch collard greens (1 pound)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Directions:
Make pickled apples:
Quarter and core apples, then cut each quarter lengthwise into 1/8-inch-thick slices. Boil vinegar, water, sugar, salt, and pickling spice in a saucepan, stirring, until sugar is dissolved. Add apples and return to a boil. Transfer to a heatproof bowl and cool. Chill, uncovered, until cold, about 1 hour.
Prepare nuts while apples chill:
Toast walnuts in oil in a small skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until a shade darker. Cool nuts in oil. Transfer nuts to a cutting board with a slotted spoon, reserving oil. Coarsely chop 1 tablespoon nuts and finely chop remaining nuts.
Prepare collard greens:
Halve each collard leaf lengthwise with kitchen shears or a sharp knife, cutting out and discarding center ribs. Stack leaves and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-wide strips. Transfer to a large bowl.
Just before serving:
Transfer all nuts and oil from skillet to collards and toss with 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste. Add apple slices, discarding pickling liquid and spices, and toss again.
Cooks' notes:
• Apples may be pickled 3 days ahead and kept chilled, covered. ·Nuts may be toasted and chopped 1 day ahead and kept in the oil in an airtight container at room temperature.
In Two Weeks we'll be talking Residual Starches, Glycemic Index, and the concept of Nutritional Violence!
Thanks so much for reading, and send in your recipes!
~ Trilety, the Aspiring Nutritionist