I have had two queries this week from clients who are avoiding dairy and worried about their calcium intake and the potential impact on their bone health. This is becoming an increasing worry with the prevalence of dairy intolerance.
Many of us grew up with Milk Marketing Board messages telling us that milk is the best source of calcium and essential for the bones of growing children; however the truth of the matter is that there are plenty of calcium rich foods to add to our diet if dairy is causing problems.
So how can we look after our bones if we are dairy-free?
Calcium is undoubtedly a vital nutrient – it not only helps build healthy bones and teeth, but is needed for nerve transmission, blood clotting and muscle function. Our bones not only give us frame and structure, but are comprised of crystalline salts, and as such, act as a storage vessel for essential minerals including calcium and phosphorus. The cells in our bones continually break down and rebuild throughout our life, although the rate at which this happens declines as we get older.
But other nutrient such as magnesium, Vitamin K, Vitamin D and boron also help with healthy burn turnover.
Acid/alkaline balance is also an important factor. The ideal ratio in our body is around 70% alkaline and 30% acidic, but when the pendulum swings in the direction of being over-acidic, for example if we consume too much red meat, alcohol, sugar or caffeine, this can result in problems such as arthritis, gut imbalance and damage to hair, skin and nails. More importantly, when our body becomes too acidic our body looks for a way of restoring balance with alkalising minerals, and these will be released from the bones – leeching calcium and making the bones more brittle and vulnerable to damage in the process.
To support good acid/alkaline balance and bone health, we therefore need to do the following:
And the sunshine connection?
Calcium in our food need to be converted in our body into a form body that can be utilised, and this conversion relies on good levels of Vitamin D. It is now thought that Vitamin D deficiency is a growing issue worldwide, with a 2009 study suggesting that around ¾ of Americans thought to be deficient (CNN News).
One of the culprit’s is dietary insufficiency, which can be addressed by including eggs, fortified cereals and oily fish such as sardines and pilchards in your diet; but the other, the prevalence of advice in recent years to cover up in the sunshine to avoid skin cancer.
Vitamin D is converted in our skin through exposure to UV sunlight, so whilst we obviously should not be burning and putting our skin health at risk, a little access to sunlight each day is vital for our health. The NHS advises around 10-15 minutes of exposure between 11am and 3pm would be enough to build Vitamin D reserves. A number of other medical complaints are also being linked to lack of Vitamin D, including rickets which we thought had been all but eradicated in our developing society(BBC News)
So, whilst the sun is out; wait a short while before layering on the sun cream, and build your Vitamin D reserves for the long dark winter days (albeit hopefully a long way off!)
If you are concerned about your bone health or Vitamin D levels – particularly if you have a history of osteoporosis in your family – you can ask your GP for a bone density or Vitamin D test. You can also order a test kit online which will assess levels of Vitamin D and calcium in your blood. You can find this at http://www.myvitdtest.com/
If you are concerned about levels of calcium and other minerals in your diet, contact me and I can look at your current diet and health status and make recommendations.
A study reported in HR Magazine recently suggested that the average employee now has 7.7 days absence, costing £673 each per annum.. Two thirds of those days occurred across the winter cold and flu season and this can have a major negative impact on any workforce, but small businesses in particular.
Now that the coughs and sneezes are starting to circulate, what can you do to prepare yourself, your business and your colleagues, and try and avoid becoming part of these statistics?
Hygiene in the workplace is a key issue with a significant number of germs being spread around office equipment and in places like communal kitchens. The close proximity of workers, and the unavoidable commute to work for many, is also problematic.
Whilst coming into contact with the germs may be unavoidable, a poor diet is one of the immune system’s greatest enemies, so the best preparation you can have is to build your immunity ready to fight off the germs, and eating the right foods can help significantly. Once the immune system has started to break down, it has to fight harder to fend off the bugs and is more likely to succumb repeatedly over the winter leaving you vulnerable to every germ circulating.
In an earlier blog I talked about specific nutrients which can help build the immune system naturally. Here are some tips to making small but important changes:
WHAT TO DO WHEN THE GERMS STRIKE
COMFORT EATING
The temptation on long cold winter days is to resort to comfort eating, but by combining many of these immune boosting foods you can create tasty and filling family meals which are packed with nutrients and can help you fight the germs.
Chicken soup traditionally fits the bill here, so experiment with using leftovers from your Sunday roast to best effect, or turn leftover vegetables into soups and broths. Also consider making one pot meals such as Chilli con Carne, vegetable or meat stews and curries which you can freeze and have available as healthy alternatives to shop-bought ready meals or takeaways. Fill them with vegetables, peppers, mushrooms, peppers, garlic, onions and beans for optimum nutritional value. As a side dish try making spice rice adding lime zest, sliced chilli pepper and garlic.
….. And don’t forget to start your day with a warming bowl of porridge; add grated cinnamon and a handful of defrosted berries for the perfect winter breakfast.
If you are interested in improving the immune health of your family or your workplace colleagues, contact me now.
If you are celebrating the Jubilee this weekend but worried about ruining your healthy eating regime, there are tasty snacks and nibbles you can make quickly and simply which will still grace a party table, contribute to your daily fruit and vegetable quota, and provide a great alternative to the fatal temptations of cakes, crisps and pastries.
Chopped vegetables are packed with nutritious vitamins, and eaten raw can be a great fibre boost. Carrots, celery and sweet peppers make terrific dips and roasted vegetable kebabs go well with a barbecue. Try roasting chopped peppers, aubergine, tomato, mushrooms and courgettes and then skewer with some leafy herbs (basil leaves work well) to add colour to your plate.
Instead of red meat, don’t forget salmon is a great source of both protein and essential ‘good’ fats. Smoked salmon is very versatile and can be rolled and added to vegetable kebabs, or added to mini toasts or wholemeal bread squares to make a tasty canapé. Add some dill to dress.
A good substitute for crisps and salted nuts is to nibble on toasted almonds or mixed seeds instead. Try flavouring with spices such as tamari or paprika to make them more interesting. You can also use walnuts and pine nuts as toppings on salads or to add flavour to celery boats stuffed with low fat cream cheese. Sprinkle with pomegranate for a burst of colour.
Fruit can also be fun to combine with cheese and vegetables – and the children love them. Whilst we are in nostalgic mood, why not reconstruct the grapefruit hedgehogs so popular back in the 70’s. Halve a grapefruit, lay flat side on the plate and create a hedgehog effect using fruit and cheese kebabs on cocktail sticks. You can experiment with all sorts of combinations, alternating cheeses (try grilled haloumi cubes or cheddar) with pineapple cubes, halved strawberries, red and green grapes and blueberries. If you want to add vegetables, cherry tomatoes and sweet pepper cubes also work well. Mint and basil leaves also add colour, flavour and even more healthy nutrients.
Don’t forget to add a non-alcoholic fruit punch to the party table. Another fantastic source of antioxidants and refreshing on a hot day. Let’s hope!
Here are some suggestions below. Have a fun and healthy weekend!