Bones

[plumtreeblossom]

I've got to start remembering to take a vitamin supplement with calcium every day, not just 3 or 4 times a month when I happen to think of it. My grandmother and great-grandmother had crippling and disfiguring osteoporosis by the time they were in their 60s, but my mother has avoided it into her mid-70s by taking calcium and drinking several glasses of milk a day. I don't really want that much milk, but I should try to have some, at least. I'm only 5'3", and I can't afford to lose much height. Some beginner yoga wouldn't hurt, either.

Comments

[beowabbit]

I love my short sweetie, and I’d love her if she were shorter, but I want her to have strong healthy bones. *Smooch.*

[plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com]

Smooches back! I want to stay strong and straight-backed so I can kiss you without a step-stool!

[agaran.livejournal.com]

Yes, yoga and/or weight work would also help stave off more than a little calcium loss, I'm given to understand.

[plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com]

There are weight machines at my gym, but I don't know if I'm even using them right. Should ante up for a session with the personal trainer.

[agaran.livejournal.com]

Not sure if you're on my health filter (or want to be), but I anted up for a personal trainer, and I do not regret it. Big time changes. :)

[surrealestate.livejournal.com]

Drinking lots of milk doesn't actually make your bones stronger -- it's more likely to do the opposite, so don't fret over it. Calcium supplements *do* help, though. But the absolute best thing you can do for your bones is (weight-bearing) exercise, which, granted, isn't as much fun as eating nummy dairy products, but that's the way life goes.

Wouldn't it be awesome if eating was like exercise and the more you ate, the healthier you'd be? On the up side, I bet the sex is helping!

[kissoflife.livejournal.com]

If you find affordable beginning yoga, please let me know.

[surrealestate.livejournal.com]

If you have a gym membership, whatever yoga classes are offered there would certainly be a reasonable place to start. Also, Om City Yoga on Mass Ave seems like a good place to me and not as pricey as some, though I'm not sure how you're defining affordable.

If that was a hint, then yes, we can talk about barter or the like if you want. :)

[kissoflife.livejournal.com]

hmm... Hmm, I would like to discuss it. Just thought of a ~genre of item I have for bartering too.

[thesynergizer.livejournal.com]

i disagree with someone above ... i think milk is good for your bones, though maybe "lots" means different things to different people.

they make calcium chews that taste like chocolates and caramels and are uber good. if you are more worried about liking them/remembering to take them than your pocketbook, then i'd recommend this route.

[weegoddess.livejournal.com]

The question isn't how much calcium one is taking in, the question is how much calcium is one absorbing. Last I'd heard, the candy chews were mostly sugar and calcium carbonate (chalk, usually made from pulverized oyster shells).

IIRC, calcium carbonate is also the stuff in antacids and isn't well absorbed by the body. Something chelated, or calcium citrate (like the stuff they put into orange juice) may be better. To be fair, thought, I haven't read up on this stuff since I moved to the UK 2 years ago. Things may have changed.

There have been questions about just how good milk is for humans, since it's meant for baby cows. And I'm not sure of the overall calcium absorption from milk /dairy. I'm sure it's something that can be readily googled.

[thesynergizer.livejournal.com]

lol, you won't find a bigger proponent of cow milk for cow babies and human milk for human babies than me!

the thing about cow milk is that they add vitamin D to it (as they also do to orange juice) to help you absorb the calcium.

health-wise, about 2/3 to 3/4 of the world's population is lactose-interlant/allergic to milk protein (they are different) after childhood. humans just aren't meant to drink milk once they are past their natural weaning age of 3-7 years. (yup, that's YEARS, not months)

but a small percent of the population (mostly people of Anglo/European decent) do retain the ability to digest milk into adulthood. and to the best of my understanding, if you are one of these people who does not have any stomach problems with it, then i'm pretty sure it is good for you.

[moonshadow.livejournal.com]

Japanese women pretty much don't get osteoporosis, and they don't drink milk, either. Soy and seaweed are their sources of calcium. You might want to give that a try.

[ayelle.livejournal.com]

I haven't been a huge fan of the calcium chews since I stopped being able to find them in vanilla flavor, but I switched to Viactiv Flavor Glides calcium supplements, and I love them. The caplets are coated in vanilla -- super easy to swallow, and they leave a good taste in your mouth. (I imagine they'd still be difficult for people who have a lot of trouble swallowing any pills, but if you don't, these are easier than most because of the coating.) I even take them with a handful of other pills, all at the same time, because they make swallowing all of them easier.

[cowgrrl.livejournal.com]

I drink calcium-fortified orange juice with breakfast. Just another way to sneak in some extra calcium. :-)

[weegoddess.livejournal.com]

Aside from the milk and the calcium chews suggestions, I agree with all of the above comments. You'll want to get your bone-building from many different sources; dairy and candy supplements are not a panacea.

Have you heard of Xylitol? There's been some research in how it strengthens bones. Personally, I love the stuff and use it every day in my tea.