The city of Somerville is doing something GREAT, not revolutionary, but still I applaud them for reinstating healthy, traditional ways of living. They are in the process of updating their infrastructure to encourage 'walk-pools' to work, and 'walking buses' to school (a parent or two walks the route picking up children on the way). Somerville is taking measures to eliminate trans fats from restaurant menus, add more fresh produce to school meals, and is investing in educational literature for their citizens.
Should we be thankful for the rising increase in obesity to launch such actions? I guess, but it would be better if, as a society, we could just do what is right and not wait until a problem occurs. Many human beings ignore good advice until bad habits are entrenched, and problems require monumental effort to unravel (usually costing more than an individual can bare, so that it falls to government to fix it). Choose to be different. Choose to be a trend setter, like Somerville and its citizens.
Look in your town. What does it already provide for a healthier lifestyle? Sidewalks? Bike trails? Dance programs? Sports teams? Clean water? Are the restaurants and stores selling healthy options and minimizing the junk? If so, spread the good word. Are the activities increasing the stamina, strength, and coordination of the town's folk? Make the good news travel so that the usage goes up and the service grows. If the health of your community is not such and needs improvement, take action!
Look at your way of living, also. Do you already have regular physical activities and healthy meals on which you can build? Be the example. Do what you think others should do. Take the stairs, park further away and walk the distance. Dance and play sports with your family.
Send the message that vegetables are yummy and they are not something we need to sneak into foods and drinks. Vegetables add color, texture, and nutrients, and are not just to counterbalance the junk food. The advice from my aunt rings true today: 'you can eat all you want if you just eat the right things.' Family gatherings can be just as joyous around healthy food. Celebrations can lead to a life of many more celebrations if good eating and physical activity are part of our every day life.
We all do better if we have a support system to sustain our endeavors. Rally your town government. Clear areas for outside play, walking, and biking. Petition the town bylaws to support healthy living standards. Gather your family around some basic action steps: Grocery shop and eat out better. Organize walk-pools and walking buses to your destinations. Get into dance class! These are simple ideas that Somerville, Ma has already started. Don't wait until there is a problem, or count on someone else to take action. Our society's trend toward obesity and low muscle tone did not happen in recent years. It has been a growing problem. It can be reversed if we continue our efforts over as much time. Creating a healthy lifestyle for your self is contagious and will lead to others following suit. Start today!
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Friday, October 15, 2010
Nutrition Tips for Healthy Bones: Calcium
As many of you know, our lessons at DAC go well beyond teaching dance. During the month of October we emphasize bone health. We teach that students need to have (on average) at least two servings of green leafies (which goes beyond lettuces: broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, spinach, cabbage, beat greens, and others). However there are difference in the quality of these good vegetables, for instance: red leaf lettuce is not as rich in calcium as Romaine lettuce.
Students also need 10-20 minutes of sunshine (for vitamin D3) everyday with other sources of calcium, like tofu, soy milk, sardines, and milk products like low fat milk, yogurt and cheese. The point is not to rely solely on dairy products for one's calcium supply. The calcium in pasteurized products is not very absorbable and studies suggest may lead to calcium deposits (kidney stones, gall stones, bone spurs) later in life. Availability, accessibility , absorbability are different ways to define calcium. Absorbability is the factor we need to address. Calcium is available and accessible in foods like cow milk products, but not very absorbable. However, it should not be counted out...just not counted on!
While I don't want students to rely on fortified foods to get their calcium and other nutrients, I do recommend foods fortified with calcium citrate, like orange juice. Calcium-citrate is very absorbable. Calcium phosphate, calcium carbonate (cheap and common), and others are not.
I would recommend at least 1,200 mg of calcium for children 11-25 years of age. Since most DAC students are female and growing, they need more than the recommended 1,000mg. . http://paleodiet.com/losspts.txt
As you probably know, the body absorbs calcium better when taken in moderate does, so students should have some at each meal.
Fortunately, DAC students, I do not believe, are drinking alcohol or smoking. Thirty minutes of exercise a day, plus eating a variety of the foods mentioned above will help students to easily get their required amount of calcium. I recommend anyone drinking decaffinated beverages eliminate eliminate them, because they still has caffeine in them, and caffeine prevents the absorption of calcium. I also recommend limiting chocolate for the same reason...I know horrible to say just before Halloween.
For obvious reasons, I suggest banning soda. Most sodas contain phosphoric acid (not on the ingredient label) that leaches calcium right our of the bones.
I also suggest lowering salt and sugar from the diet as there are studies indicating an adverse effect on calcium absorption. http://paleodiet.com/losspts.txt
It is best to get most of your fiber through fruits and veggies and not rely on whole grains. As you know, I am a BIG advocate for whole grains over enriched wheat flour products, but too much bran from whole grains can inhibit calcium absorption. Keep your grain products to a moderate amount and have another salad!
Have fun at home planning better ways to help each other get your needed calcium.
Students also need 10-20 minutes of sunshine (for vitamin D3) everyday with other sources of calcium, like tofu, soy milk, sardines, and milk products like low fat milk, yogurt and cheese. The point is not to rely solely on dairy products for one's calcium supply. The calcium in pasteurized products is not very absorbable and studies suggest may lead to calcium deposits (kidney stones, gall stones, bone spurs) later in life. Availability, accessibility , absorbability are different ways to define calcium. Absorbability is the factor we need to address. Calcium is available and accessible in foods like cow milk products, but not very absorbable. However, it should not be counted out...just not counted on!
While I don't want students to rely on fortified foods to get their calcium and other nutrients, I do recommend foods fortified with calcium citrate, like orange juice. Calcium-citrate is very absorbable. Calcium phosphate, calcium carbonate (cheap and common), and others are not.
I would recommend at least 1,200 mg of calcium for children 11-25 years of age. Since most DAC students are female and growing, they need more than the recommended 1,000mg. . http://paleodiet.com/losspts.txt
As you probably know, the body absorbs calcium better when taken in moderate does, so students should have some at each meal.
Fortunately, DAC students, I do not believe, are drinking alcohol or smoking. Thirty minutes of exercise a day, plus eating a variety of the foods mentioned above will help students to easily get their required amount of calcium. I recommend anyone drinking decaffinated beverages eliminate eliminate them, because they still has caffeine in them, and caffeine prevents the absorption of calcium. I also recommend limiting chocolate for the same reason...I know horrible to say just before Halloween.
For obvious reasons, I suggest banning soda. Most sodas contain phosphoric acid (not on the ingredient label) that leaches calcium right our of the bones.
I also suggest lowering salt and sugar from the diet as there are studies indicating an adverse effect on calcium absorption. http://paleodiet.com/losspts.txt
It is best to get most of your fiber through fruits and veggies and not rely on whole grains. As you know, I am a BIG advocate for whole grains over enriched wheat flour products, but too much bran from whole grains can inhibit calcium absorption. Keep your grain products to a moderate amount and have another salad!
Have fun at home planning better ways to help each other get your needed calcium.
Friday, October 1, 2010
Eat Better and Save Money
Everyone needs to eat better, not just dancers and athletes. The old saying, you are what you eat could not be truer. Good eating isn't just for producing slim, trim coordinated entertainers. It is to stave off illness, injury, and increase longevity for everyone.
Eating better may cost more in the grocery store, but it reduces higher priced medical expenses. Processed and junk foods are cheap in price and can appear to be a good way to fill shopping carts and stomachs; but alas, they are also cheap in quality and contribute to a myriad of health problems.
From teaching dance for over thirty years, I have seen a rise in allergies, acid reflux, and bone fractures. I have seen a decline in emotional stability, immune responses, and muscle tone over the decades. While not all of this can be attributed to our diets, much of it can.
Living in the USA where the quantity of food is at its highest and the quality of food is at its lowest, it is a struggle to teach my students and their families to eat better. When the peer group is eating a compromised diet filled with refined grains, sugar ladened yogurts, over salted restaurant meals, topped off with daily treats, few see the correlation between the dip in society's emotional well-being, the softening of the public's muscle tone, the increase in annual viruses, and so on.
Improving eating habits includes changing our language surrounding food. We can talk in ways that create interest in better eating. Instead of boasting, I'm a meat and potatoes person, or pointing out in a derogatory tone that some one eats rabbit food, we can talk about fruits, vegetables, and whole grains with a positive spin. Instead of begrudgingly vocalizing compliance with healthy eating in order to eat junk, make the healthy food the treat. Changing the way you talk about food will change the way you think, behave, and ultimately how you feel. Eating better will make you feel better and save money in the long run. Begin today!
Eating better may cost more in the grocery store, but it reduces higher priced medical expenses. Processed and junk foods are cheap in price and can appear to be a good way to fill shopping carts and stomachs; but alas, they are also cheap in quality and contribute to a myriad of health problems.
From teaching dance for over thirty years, I have seen a rise in allergies, acid reflux, and bone fractures. I have seen a decline in emotional stability, immune responses, and muscle tone over the decades. While not all of this can be attributed to our diets, much of it can.
Living in the USA where the quantity of food is at its highest and the quality of food is at its lowest, it is a struggle to teach my students and their families to eat better. When the peer group is eating a compromised diet filled with refined grains, sugar ladened yogurts, over salted restaurant meals, topped off with daily treats, few see the correlation between the dip in society's emotional well-being, the softening of the public's muscle tone, the increase in annual viruses, and so on.
Improving eating habits includes changing our language surrounding food. We can talk in ways that create interest in better eating. Instead of boasting, I'm a meat and potatoes person, or pointing out in a derogatory tone that some one eats rabbit food, we can talk about fruits, vegetables, and whole grains with a positive spin. Instead of begrudgingly vocalizing compliance with healthy eating in order to eat junk, make the healthy food the treat. Changing the way you talk about food will change the way you think, behave, and ultimately how you feel. Eating better will make you feel better and save money in the long run. Begin today!
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