Tag Archives: calcium

What I Ate Wednesday #76

Posted on September 19, 2012 | 4 Comments

Another week, another What I Ate Wednesday. As always, thanks to Jenn for hosting the weekly link party. To see more WIAW from other bloggers, visit Peas & Crayons.

So yeah. This week, I started a new rotation. So far so…well, you can’t love everything, I suppose. I’m holding out judgment until I actually get to work with my assigned preceptor rather than whomever happens to be covering for them each day they’re out for the holiday this week. I have to admit, though, the ICU is really different from what I expected—for one thing, the doctors and nurses are a lot nicer than I’d imagined! I don’t know why I’m surprised that an “intensive care unit” should be staffed by friendly people, but it was definitely a good surprise. Monday I spent seeing patients in the Surgical ICU, and Tuesday I was in the Cardiothoracic ICU.

Another surprise—how quickly the team responds to nutrition care plans. I’m used to having to page someone repeatedly. The other day, some of my tube feed and vitamin orders were activated within a couple hours of me writing them. Talk about incentive to get it right the first time…

Monday, I had to race downtown to get to class on time. I’m not sure I’ll ever get used to capping off an 8+-hour day at the hospital with an almost 3-hour class, but it is what it is. To avoid blood sugar crashes (not to mention having to eat a huge meal right before bed—I hate that), I made sure I had enough snacks to get me through the day. It was kind of weird to realize I had almost no dairy products, as the focus of class that night was calcium, vitamin D, and phosphorous, but I had plenty of calcium-rich kale and tofu. There’s also calcium in chia seeds…

Breakfast: Oats w/ chia & flax, apple and butternut squash, topped w/ apple sauce & PB

Lunch: Cafeteria salad; a Gnu bar (did not need the 12 grams of fiber, but it’s what I had in my snack stash)

recycled pic-sorry!

Snacks: (unpictured) orange saved from lunch, snap pea crisps & dry-roasted edamame

Dinner: A mess. Grits with greens, tofu, leftover roasted veggies, nutritional yeast, goat cheese, and hummus; the last few squares of a chocolate bar for dessert

The good habit I decided to fall into for the month is to do a plank every day. I was doing well with holding it for 2 minutes all summer, so this month I’m giving 3 a shot. It’s kind of neat to see yourself getting stronger. I remember when I was recovering from my arm injury in late 2010, I couldn’t even do a forearm plank! On days when I get down on myself for x, y, or z, a little reminder at how far I’ve come in at least one respect (even if it is something as basic as holding one position for 3 minutes) can be a nice little mood boost. It’s way cheaper than online shopping.

Have you picked up any good habits this month? How do you boost your mood when you’re feeling down? 

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Do You Need Milk?

Posted on July 9, 2012 | 2 Comments

Working in a hospital has made me so thankful I don’t have any lactose issues. This sounds nerdy, but every time I enjoy some yogurt or a smoothie made with cow’s milk, I feel grateful. I meet people every day who have to be really careful.

In this week’s New York Times Sunday Review section, there was an opinion piece by Mark Bittman on the fact that, although milk is touted as an important, healthy food, millions of people are unable to digest it properly.

Bittman details some of the conditions that may be aggravated by consumption of dairy and shares his own  experience giving up up milk products to see if his chronic heartburn went away. Surprise, surprise—it worked.

As with most of his work, I found this piece to be engaging and thought-provoking. However, I did cringe a little when Bittman declared, “Osteoporosis? You don’t need milk, or large amounts of calcium, for bone integrity. ” I’m not saying I disagree per se—it’s true, there is a good amount of research supporting the notion that other factors like vitamin D and exercise habits have a big impact on bone health. There are even some established links between high intake of dairy products and certain cancers and other ailments. All the same, I just felt, like, “Dude, that’s a big statement to make when you don’t have any health credentials.”

That said, somehing I like about Mark Bittman is the lengths to which he goes to support his views, and I think he did that in this article. It just seemed a bold statement to make. Granted, it was an opinion piece, and I do think it’s an opinion that needs to be thrown out there against the “Got Milk” powers that be. Drinking milk or eating dairy products doesn’t work for everyone, and though the government has expanded its nutrition guidelines to provide some example of ways in which those who can’t or don’t consume dairy can meet their needs, more resources are definitely needed.

I’ll also say that I agree with Bittman on another point: water is totally nature’s perfect beverage.

Haha how about an “eat your kale” campaign? It’s one of many plant-based sources of calcium (I wrote a piece about this a couple years ago), among other good-for-you nutrients.

What do you think about milk? Do you drink it? Why or why not? How would you  try to get folks to eat more kale? 

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Calcium for PMS

Posted on October 26, 2011 | 2 Comments

When I heard myself use the expression, “I just want to kill everything and then eat it dipped in chocolate” yesterday, I figured it was time for another post on foods you should eat before and during your period.

I’ve talked about some of the basics of what to eat and on the importance of iron during menstruation, but another important nutrient is calcium.

Cramps in the lower abdomen and lower back are caused by contractions of the uterus, which is a muscle. Though the uterus contracts and relaxes throughout your cycle, in the days leading up to menstruation, increased production of prostaglandins (chemicals made by the uterine lining) trigger stronger contractions. During menstruation, prostaglandin levels decrease, which is why cramps tend to subside a few days into your period.

In studies involving both dietary sources and supplements, calcium has been shown to reduce pain associated with cramps, as it plays a key role in muscle function by carrying messages between cells about what needs to happen and where.

Calcium has also been shown to reduce breast tenderness and swelling due to its action on prostaglandin production. It has also been shown to provide some relief from behavioral PMS symptoms. Because estrogen regulates calcium absorption, changes, menstrual fluctuations impact calcium levels. Low levels of calcium, like PMS, can be characterized by mood swings, anxiety, and depression, so maintaining steady calcium levels may also help keep you from wanting to kill everything and eat it dipped in chocolate.

Good sources of calcium include:

  • Yogurt
  • Milk (dairy and fortified non-dairy milk)
  • Cheese
  • Cottage cheese
  • Dark, leafy greens like kale
  • Broccoli
  • Bok Choy
  • Tofu
Ladies, what are some of your go-to calcium-rich foods? 
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Questioning Calcium Supplements

Posted on July 30, 2010 | Leave a comment

Until recently, I wasn’t taking any supplements, but after my injury, my doctor suggested I go on a Calcium and Vitamin D supplement to help promote bone healing. Being that I’m under 30 and still have the potential to build bone mass, getting enough of these nutrients is important, injured or not. I make sure to include calcium-rich foods (both dairy and non-dairy) in my diet as well as sources of vitamin D (mostly dairy foods and foods fortified with vitamin D, like soy milk). When winter comes, I’ll consider taking a D supplement, as I know I was deficient this winter.

We’ll see. In general, I feel like getting the recommended amount is great but too much of a good thing can be just as harmful as not enough. Though no one nutrient can cure anything besides a deficiency in that nutrient, a diet that includes adequate amounts of all necessary nutrients can help keep you strong and healthy.

On her blog, Nutrition Data, today, Monica Reinagel , MS RD, talked about whether calcium supplements for women over 30 might be “too much, too late,” referring to a study that suggests that excessive intake of calcium can increase risk of heart attacks in women. A recent study shows that overloading the body with too much calcium can increase the calcium level in the blood (but not the bones), where it can contribute to hardening of the arteries. It appears that popping supplements cannot make up for lost time after all.

I like that Reinagel advises people over 30 to assess (hopefully, with a dietitian’s help) their calcium intake and to take a supplement that makes up for that gap between what they eat and the recommendation for their age group (usually between 1000 and 1500). She says that those under 30 should “make hay while the sun shines!” She writes, “This is your chance to build strong bones for a lifetime.  Don’t squander it by sitting in front of the computer and drinking diet sodas.” An adequate, balanced diet and appropriate exercise are good habits to get into.

She offers some tips for a bone-healthy diet here.

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Swine Flu and Chilling the F*#@ out

Posted on April 30, 2009 | Leave a comment

So unless you’ve been in a coma the past week or so, you’ve probably been bombarded by media coverage of the swine flu “pandemic.” The newest thing is that the World Health Organization raised the pandemic alert level to Phase 5, which has never happened before.

Naturally, what you have to actually read the article to find out is that it’s never happened before because there was no phase system until 2005, when the system was created in response to the “avian flu crisis.”

Anyway, I really wish that the media would balance out their panic pieces with a few articles about how to stay calm and ways in which you can take care of yourself and boost your immune system to promote general wellness. I’m a firm believer that stress negatively affects your physical health.
True, “how to feel good” doesn’t sell papers quite the way that “EMERGENCY!” does, but a girl can dream, right?
There are certain things you can do to help yourself mellow out, though. For example, sipping a cup of tea (especially chamomile) or taking a warm bath can help. You might try yoga or acupuncture as well.

As far as nutrition goes, there are definitely foods that have a calming effect. Here is a video featuring Self blogger Cristin Dillon-Jones talking about what kinds of foods to eat to manage stress. It’s a few months old, but the information is still great!
No matter what, you can’t go wrong making sure that you’re getting enough of the nutrients you need. That, along with enough sleep and exercise (and okay, maybe a little bit of obsessive hand-sanitizer application after subway trips) can help keep you well. Swine flu be damned.

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