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October 2002
I hope you find this newsletter
helpful, and that you share it with your friends. Feel free to forward,
post or reprint it – but please credit Strongwomen.com
for the information and don't change the content.
IN THIS MONTH'S ISSUE
- Strength Training and Fractures
- Public Talks
- Online Chat
- Reader Question and Answer
- What about flaxseed and hormone sensitive cancers?
- What is in the whey?
- From the Mailbox - Success Stories
- Recipe - Roasted Vegetables with Garlic and Onions
STRENGTH TRAINING AND FRACTURES
To date there have been no strength training studies that
have looked at fractures as an outcome. Finally, scientists
from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota have
published a study showing a reduction in fractures with
strength training. What is interesting about the study is
that the benefits showed up many years after the main
study stopped.
Let me give you more detail. Over a decade ago, the
scientists took a group of 50 women (aged 58-75) and
randomized them into two different groups. One group
performed muscle strengthening exercises of the back
muscles for two years and the other group served as
controls. At the end of two years the women who had
been strength training had stronger back muscles but
there was no difference between groups in bone density.
Then a full eight years later, the scientists brought the
women back into the laboratory to test them to see if any
differences still remained. What they saw was dramatic.
The women who had originally been strength training
still had stronger back muscles and their bone density
was better than the controls. Most importantly, the
women in the control group had had experienced almost
three times as many vertebral fractures (fractures of the
bones in the spine) than the women who were originally
in the strength training group. The controls had had 14
crush fractures; whereas the strength trainers had had only
6 crush fractures. This was a highly significant difference
between groups. It is unknown whether the women in
the strength training group continued training over the
eight year follow-up period, but they certainly were more
active overall than the control women.
I am thrilled that we are seeing reductions in fractures
with such a simple strength training protocol. I am
confident that more and more research is going to be
published over the next few years on the importance of
exercise, and strength training in particular, on
reducing fractures in older women.
More power to you,
Miriam E. Nelson
Author of
Strong Women Stay Young
Strong Women Stay Slim
Strong Women, Strong Bones
Strong Women Eat Well
Strong Women and Men Beat Arthritis
Founder of http://www.strongwomen.com
(Reference: M. Sinaki, et al., Stronger back muscles
reduce the incidence of vertebral fractures: a prospective
10 year follow-up of p.htmenopausal women.
Bone 30:836-841, 2002)
PUBLIC TALKS
When: Tuesday, October 15, 7 - 9 p.m.
Where: The Condell Medical Center, Libertyville, IL
Talk title: Strong Women, Strong Bones
Call 847-990-5770 to register
When: Tuesday, October 22, 7 - 9 p.m.
Where: The Carle Clinic Association, Urbana, IL
Talk title: Strong Women Live Well
Admission is free; however, space is limited and
advance registration is required.
Call 217-383-3021 to register.
ONLINE CHAT
October 21 at 9:00 pm EST Rebecca Seguin, BS, CSCS,
will again be hosting an online chat regarding your personal
training questions. Ms. Seguin is the project manager here
at the Center for Physical Activity and Nutrition at Tufts
University. Stonyfield Farm will be facilitating the event. Go to www.stonyfield.com/chat and log on to chat with Ms. Seguin live.
QUESTIONS
AND ANSWERS
Be sure to check
out the other questions posed to Miriam Nelson, PhD and Rebecca
Seguin, BS, CSCS on our web site at FAQs.
Q: I have recently finished reading Strong Women (and
Men) Beat Arthritis and have been following the program
in order to deal with my rheumatoid arthritis. I've been
pleased with the results, however I have a question that I
can't seem to answer... In the Sept-Oct edition of Arthritis
Today they have printed a supplement guide, which includes
information on flaxseed (which I have been taking religiously!).
It states that flaxseed should be avoided by "women with
hormone-sensitive breast and uterine cancer, and by people
with high cholesterol." At the same time they also state that
"flaxseed lowers total and LDL cholesterol, reduces risk of
heart disease and cancer...” Since I am a breast cancer survivor,
I need to know whether or not I should be avoiding flaxseed...
Can you shed any light on the matter? Is it safe for me to be
taking flaxseed? Any information would be greatly appreciated!
A: As we outlined in our newest book on arthritis, flaxseeds
and flaxseed oil are a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids,
which have potent anti-inflammatory effects in the body. The
limited research to date shows us that flaxseeds contain
phytoestrogens, which have been shown to reduce risk of breast
and uterine cancer. The confusion lies in the concern that since
phytoestrogens have some estrogenic effect, could they in
fact be harmful? Right now the preponderance of the evidence
suggests that they are still protective because they dilute the
stronger estrogens that are in the body. We will need more
research to investigate all the effects of phytoestrogens - but
until then, we see no harm in taking flaxseed or flaxseed oil.
The phytoestrogens in flaxseed oil come from lignans in the
seeds, most of these are removed in the processing of the oil.
However you can buy high lignan flax seed oil which
contains a significant amount of lignans. (If you really want
to be safe, make sure your flaxseed oil does not say high
lignan.) In terms of the heart, the research would suggest
that adding flaxseed to the diet might actually help to improve
cholesterol profile and reduce risk of heart attack. We could
find no reference in the literature regarding flaxseeds being
harmful to the heart. But because flaxseed oil is highly
unsaturated, it is possible that it may lengthen blood-clotting
time. Therefore, if you have any problems with blood
clotting, we caution you not to eat any extra flaxseed oil
before talking with your doctor.
Q: What, if anything, happens to the nutrients when I
drain yogurt to make the thicker "yogurt cheese". Is there
calcium or anything else that is lost in the discarded "whey"?
I'm sure others must wonder about this too, and I've never
seen it discussed anywhere. Thanks so much for your
wonderful books, website, and inspiration!
A: Some calcium is lost in the whey. But most of the
calcium and other nutrients such as protein remain in the
“yogurt cheese.” If you enjoy the yogurt cheese, by all
means keep preparing and eating it. If possible, I
recommend that you save the whey and add it to soups,
or use it in baking instead of water. It will add more
flavor and will add a few more nutrients.
FROM THE MAILBOX
Here are excerpts
from a few of the inspiring letters we've received recently. If
you enjoy reading them, check out the collection of reader mail
on our web site at Success Stories.
"I'm not sure which details will be relevant to you--but
here's a little history. I'm 56 and weigh about 135 lbs and
am about 5'6". I had an early menopause at 43. I monitored
my bone loss for each of the first 5 years and then, since it
had gone down significantly, went on estrogen/progesterone.
Then I stayed on it, with several breaks (for a benign breast
biopsy at one point, and frequent headaches at another)
until two years ago. On Premarin, I regained 3 years of lost
density--I think in just one year, but I 'd need to check my
reports to verify that. I tried other forms of estrogen and
progesterone too to try to deal with the headaches. Two
years ago I finally decided to stop because of the headaches
and my fears of the breast cancer risk.
I have been doing pretty intense yoga for about 6 years, but
one year after I stopped the estrogen the density in my spine
had remained stable but I had loss in my hip. At that point
I began walking on the treadmill with weights (which probably
total about 6 pounds) in a backpack. I walk about 6 days a
week, at a speed averaging around 3.3 and the incline varying
up to about 4%, for about 1/2 hour. I watch a movie and try to
make it as non-pressured as possible. My body gets warm,
but I don't think of it as strenuous aerobic activity. This year's
results showed both spine and hips being stable--and I'm
hopeful about next year, but don't know if I should be trying
to intensify the routine. I suspect that I will find myself
increasing some aspect of it, but other than an increase in
duration on energetic days, I've been pretty consistent. I
don't want to feel it's a challenging activity that I won't
want to do. Again, I know this is a small sample of one,
for only one year, but I'm glad you're interested in it. I'd
love to know if anyone else tries this and gets results similar
to mine."
-- Naomi
"I'm 53, and while I've been fairly active throughout my life,
I've never felt particularly strong. Early this year I read some
of your books and started regularly lifting weights. Starting
with soup cans, I progressed to lifting 8-lb weights. I lost
some weight, and knew I was getting stronger, but didn't
know exactly how strong I had become.
Then this summer I offered to help my husband re-sod our
back yard. He estimated that it would take us two days to
complete the project. We finished in six hours. I had no trouble
lifting and laying the rolls of sod. As the day wore on and my
muscles warmed up, I felt better and better. My husband was
absolutely astonished at my stamina and strength. He kept
encouraging me to take breaks that I didn't need. At the end
of the day he confessed that he had told someone that I
would lift two rolls of sod and be done. Instead, he said, I
‘had done the work of a man’ (I'm sure he meant that as
a compliment :-)). He's still telling the sod story to his friends.
I'm so glad that I had the opportunity to find your books.
The exercise and nutrition information has made a big
difference in my life. I feel more confident and I'm not as
worried about aging. I'm a nurse educator in a Long Term
and Subacute Care Center. One thing strikes me about our
residents, most of whom are women. Many are not residents
of our facility because of physical illness or dementia. Instead, they are residents because they are no longer
strong enough to care for themselves in their own homes.
I hope I can stay strong for as long as possible."
-- Terri
RECIPE OF THE MONTH
Roasted Vegetables with Garlic and Onions
Serves 4
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Several nights a week in the fall I roast vegetables to
go along with whatever else we are having for dinner.
One of my favorite ways to prepare vegetables - both
for ease and for taste - is to roast them. I put almost any
vegetable that is in the bottom of my refrigerator in the
cast iron pot for roasting. Below you will see my favorite
vegetables to include, but you should feel free to
experiment. Not only do I love this dish, but my
children do, too!
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other deliciously nutritious recipes, be sure to go to Recipes. |
| Ingredients |
| 1 medium onion, peeled and sliced |
| 2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced |
| 1 cup (about 10 ounces) Brussels sprouts, peeled and sliced |
| 1 cup broccoli, chopped |
| 1 cup of fresh string beans |
| 3 medium carrots, peeled and then sliced thinly |
| 1/2 medium sweet potato, peeled and then sliced thinly |
| 2 T. olive oil |
| Salt to taste |
| Preheat the oven to 450 F°. Break the onion slices apart
into rings and add to the garlic and other vegetables and
sprinkle with salt. Spray generously or drizzle with olive
oil, toss the vegetables to coat them lightly with oil, and
spread out evenly in a thick skillet or non-stick baking dish.
Bake for about 15 or 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are
lightly browned and tender, stirring once or twice as they roast.
The green beans should be cooked through but not soft!
Serve hot as a side dish.
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| Nutritional
information per serving |
164 calories
8 g total fat
(1 g saturated fat) |
23 g carbohydrate
7 g fiber
4.5 g protein |
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| Portions: |
| 2 Vegetable, 1 Extra |
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