StrongWomen Newsletter
Issue 84, October 2005
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.
By Miriam E. Nelson, PhD
Author of :
Strong Women Stay Young
Strong Women Stay Slim
Strong Women, Strong Bones
Strong Women Eat Well
Strong Women and Men Beat Arthritis
The Strong Women’s Journal
Strong Women, Strong Hearts
Founder of strongwomen.com
IN THIS MONTH'S ISSUE
CALCIUM HELPS THE BONES OF
WOMEN ON BIRTH CONTROL PILLS
There still remains controversy over whether oral contraceptive pills (OCP) promote or compromise bone health. The balance of evidence seems to point to the latter. Several large studies have shown that healthy, active women who are on OCP have lower bone mineral density of the hip and spine. The question then remains, can women on OCPs achieve better bone health through nutritional strategies?
A large, well-designed study has demonstrated that dietary calcium can make a difference. Scientists at Purdue University recruited 154 healthy women (18 to 30 years old) and randomized them to one of three nutrition groups (controls = 800 mg/day of calcium or less; medium dietary calcium = 1000 to 1100 mg/day; and high dietary calcium = 1200 to 1300 mg/day). Each group was given nutrition counseling to help them achieve these intakes. The trial lasted one year.
The results of the trial showed that high dietary calcium had a positive impact on bone health. Dairy product intake prevented a negative change in bone density of the hip and spine in the OCP users.
The reality is that most women, whether or not they take OCPs, do not come close to getting even 1000 mg of calcium in their diet. All of us need to get at least three servings of calcium-rich non or lowfat dairy foods each day to help our bones. In addition, it is prudent to take a calcium and vitamin D supplement as a safety net.
Lifting women to better health,
Miriam E. Nelson, Ph.D.
Reference: D. Teegarden and colleagues. Dietary calcium intake protects women consuming oral contraceptives from spine and hip bone loss. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. Vol 90 (9), pages 5127-5133, 2005.
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UPCOMING TALKS
Conference: St. Mary Medical Center Langhorne, PA Title of talk: Strong Women - The Importance of Nutrition and Physical Activity in the Prevention and Treatment of Breast Cancer
Date: October 19, 2005 Contact: 215-710-5888
STONYFIELD FARM STRONG WOMEN SUMMITS
This fall, Stonyfield Farm, LLuminari and I are hosting two extraordinary StrongWomen Summits:
-- StrongWomen Thrive (La Jolla, CA) October 29-30 with Susan Love, MD
The Stonyfield Farm StrongWomen™ Thrive Summit will be an inspirational celebration of life program centered on learning to live well once your life has been touched by cancer. Whether or not you are newly-diagnosed, a long-term survivor or someone who cares for someone with cancer this conference will educate, encourage, engage and enlighten you. The topics will cover advancements in new therapies, and the complexities of living with the disease, how it affects a woman’s life and her community. Susan M. Love, MD, the breast cancer surgeon and researcher who brought the fight against cancer to national attention and the author of The Susan Love Breast Book will be featured. The summit will feature entertaining forums presented by a variety of LLuminari experts, who are dedicated to encouraging and inspiring women to make positive changes in their lives.
-- StrongWomen Lead (Rye Brook, NY) November 4-6
The Stonyfield Farm StrongWomen™ Lead Summit will inspire and motivate corporate executive and entrepreneurial women to live healthier lives. Speakers will address the correlation between individual health and organizational productivity, as they encourage peer-to-peer learning and sharing of best practices. Life coach Janet Taylor, MD and Miriam Nelson, PhD will lead practical sessions to show women how to stay strong mentally and physically while managing the daily stresses of work and home. Mehmet Oz, MD, vice-chair of surgery and professor of cardiac surgery at Columbia University and author of the national best-seller, “YOU: the Owner’s Manual,” will be giving the keynote address.
Visit http://www.strongwomen.com/summit/thrive_email/ for more information and to register for the events. Use promotional code “LLStar” to get a $20 discount off of registration.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Be sure to check out the other questions posed to Miriam Nelson, PhD and Rebecca Seguin, MS, CSCS at: http://strongwomen.com/faqs/faqs_001.stm
Q: I have been following your program for several months and love it. My question is regarding the bent forward fly exercise. Is it okay for me to switch down to a lower weight for just this one exercise? I am able to use 8 pounds for the biceps curl and overhead press, but my form would be much better if I used 5 pounds on the bent forward fly instead. Do I need to use the same weight on all three of the arm exercises? Or can I just modify according to my strength?
A: It is absolutely fine for you to use lighter weights with the bent forward fly exercise versus the overhead press and biceps curl. In fact, we often recommend this because the muscles engaged in the bent forward fly tend to be smaller and weaker, and can therefore handle less of a load.
Q: I've been following the strong women exercise program for a few years. Two years ago I injured my right shoulder rotator cuff tendon. I still find the overhead press and seated fly exercises difficult and have had to use far lighter weights for those than with the other upper body exercises. I'm keen to persevere with them in hope of becoming a little stronger in those areas. Any suggestions to keep my shoulders free of injury and me free from frustration?
A: Although these exercises are important, if they aggravate your rotator cuff – be cautious. Remember, no exercise should be painful. One thought: if when you do the press your palms are facing away from your body as you press the weight overhead—try facing the palms in towards one another. In this form, the bars of the dumbbells would be parallel to one another (as compared to running in a straight line in the standard form when the palms are facing away). This hand positioning helps to take a bit of stress off the rotator cuff and is a common adjustment made during physical therapy. If you continue to struggle with the exercise, consider seeing a physical therapist. She or he can show you exercises specifically designed for rotator cuff strengthening that are not in the Strong Women books.
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FROM THE MAILBOX:
SUCCESS STORIES FROM INSPIRING WOMEN
These three comments came from women who attended our StrongWomen Summit in June.
Dr. Nelson your presentation at the StrongWomen Summit this June was beyond excellent! I loved how you went over what the research has shown regarding benefits of regular exercise. Although I "knew" this, I am now equipped with the data that I cannot ignore, and my family cannot deny. I am now going home with my newly confirmed priority to make the time to get exercise in, no excuses, no guilt.
- anonymous
I love your saying, "Age matters less, its' what you do that counts"!! I think this is the most inspirational or motivational statement that I'm going to be sure I remind myself of everyday. It will help with my self-esteem and self-confidence. Thank you!
- anonymous
One of the most refreshing aspects of this Summit was the way the presenters made themselves so available to the attendees. This is not typical of most conferences. I loved being able to personally speak to LLuminari employees, Dr. Nelson and Ms. Avery. This helped to make the Summit more memorable. Thank you for an inspiring wonderful weekend.
- Caryl
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RECIPE OF THE MONTH
Layered Broccoli Sallad |
I still see October as firmly rooted in summer! And one way that I stretch the summer out is by continuing to make summer salads. This salad is packed with calcium and other healthful nutrients.
For other deliciously nutritious recipes, be sure to go to Recipes.
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Ingredients
6 cups chopped broccoli flowerets
1 small red onion, very thinly sliced
1 1/2 (6 ounces) grated low-fat cheddar cheese
2/3 cups dried, sweetened cranberries or raisins
1/2 cup plain nonfat organic yogurt
3 T honey
2 T mayonnaise
2 T cider vinegar
1/4 cup unsalted, dry roasted, hulled sunflower seeds or chopped walnuts
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In a large, glass serving bowl, layer broccoli, onion and cranberries. In a small bowl, whisk together yogurt, honey, mayonnaise and vinegar. Drizzle the yogurt dressing over the layered salad. Layer cheese on top. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Sprinkle with sunflower seeds or nuts just before serving.
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| Nutritional information (per serving)
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Nutrition information per serving: 280 calories, 12 g total fat (4.5 g saturated fat), 29 g carbohydrate, 14 g protein, calcium 25% of daily value
Each portion contains: 2 protein, 2 vegetable, 1 dairy, 1 extra
*This recipe was created by Cabot Creamery in Vermont |
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