Good Morning my friends. The post below was written yesterday. Yesterday, before I got the phone call that my grandmother had passed away. She had lived a long blessed life and now is no longer in pain. She was suffering from heart failure. I have no details to share of all this that has happened, because honestly, they’re just not fun to repeat. It’s always hard to lose a loved one, no matter at any age. She will be greatly missed.
Please read the post below (its a good one) and if I sound all perky and peppy, its because well, yesterday I was until the sad news.
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So excited about ya’ll wanting to jump on the squat challenge. I decided to take it to the next level and make this a 30 day challenge…
(copy this photo & add to your blog, tell your friends you’re doing the challenge)
The Details:
For 30 days (ends August 18, 2011) everyday do 3 sets of 10 squats a day. Info here on how to do proper squats.
Want to join in? Leave a comment below telling me you’re joining in and either update on Twitter (use hashtag #SquatsChallenge) or your blog that you’re doing or have done your squats for the day!
The other day I posted this on twitter…
My lunch! I had a FlatOut Bread wrap, whole wheat (SO GOOD), with baked baked, spinach and shredded cheddar cheese.
I don’t know why, but lately I’ve been craving cheese. Just in the past couple of days. Um, weird. Maybe my body is begging for some kind of nutrients that I’ve been lacking. So I got busy, as in googled the benefits of cheese…
I found this below from WHFoods:
Health Benefits
Calcium Helps Prevent Colon Cancer, Osteoporosis, Migraine and PMS
In recent studies, calcium has been shown to:
- Help protect colon cells from cancer-causing chemicals
- Help prevent the bone loss that can occur as a result of menopause or certain conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis
- Help prevent migraine headaches in those who suffer from them
- Reduce PMS symptoms during the luteal phase (the second half) of the menstrual cycle
Calcium is best known for its role in maintaining the strength and density of bones. In a process known as bone mineralization, calcium and phosphorus join to form calcium phosphate. Calcium phosphate is a major component of the mineral complex (called hydroxyapatite) that gives structure and strength to bones. One ounce of low-fat mozzarella cheese provides 18.3% of the daily value for calcium along with 13.1% of the DV for phosphorus.(Please note that the low-fat mozzarella cited throughout this article is not the only type of low-fat cheese that we recommend. We just chose it as an example of a low-fat cheese so that we can highlight this food’s nutritional attributes.)
Calcium also plays a role in many other vital physiological activities, including blood clotting, nerve conduction, muscle contraction, regulation of enzyme activity, cell membrane function and blood pressure regulation. Because these activities are essential to life, the body utilizes complex regulatory systems to tightly control the amount of calcium in the blood, so that sufficient calcium is always available. As a result, when dietary intake of calcium is too low to maintain adequate blood levels of calcium, calcium stores are drawn out of the bones to maintain normal blood concentrations. If a person’s diet does not supply adequate calcium, this situation can result in osteoporosis after many years.
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Ok, so maybe I’m lacking calcium? So I found a list of foods that are high in calcium…
- Collard Greens - one cup of cooked collard greens has 266 mg calcium.
- Sardines - each single sardine has 92 mg calcium.
- Green Peas - one cup of green peas has 94 mg calcium.
- Baked Beans - one cup of baked beans has 154 mg calcium.
- Goat Milk - some people find that goats’ milk is easier to digest. One cup of goats’ milk has 327 mg calcium.If you like goats’ milk, you will love cheese made from goats’ milk. There are many delicious varieties and the dry forms of goat cheese contain about 200 mg calcium per ounce.
- Canned Salmon - three ounces of canned salmon contain 181 mg calcium. Salmon also is an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids.
- Oranges - one cup of orange sections will give you 72 mg calcium and lots of vitamin C as well.
- Kale - this delicious green has 92 mg calcium per cup of chopped leaves.
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Big hugs, Lauren. Great big hugs!
You live in TX and you’ve never heard of collard greens? whaaaa?? It’s good old fashioned southern soul food friend! Saute and serve with beans and cornbread!
We’re already talked, but I wanted to say again how sorry I am for your loss!
However, I will tell you something important about calcium that I learned in a nutrition seminar recently at my school (I’m a future RD).
Bone density/mass (or how strong your bones are) is developed over your teen years. So for teenagers, the recommended amount of calcium per day is 1,500 mg. This rapid accumulation of bone density slows once you reach your 20s, which is why it drops to 1,000 mg per day. But, after you turn 30 you start to lose bone mass at a slow rate and it’s not something that can ever be re-accumulated. In plain english, whatever bone mass you accumulate in your teens and 20s has to last you your entire life! This is why it’s SO crucial for teens to get enough calcium.
I’m 25 and when I learned this I immediately started keeping track of my calcium intake throughout the day. I’m sure I get enough because I do cereal every morning, cheese and also a lot of green veggies. But if I’m shy I’ll eat an adora calcium disc in dark chocolate. They are 500 mg calcium each, have some vitamin d, and have only 30 calories. It’s basically my dessert plus some fruit each night!
Broccoli is really high in calcium as well, so don’t forget that. Also – your body can only absorb 500 mg of calcium at a time, so keep that in mind when you are eating throughout the day or if you are supplementing.
/science talk over
sending big hugs to you, my friend! so sorry <3
Hey……. Are you interested in doing this exact post as a guest post on my blog? I think it’s fantastic!
Of course I’ll join you on your squat challenge! But I’m going to start on Sunday!
Just heard about the squat challenge. Sounds like a brilliant idea.
I am so in.
what a great informative post!! we all know calcium is important, but it’s always great to put the info out there that milk/dairy is NOT the only source!!! thanks Lauren!