Calcium and Healthy Snacks

1. Calcium and Healthy Snacks Olivia Wagoner November 29, 2012

2. Overview • Calcium overview • Calcium rich snacks • Benefits of snacking • Healthy Snack options

3. What is Calcium • Most abundant mineral in your body • Important for building and maintaining strong bones and teeth • Prevents osteoporosis • Your body needs to help absorb calcium: • Magnesium • Phosphorus • Vitamin D • Vitamin K • Vitamin D • Maintains calcium and phosphate concentrations to help bone mineralization • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFejbmsjcWg

5. Function of Calcium • Building strong bones and teeth • Blood clotting • Sending and receiving nerve signals • Squeezing and relaxing muscles • Releasing hormones and other chemicals • Keeping a normal heartbeat

6. Calcium Deficiency • Individuals at risk for calcium deficiency • Postmenopausal women • People who consume large amounts of caffeine, alcohol or soda • People who take corticosteroid medications • Diseases: Crohn’s, celiac, intestinal surgeries

7. Diseases Related to Low Calcium • Osteoporosis • Hypoparathyroidism • Premenstrual Syndrome • High Blood Pressure • Obesity and weight loss • High Cholesterol • Rickets • Other: smoking, colon cancer

8. Lactose Intolerance • Start out with small lactose-containing foods and slowly increase to your tolerance level • Whole-fat dairy products may slow the rate of digestion (high in calories) • Yogurt, kefir and buttermilk may help digest lactose (live active cultures) • Enjoy lactose-free, calcium rich foods • Dark-green leafy vegetables and calcium-fortified products (juice, bread, cereal)

9. Forms of Calcium • Calcium citrate • Easily absorbed and digested in the body • Low in calcium carbonate • Do not take with aluminum-containing antacids • Calcium carbonate • Less expensive and contains more elemental calcium to be absorbed • Requires stomach acid to be absorbed, so take with orange juice

10. Precautions • Only take supplements with permission from a doctor • Calcium intake should not exceed 2,500 mg per day • Side effects: constipation, stomach discomfort, nausea, vomiting, increased urination, kidney damage, confusion and irregular heart rhythm • People with hyperparathyroidism should not take calcium supplements • Do not take supplement with medications (diuretics, anti-seizure medications, antibiotics, estrogens, corticosteroids, blood pressure medication

11. Recommendations • Children • 1-3 years: 700 mg/day • 4-8 years: 1,000 mg/day • 9-18 years: 1,300 mg/day • Adults • 19-50 years: 1,000 mg/day • 50-70 years: • Men: 1,000 mg/day • Women: 1,200 mg/day • Pregnancy/Breastfeeding • 14-18 years: 1,300 mg/day • 19-50 years: 1,000 mg/day • Too much calcium • Cause constipation • Problems with iron and zinc absoprtion

13. Calcium in Food • Cheese (parmesan, cheddar, American, mozzarella, feta) • Milk • Yogurt • Tofu • Smaller amounts found in: almonds, broccoli, cabbage, dark leafy greens, mustard, kale, hazelnuts, salmon • Fortified foods: juices, soy milk, rice milk, tofu, cereal

15. Cooking • Ways to make sure you receive or absorb the calcium in your diet: • Cook foods in a small amount of water for the shortest possible time to keep more calcium in the foods you eat • Be careful about what you eat with calcium-rich foods. • Some fibers (wheat bran and foods with oxalic acid such as spinach and rhubarb) can bind with calcium and prevent it from being absorbed

16. How to find calcium in your foods

17. Calcium Conclusions • Get enough Vitamin D • Get up and move • Eat a balanced diet • Aim for a healthy weight • Do not smoke and go easy on alcohol

18. Snacking

19. Benefits of Snacking • Snacking is an important part of your diet • Provides energy during the day and for exercise • Prevents you from overeating during mealtime

20. What Makes a Healthy Snack? • Read the nutrition facts label • If half of the calories are from fat – AVOID • Watch the portion size (100 calories) • Choose low-fat and low-sugar, high fiber snacks • Drink plenty of water • Aim for fruits, vegetables, whole grains • Naturally sweetened foods are better than foods/drinks containing added sugar • GOAL: a carbohydrate + a protein

21. More Tips… • Put snacks in a small plastic container so that they are easy to carry and are already measured out • Plan ahead and take your own snacks • Save money • Healthier • Keep junk-food out of your house • Enjoy an unhealthy snack once in a while: Balance and Moderation • Replace the candy dish with a fruit dish • Portion out snacks before eating (while watching TV)

22. Healthy Snacks Calorie Free Very Low-Calorie Salad greens 1 cup raw vegetables Diet Jell-O 5 saltine crackers 2 cups air-popped popcorn 3 graham crackers 1 rice cake ½ small banana 1 oz. low-fat cheese 1 medium piece of fruit ½ cup sugar-free pudding

23. Low-Calorie Toasted English muffin with jelly 1 cup cereal with ½ cup skim milk Non-fat cottage cheese with fruit ½ cup sugar free ice cream Large frozen banana with 1 T peanut butter 8 oz. low-fat yogurt Mini pizza: ½ bagel with cheese and tomato sauce Small tortilla with melted cheese and salsa

24. Your Turn! What is your favorite snack? What snacks would following the carbohydrate and protein guideline? RECAP: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pf67TlFRQws

25. Test your knowledge! • What mineral/vitamin is NOT needed to help calcium absorb? • Magnesium • Potassium • Phosphorus • Vitamin D • What is a recommended way to put a snack together? • Carbohydrate foods • Carbohydrate + Fat • Fat + Proteins • Carbohydrate + Protein • TRUE or FALSE: Calcium citrate is the best absorbed calcium form.

26. QUESTIONS???

27. References • http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/calcium-000290.htm • http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002412.htm • http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/patientinstructions/000338.htm • http://www.ucsfhealth.org/education/healthy_snack_ideas/index.html • www.eatright.org