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Fashion and Fun after Fifty

Posts Tagged ‘osteoporosis’

5 Vitamins For Women Over 50

Hello friends, does your medicine cabinet look like this? 

vitamins and supplements

Actually, this is my kitchen cabinet and it’s where I keep my vitamins and supplements.

I remember my grandmother would laugh in amazement as to how many pills some of the women at the Senior Center were taking.  She never took a pill, not even an aspirin, as a matter of fact she almost choked taking an Advil. 

She never took vitamins or supplements and still lived to be 98, the only “ailment” she suffered from was childbirth and arthritis.

Wellness Wednesday Eating healthy was her remedy which I would hope is the same for me, but just in case it’s not, I am taking my daily vitamins. 

I know I have a few bottles of unnecessary ones, so I decided to check in at WEBMD to get their recommendations.

calcium Calcium

Osteoporosis, the bone-thinning disease that most commonly affects postmenopausal women, results from bones that have lost calcium and thickness.  Women between the ages of 51-70 should be taking 1,200 mg of calcium daily, more if doctor recommended.

Foods that are high is calcium include Spinach, Kale, Okra, Collard Greens, Soybeans, White beans, Sardines, Salmon, Perch and Rainbow Trout.    Foods that are fortified with calcium include orange juice, oatmeal and several brands of cold cereal.

vitamin d Vitamin D is calcium’s indispensable partner. It’s essential for proper absorption of the calcium you get in your diet. But as we get older, our ability to synthesize vitamin D in sunlight through our skin diminishes.  We must either get our Vitamin D through food, especially in the winter, or through supplements and you guys already know that I am Vitamin D deficient.  

Foods that provide vitamin D include fatty fish like tuna, mackerel and salmon.  Foods fortified with vitamin D like dairy products, orange juice, soy mile, cereals, beef liver, cheese and egg yolks.

b12 Supplement B-12

Folate Folate

Folic acid helps to metabolize a substance called homocysteine, which has been clearly associated with the risk of heart disease and stroke.  High homocysteine levels has shown to be associated with an increased risk of cognitive decline and dementia.”

vitamin C and E Vitamin E and Vitamin C

 

Vitamin E and Vitamin C are both powerful antioxidants; studies have suggested that they may help protect against diseases of aging as varied as cancer, Alzheimer’s, and cataracts.Half Off Deals

However, just as my grandmother believed: “To get the vitamins and other nutrients we need, food should always be first, and in a balanced diet that includes fruits and vegetables, whole-grain bread, and cereals — especially those that are enriched,” says Smith Edge. “Any decision to supplement ideally should be based on professional input from a health professional.” whole grain bread fruit

So what’s in your medicine cabinet?

Stay Blessed ~ No Stress in 2014!

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Who Me? ~ I’m Vitamin D Deficient

Hello Friends and Happy Hump Day Wednesday!

Remember last month when I started my birthday at the Glasgow Medical Center taking tests, well the results are in and although not all of them were abnormal, one was a bit disconcerting.  I am Vitamin D deficient.

Me…the dunking of Oreos into a big glass of milk…me….the Kahlua mixed with milk drinking…me….the daily eating of cottage cheese in salads…me…the tomato and cheese sandwich eater…me…the yogurt spooning, sun worshiping me is Vitamin D deficient – REALLY, how does that happen?

AGE

Vitamin D deficiency is more common in women, people of color, obese people, senior citizens and breast-fed infants.  For 52 years I have been in good health, other than the normal bumps and bruises and a few minor cuts as a child I have been the picture of health.  Only two hospitalizations, the first was 21 years ago when I had to have a Cesarean Section giving birth to #1 son, and the second was four years ago for Urethral Diverticula,

So how does one go from that to this…simple

AGE

vitamin d supplements

Now don’t get me wrong, I know there are millions of people with ailments, diseases and disabilities far worse than being Vitamin D deficient, so I’m not crying, “woe is me”.  I’m just passing along a little information that I’ve learned since my diagnosis, because more than half of the US population could also be Vitamin D deficient.

 Vitamin D is really a hormone rather than an actual vitamin and it is needed for calcium absorption required for bone growth and density.  90% of our Vitamin D comes from directly from the sun, but darker complexions do not absorb as much due to the melanin in our skin.

Body fat interferes with how Vitamin D is formed as well as age, after 50 we are less able to produce Vitamin D.  Vitamin D stimulates muscle growth which is important especially for older women who are more susceptible to bone softening osteoporosis.  Low Vitamin D levels have also been associated with the increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease, cognitive impairment and cancer.

vitamin d foods

Symptoms may be subtle but they include:

  • Fatigue
  • Joint pain
  • leg cramps
  • muscle pain or weakness/cramping
  • sleep interruption or insomnia
  • poor concentration or memory
  • headaches
  • bladder or bowel issues (urgency/frequency or constipation/diarrhea)

The best way to determine if you have a Vitamin D deficiency or to determine the best dosage you need for your body, your blood levels must be tested.  Levels may be lower in the winter and higher in the summer, but this chart shows the categories of those levels.

vitamin d levels

There are several online sites including www.webmd.com where you can get additional information but for me, the bottom line is that I need to increase my Vitamin D intake, including taking a supplement of at least 2000 mg; eat more foods fortified with Vitamin D such as milk, butter, yogurt, orange juice, and oily fish and of course hang out in the sun more and you know me…I love hanging poolside…so a trip to The Bahamas may be just what the doctor orders!

sunshine vitamin d

Have a fantabulous day – Smooches!

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