BlueSkies Newsletter - May 2011
Welcome to the May edition of the BlueSkies Newsletter.
We hope you find the articles informative and useful.
In this edition, we look at:
How You Can Get Involved In National Walking Month
Osteoporosis - What Is It & Are You At Risk?
How a Super-Smoothie Could Lower Your Risk Of Heart Disease
Also this month, find out about the nutritional benefits of Jersey Royal New Potatoes.
If you have any comments or there is a particular topic that you would like us to cover, please contact us.
National Walking Month 2011
May 2011 is National Walking Month when national charity Living Streets teams up with Walk England to urge people across the UK to get out of their cars, off the buses & trains and onto their feet. Walking is one of the best forms of exercise so why not get involved?
Living Streets aim to work with people across the UK to make the streets you live, work, shop and play in safe, attractive and enjoyable spaces and they've been doing this since 1929. Every year, Living Streets co-ordinate nationwide activities to mark National Walking Month when they urge people to walk their way to a healthier, happier lifestyle.
Walking is the cheapest, simplest and one of the most effective forms of exercise that you can do. Walking for just half an hour each day can transform your health and potentially your fitness, reduce your levels of stress & anxiety and improve your concentration levels. What's more, walking is easy to do, affordable and sociable - you can use it to commute, take the kids to school, as family time or as 'you-time'!
So, why not kick-start your walking habits by getting involved - here are a few ways to do it:
- Make the pledge to walk more during National Walking Month and win prizes! Create your own personal walking log which includes miles, minutes, steps walked and calories burned at www.mylivingstreets.org.uk
- Don't miss Walk to Work Week from 9-13 May - release yourself from the pain of traffic jams and train delays by setting your feet free. Make sure your workplace is signed up to the challenge and you can compete with your colleagues too.
- Get walking with your kids during Walk to School Week which runs from 16-20 May. Over 1 million children will be encouraged to walk to school instead of getting in the car. Parents can find helpful resources and free downloads on the Walk to School website www.walktoschool.org.uk
- Join the Living Streets Neighbourhood Heroes campaign to help make your neighbourhood more walking-friendly. You may want to lobby for slower road speed limits in your area or more pedestrian crossings or you can find your nearest Living Streets Local Group on the Living Streets website www.livingstreets.org.uk
Food Of The Month - Jersey Royal New Potatoes
Thanks to the unique growing conditions on the island of Jersey, Jersey Royal New Potatoes have flavour which is hard to beat and makes them the UK's favourite new potato. However, their season is short-lived so we have to grab them when we can and now is the time to do that.
Jersey Royals are a naturally low-fat source of carbohydrate and, unlike pasta & rice, are a good source of Vitamin C, especially the skins - 100g with their skins on provides approximately 25% of an adult's daily Vitamin C requirements. What's more, they are a good source of fibre which is essential for the digestion process.
So, why not buy some today? Jersey Royals make a great accompaniment to fish or meat, taste fantastic cold in salads or can be baked to make mini jacket spuds.
Osteoporosis
What Is Osteoporosis?
Osteoporosis literally means 'porous bones' and, in people with this condition, the bones of the skeleton become more fragile and prone to breaking following minor bumps and falls. Inside healthy bones, there is a strong honeycomb-like mesh of bone but in osteoporotic bone this mesh becomes thinner and weaker. Although osteoporosis can affect the whole skeleton, certain areas of the body are more likely to suffer injury these include the wrists, hips and spine.
Are You At Risk?
Osteoporosis risk is decided partly by genetics and partly by lifestyle. The factors that can increase a person's risk include:
- Genes - bone health is largely dependent upon the genes you inherit from your parents. If one parent has suffered an osteoporotic fracture, you are more susceptible to developing osteoporosis yourself.
- Age - as bone mass decreases in later life, it is estimated that approximately 50% of people will have developed osteoporosis by the age of 75.
- Gender - women are more at risk than men due to a lower initial bone mass and the fact that the menopause accelerates the process of bone loss. Oestrogen has a protective effect on bone mass, therefore once the menopause has occurred and oestrogen is no longer being produced, this protection is lost.
- Ethnicity - people of black-afro-caribbean background are at a lower risk of osteoporosis as they have stronger, larger bones to start with.
- Body Mass - people with a low BMI (Body Mass Index) are at a greater risk of osteoporosis
- Previous Fractures - anyone who has already suffered broken bones, especially in the spine, is more likely to have future fractures.
- Significant Medical History - certain medical conditions/procedures increase the risk of osteoporosis including rheumatoid arthritis, early menopause, hysterectomy with the removal of the ovaries before the age of 45, low testosterone levels in men, hyperthyroidism, parathyroid disease, Crohns disease, coeliac disease, anorexia and Turners syndrome.
Can It Be Prevented?
Due to the genetic impact on osteoporosis risk, there is no way of guaranteeing that you will never develop this disease. However, there are steps that you can take on a daily basis to help to protect yourself against it as much as is possible. What we must try to do is 'bank' as much bone as possible early on in life and protect this bone as we grow older.
Up until early adulthood, it is important to maximise bone strength by taking part in regular weight-bearing exercise, eating a diet rich in calcium and having exposure to natural daylight to boost your vitamin-D production.
- Weight-bearing exercise is important as it stimulates the skeleton to become stronger. Any type of exercise that requires you to support your own body weight has this effect e.g. jogging, dancing, brisk walking, aerobics, tennis. Resistance training is also important as it places the bones under abnormal stress which results in them becoming 'thickened' and stronger.
- A diet rich in calcium is crucial for building and maintaining optimal bone health. The body contains approximately 1kg - 1.5kg calcium, of which 99% is in the bones. Good sources of calcium include dairy products, tofu, curly kale, okra, beans, watercress, broccoli and cabbage.
- Vitamin-D is vital for bone health as it promotes the effective absorption of calcium in the body. Without adequate Vitamin-D, calcium is not absorbed efficiently and osteoporosis may be more likely. Exposure to sunlight stimulates the production of Vitamin-D in the body but it can also be found in small amounts in oily fish, beef liver, cheese and egg yolks.
If you are concerned about developing osteoporosis, it is also advisable to give up smoking if you currently smoke and reduce your alcohol intake if you consume more than the recommended amount. Smoking has a toxic effect on bone by stopping the construction cells from doing their work and, whilst the odd glass of wine may benefit bone health, excessive alcohol intake can damage the skeleton and increase the risk of fracture.
Think You're At Risk?
If you think that you are at risk of osteoporosis, you should consult your GP. You may be referred for further investigation such as a bone scan to measure bone density. If you are found to have low bone density, you may need drug-therapy to help strengthen your bones but this will be discussed following your assessment.
For more information, you can visit the National Osteoporosis Society or the NHS Osteoporosis pages.
Super-Smoothie - A Drink That May Lower Heart Disease Risk
A study by French scientists published in the Royal Society of Chemistry Journal, Food & Function, think that they've come up with a super-smoothie cocktail which will boost your health and could reduce your risk of heart disease & stroke. The recipe for 200ml of the smoothie is as follows:
- 30 grapes
- 15 blueberries
- 9 strawberries
- Half an apple
- 8 lingonberries - a tart red berry related to the cranberry
- 5 acerola berries - a red cherry-like berry with 30x more Vitamin C than an orange
- 5 chokeberries - an American blackberry, once touted as the healthiest berry in the world
The research team claim that their recipe contains the healthiest and best-tasting combination of fruit juices following clinical tests on pig arteries and taste tests on 80 human volunteers. The results of the clinical trials showed that the heart artery walls relaxed when they were exposed to the smoothie which would, theoretically, boost the flow of blood to the heart in humans. This would ensure that the heart got an adequate supply of nutrients and oxygen.
Whilst this research needs to be built-upon in the future to find out why some fruits are more valuable than others, it reinforces the fact that a diet rich in fruit and vegetables is beneficial to people aiming to lower their risk of cardiovascular disease.
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