smoking Archives — Thrifty Mommas Tips

10 Ways to Prevent Osteoporosis Now!

Paula — Sun, 17 Nov 2019 14:52:14 +0000

How to Prevent Osteoporosis post may contain affiliate links as a service to readers. According to the American Orthopaedic Association, more than 30 million Americans have a pronounced risk for developing osteoporosis, or low bone density. So, learning how to prevent osteoporosis should be top of mind for many people. Although women over the age of 65 are more likely to develop osteoporosis, this serious health problem affects men as well, and impacts nearly 10 million adults in the United States. In Canada, those statistics are also high. Two million Canadians are affected by osteoporosis. An estimated 1 in 3 women and 1 in 5 men will suffer an osteoporotic fracture during their lifetime! Even more reasons to monitor bone health and make good lifestyle choices too. How to Build Strong Bones But there are steps that can aid in preventing weak bones and lowering the risk of severe bone fractures. Here are a few steps that can help you to build stronger bones and achieve better bone health. Ten Ways to Prevent Osteoporosis and Nurture Better Bone Health Get Moving Studies show routine exercise is the most effective way to increase and maintain bone density. A regimen of brisk walks and resistance, weight-bearing exercises, such as aerobics and weight-lifting, can preserve and greatly improve bone health. Get outside more. Take more walks. Always opt for the stairs when that’s an option. Small lifestyle changes can help increase your healthy activity and potentially prevent osteoporosis. Exercise Try to get moving and exercise more on a daily basis! If you know me, then you know that this is one of my missions in life. I strive to get to the YMCA several times a week for my workouts. Weight bearing activity can be very beneficial for bone health. Consume More Vitamin D Osteoporosis is not as widespread in men as in women because the male hormone, testosterone, stimulates the formation of new bone. However, since vitamin D is an essential factor in the body’s ability to absorb calcium (and everyone needs calcium to maintain strong, healthy bones), both men and women could benefit from increasing their daily consumption of vitamin D to the recommended dose of 800 to 1,200 international units (IU). In countries like Canada, much has been written about the lack of sunlight and vitamin D and impact on health. So consider adding vitamin D to your regular daily routine in order to prevent osteoporosis. Increase Calcium Intake The National Institutes of Health (NIH) suggests an increase in calcium intake for anyone over the age of 50. Since calcium plays such a vital role in overall bone health, it is recommended that adults take 1,200 milligrams of calcium daily, in two to three divided doses. This can help prevent osteoporosis. Get The One I Take Now – > This is the Calcium and Vitamin D supplement I take daily and like a lot actually because it also has magnesium in it. Easy Foods to consume that are loaded with calcium are: almonds, milk, yogurt, cheese, broccoli, seeds, beans and lentils. Here’s a more comprehensive list of calcium rich foods. Decrease Alcohol Consumption While a little alcohol in moderation is usually fine for most individuals, consuming more than three drinks a day can have detrimental effects on bone density in the long term. Chronic and heavy drinking disrupts the body’s ability to heal bone fractures and can even suppress the formation of new bone. Let’s be honest here – if you are having more than three drinks a day your health will be impacted. Time to reevaluate. Stop Drinking Completely Additionally, scientific studies show that, over time, there is a greater chance for actual bone loss recovery after someone stops drinking completely. Quit Smoking Cigarette smoking is not good for anyone, period. People who are concerned about maintaining good health need to quit. When it comes to preventing osteoporosis, smoking increases the risk for weak bones in many ways. Toxins from tobacco disrupt the natural balance of hormones that are necessary for bone health and for building strong bones. Specifically, research points to the adverse effect smoking has on calcitonin, a hormone which contributes to bone formation. Smoking cessation has a positive impact on bone density and overall bone health. Stop smoking now. If you are struggling to quit smoking talk to your doctor or pharmacist about a stop smoking program or tool. Talk to a Doctor One note of caution about implementing any of these suggestions: Consult a medical professional first. Before making any drastic changes in diet or embarking on any physical fitness routine, check with a doctor. Ask about bone density testing, if you are concerned, and especially if you have a family history of osteoporosis. Also if, as a child, you had a specific illness that was treated by steroids you may be at higher risk. I was diagnosed with osteoporosis in my twenties due to medications I had to take as a teenager for Crohn’s disease. X-ray absorptiometry test The dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry test is one of the most accurate bone loss detection and diagnostic tests available. Investigate medication options if necessary. A Role for Medicine Consult your doctor or specialist as some medicines may help lessen risk of bone loss, contribute to bone formation. This might be an essential step to decrease any chance of debilitating bone fracture. In my late 20s I took a medication to support better bone health. I am not on that drug anymore. A Final Word About Bone Health Bone density is something that can be improved with diligence. Osteoporosis does not need to be inevitable if measures are taken to increase bone health.

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Time to Stop Smoking in Movies Now

Paula — Wed, 12 Sep 2018 20:36:39 +0000

I have partnered with YMC and Region of Peel and have received compensation for this post. All opinions are my own. Smoking in movies has been irksome to me for years. It’s so very unnecessary and irresponsible. I am a drama Mom. Both of my girls act and have for years with a local youth theatre troupe. It’s an amazing emotional outlet and youth development program. So I know all about character and plot devices and that smoking has traditionally been used as a character tool, but here’s the thing. It doesn’t have to be. I’ve seen many of the plays my kids act in altered ever so slightly to be more socially responsible, such as through losing old references to outdated and inappropriate language. Smoking in movies is like that to me. It’s outdated and socially inappropriate and even more, irresponsible. The older I get, the more I realize how juvenile using smoking in movies as a tool to convey coolness or rebellion or any of the other emotions attached to it really is. This holds especially true for me since I became a mom and even more relevant as a mom of teenage girls. I have two daughters aged 14 and 17. Right now, they’re fully coming into the age of independence and peer pressure. That’s a dangerous combination. Over the years, I’ve had several conversations with my daughters about smoking. We’ve talked about how dangerous it is. How unhealthy and disgusting it is. We’ve talked about what it can do to you and we have discussed all the people we know who have passed away from cancer. Then we also discussed what it does to your health and to your appearance and how addictive it can be as well as how hard it is to quit if you ever start. Smoking in Movies Perpetuates the Act My motto is honesty with my kids. When my younger daughter asked a few years ago: “Mom did you ever smoke?” I answered honestly with: “Yes, I did for seven years.” But I also often follow that with a discussion about research and science and I remind them knowing all that we know now compels us to do better and make healthier choices. Since having that conversation about smoking, I’ve used myself as a prime example of how ridiculous it is. I started smoking in my early teens. During my teens, movies and media portrayed smoking as being glamorous and a way to stay thin. As a teen girl I bought that hook, line and sinker. When I began working after school at a fast food restaurant, where many other employees smoked, it reinforced that it was okay for me to do so socially. I didn’t stop until I was around 23 or 24. So I smoked for about seven years before deciding to quit. Starting a new career and getting married convinced me it was time. So did a doctor I had at the time. The thing is even though I thought it was cool and relaxing in high school, quitting was anything but cool or easy. Smoking in Movies Needs to Go As a concerned mom, who knows all too well about how difficult it is to break away from smoking once you start, I’m proud to be partnering with YMC and Region of Peel- Public Health to bring awareness to their Smoke Free Movies campaign. The campaign asks parents to support the change by signing an e-petition that would require any new movies in Ontario, which contain tobacco imagery to be rated 18A, allowing parents to decide if their children are exposed to the act of smoking. I love this because evidence strongly suggests this is an effective method of protecting children and youth from exposure to onscreen smoking and is also an incentive for movie producers to remove smoking from their films altogether. That’s important because 86% of movies with smoking in them were rated for kids and teens in Ontario. On top of that, the more kids and teens are exposed to smoking in the movies, the more likely they are to start. Take a look at these statistics: An estimated 185,000 children in Ontario will start smoking due to their exposure to its onscreen use. Of those, 59,000 will die from tobacco related diseases. 37% of Ontario youth smokers are recruited to become smokers due to onscreen smoking. Those are two horrifying statistics for me as a Mom of two beautiful, healthy daughters. There’s no reason for smoking to appear in the movies anymore and if it does it needs to be restricted to those who are 18 plus. Schools work towards making sure kids know that smoking is not a healthy choice. Most parents do too of course. Now it’s time media started getting the message and accepting that they have a greater role in our culture too. Help Make Smoking in Movies a Thing of the Past Smoking is so easy to start, and it’s incredibly difficult to quit. Smoking is one of the most common activities that kids and teens are pressured into taking part in, and it comes at them from many sides. The last thing we need is a movie theater being the prime pusher of these incredibly addictive and deadly products. So What Can You Do? Movies influence kids. We need to make them smoke free. Please, join me in the fight to end smoking in movies. Help support a rating change for all new movies in Ontario and protect our kids from ever starting. Visit the Smoke Free Movies petition page and sign the petition to help us end smoking in movies.

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