Weight-bearing exercises and muscle-strengthening exercises can help women increase bone mass before menopause and slow bone loss after menopause because bones are strengthened when muscles pull on them. The National Osteoporosis Foundation has some great information about what types of exercises are good for your bones.

In addition, it’s important that women get enough Calcium. Calcium helps slow the rate of bone loss. It can be obtained by eating foods that are rich in Calcium and through Calcium supplements, if necessary. This chart that shows the amount of Calcium a woman should get throughout her lifetime:

Vitamin D is necessary to ensure that Calcium is adequately absorbed and incorporated into your bones. Vitamin D can be obtained through your diet (particularly certain kinds of fish) and is activated in the skin by sun light. In general, adults should obtain 1000 units of Vitamin D daily. Vitamin D supplements and/or therapy might be recommended for individuals who are not getting an adequate amount.

Here are some simple ways you can boost your intake of Vitamin D:

• Drink at least 2 cups of Vitamin D₃-fortified milk a day
• Use milk instead of water in making hot chocolate, soups and sauces
• Choose Vitamin D-fortified yogurts and cheeses whenever possible
• Check labels and choose breakfast cereals that are fortified with Vitamin D
• Flake tuna on top of a salad for a hearty lunch or make tuna salad sandwiches
• If you drink soy beverages, choose a Vitamin D-fortified brand
• Grill or bake salmon for a Vitamin D rich meal once a week

In addition to performing weight-bearing and muscle-strengthening exercises and ensuring you are getting enough Calcium and Vitamin D, eating a balanced diet, not smoking and limiting alcohol can help prevent the development of Osteoporosis.

To learn more about how we incorporate bone health into the care we provide at Virginia Women’s Center, visit our Web site.

Virginia Women’s Center is an advertiser on Richmondmom.com

Just like the old adage “eating for two” is rarely true in pregnancy, using pregnancy as an excuse to not exercise is also a myth. In fact, exercising during pregnancy has many benefits and can help alleviate some of the common ailments you may experience. Here are just a few of the benefits that you can gain from exercising during pregnancy:

-          Increased energy level

-          Reduction in backaches, constipation, bloating and swelling

-          Improved mood

-          Increased muscle tone, strength and endurance (which can also help prepare you for labor)

-          Improved ability to sleep

-          The prevention of excess weight gain

-          A healthy routine, which can make it easier for you to get back into shape after your baby is born

Please note: these are general recommendations for exercising during pregnancy. Before starting any exercise program, make sure you speak with your health care provider to ensure you do not have any health conditions that may limit your activity.

During pregnancy, you should look for an exercise routine that gets your heart pumping, keeps you flexible and controls your weight gain without putting undue stress on you or your baby. Throughout your pregnancy, try to get 30 minutes or more of exercise on most days (if not every day). If you were not active prior to your pregnancy, you should start with a few minutes of exercise each day and build up to 30 minutes or more per day. If you’re not able to do 30 minutes of exercise at one time, you can always break it up into smaller segments. Here are some suggestions for different types of exercises during pregnancy:

-          Walking

-          Swimming

-          Cycling or biking (as you progress through pregnancy, riding on a stationary bike will be safer)

-          Aerobic classes or water aerobics

-          Yoga classes (avoid Bikram yoga as well as certain poses; look into prenatal yoga classes)

-          Pilates (avoid certain poses; look into prenatal Pilates classes)

-          Tai Chi

One thing to keep in mind when you’re planning your exercise routine is that your body will experience many changes throughout the course of your pregnancy and some of these can make certain activities unsafe. During pregnancy, hormones can cause the ligaments that support your joints to stretch, making you more prone to injury. In addition, your center of gravity will shift as you gain weight. This puts stress on different muscles and can make you more likely to fall. Finally, the extra weight you are carrying can make exercising more difficult than it was before. While you are exercising, make sure that you can maintain conversation at a normal level.

There are some sports that you should avoid during pregnancy. They include:

-          Contact sports

-          Downhill snow skiing

-          Inline skating

-          Gymnastics

-          Horseback riding

-          Water skiing

-          Surfing

-          Diving

-          Scuba Diving

Pregnancy is a great time to get in a healthy routine of regular exercise. Make sure you stretch, warm up, cool down and keep a water bottle with you so that you stay hydrated. Take a step in the right direction – for your own health and that of your new baby!

Visit the new Mom's Treehouse website.

You just have to love anything that supports healthy moms and children.

And that makes Mom’s Treehouse a great place for Richmondmoms. Rachel, who owns and operates Mom’s Treehouse, has made it even easier to find what you’re looking for too.

The new Mom’s Treehouse website is easy to navigate, is filled with great information, and has an easily downloadable calendar of events for the month. With exercise classes and nutritional training for moms, it’s the perfect place for moms and GRANDmoms of any age. Body Back, Mother Runner, Martial Arts Kickboxing, and Fit4Baby offer plenty of options.

“Parent/child” classes and “child only” classes make it fun for children of all ages too. Kindermusik, Smart Moves Yoga, and more are fun, entertaining and educational. They provide children with life-long skills for emotional and physical fitness.

Training team sign-ups begin April 16, 2011 so don’t miss a chance to get fit, healthy and have fun!

Not convinced yet?

Then click over the Mom’s Treehouse blog and hear what their real-life moms have to say about their success with the great programs. You’ll be hooked.

Contact Mom’s Treehouse at:

2292 John Rolfe Pkwy Richmond, VA 23233

888.232.2450

info@moms-treehouse.com

Don't miss the many activities at Mom's Treehouse. Download the monthly calendar.

Week of March 20, 2011

If you thought Mom’s Treehouse was just about Mother Runners and exercise, then think again. Although running, walking, and exercising of all types are important for all moms and grandmoms, there is much more to enjoy at Mom’s Treehouse.

What’s in store this week?

The Bone Density Lecture is Tuesday at 12:30 p.m. wth Dr. Teresa Stadler from Commonwealth Sports Medicine. Learn what active moms need to know about bone density and take better care of yourself. And while you’re there, enjoy some great tips and information from Marisa Ferreira of River City Nutrition (RSVP required).

Wednesday is Injury Screening Clinic from 5:00 – 6:00 p.m. with Dr. Stadler performing free 10-minute injury private screenings.  Contact Mom’s Treehouse to reserve a spot since only limited spots remain.

Thursday is open gym from 3:00 – 4:00 p.m. and children have access to the large, interactive gym where they can play, socialize and improve skills. Moms get to enjoy healthy activities too. It’s just $5 per child or FREE for those participating in a Mom’s Treehouse fitness program.

Friday is Playgroup with Eco-Art for Toddlers and FREE trial classes are available at 10:30 a.m. The FREE activity is all about creating litterbugs this week and kids will love the fun and interaction with other kids.

Monday is all about sign language and Signing from the Heart for preschoolers from 11:00 – 11:30. It’s a sign language class that teaches 2-5 year olds the importance and fun of sign language. This is the perfect age to introduce kids to sign language too.

So much more!

There is so much more to Mom’s Treehouse than you ever knew before. Kindermusik, Cafe Con Bebe, Ba-ssage, art, activities, fun and games for all ages. Check out the calendar page of their website to find out what’s in store every week.

And don’t miss Mom’s Night Out on March 31 with manicures, pedicures, snacks and drinks at 7:00 p.m. You can RSVP at info@moms-treehouse.com.

Visit Mom’s Treehouse to learn more and get moving for spring and summer — Moms never had it so good!

Attractive water bottles and glasses making drinking water more fun.

Want to lose weight faster?

Okay – here’s a secret!

Your grandmother was right when she said you should drink your water!

Drinking ice, cold water speeds up metabolism and helps you lose weight faster. Water is also important for all bodily functions and processes, and it promotes good digestion and elimination. If you’re not convinced, consider that ice water makes you feel full faster so you stop eating sooner.

No matter if you’re a mother, grandmother or young girl. Water is essential for your body and your health.

When you drink water, you replace calories in your diet. Drinking a glass of water before or during meals can help you feel full faster, and help you avoid over-eating. The Food and Nutrition Board recommends that women get approximately 90 ounces daily.

Study results

Michael Boschmann, MD, and colleagues from Berlin’s Franz-Volhard Clinical Research Center tracked energy expenditures among seven men and seven women who were healthy and not overweight in an attempt to understand how metabolism works. After drinking approximately 17 ounces of water, the subjects’ metabolic rates — or the rate at which calories are burned — increased by 30% for both men and women. The increases occurred within 10 minutes of water consumption and reached a maximum after about 30 to 40 minutes.

Researchers also noted that up to 40% of the increase in calorie burning is caused by the body’s attempt to heat the cold water consumed by individuals.

Tips

Consider these tips to help you increase your intake of water and lose weight faster:

1. Don’t wait until you’re thirsty to drink water. Drink it regularly throughout the day and make it a habit. Carry a container of water with you wherever you go.
2. Drink water icy cold and it usually tastes better and helps the body’s normal metabolism get moving faster.
3. Track the amount of water you drink and make sure you consume about 90 ounces daily. Don’t drink too much though – drink sensibly! People have become sick or worse from ingesting too much water over a short period of time.
4. Purchase a special eco-friendly water bottle, a pretty glass or other container for your water. Pour ice water in a fancy wine glass or other glasses and cups that make you feel good about drinking it. The container can have a big impact on how often and how much you drink water.
5. Add fruit to water and don’t assume that always means lemon. Add a slice of lemon, kiwi, limes, or other fruits. Some people enjoy cantaloupe, mango or other fruits in water too. Experiment and find what works for you. Making your water attractive may make you consume more.

If you’re looking for a magic bullet for weight loss, there is none. But if you’re looking for sensible, healthy weight loss strategies, water should be number one on your list of options!

Try increasing your water intake to consume approximately 90 ounces daily, get some exercise and activity at least 5 days per week for 20-30 minutes each time, and eat a diet rich in fresh fruits, vegetables, lean meats, and water.

See how it works for you and you’ll be a believer.

And tell your grandmother, “she was right“!

Are artificial sweeteners making you gain weight?

Does she or doesn’t she?

Should she or shouldn’t she is the better question!

Artificially sweetened foods and drinks are often used by women who are trying to cut down on calories, lose weight and manage a healthy lifestyle. They are also used by diabetics or people at high risk for diabetes. Sugar substitutes are typically considered safe but there is always a debate about how much “unnatural sweetener” should be consumed.

Saccharin was the first sweetener to hit the market and it grew in popularity quickly. But it became controversial when questions were raised about its contribution to increasing the risk of cancer.

Sugar substitutes are usually much sweeter than natural sugars – some even several thousand times sweeeter than sugar. But no one will disagree that artificial sweeteners do have a different taste from sugar – and many maintain that they have a lingering after-taste that makes it not worth consuming them.

There are some guidelines from the Federal Drug Administration about maximum recommended daily consumption levels. It is interesting that these levels of consumption would most likely never be included in any woman’s diet. They include daily consumption of:

1. Aspartame – no more than 19 cans of diet soda
2. Saccharin – 9-12 packets daily
3. Acesulfame-K – 30 to 32 cans of diet soft drink
4. Sucralose – 6 cans of diet cola

So, we know that artificial sweeteners are relatively safe and can be an alternative to high sugar drinks. And we know that no woman is likely to consume the maximum daily allowed by the FDA as listed above!

But did you know that sugar substitutes can sabotage your diet and your weight-loss strategy?

When sugar substitutes are added to a liquid product that has no other nutritional content such as coffee, soft drinks and water, it actually increases hunger! It doesn’t matter what type of sugar substitute is used. Sugar substitutes in drinks can be a trigger that causes you to eat more.

Conversely, they don’t have the same affect when included in foods rather than liquids.

There are some critics who say that artificial sweeteners actually cause you to eat more real sugars without realizing it. They have also been linked to cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, weight gain, headaches, birth defects, and more.

Sharon P. Fowler, MPH, and colleagues at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio have recently completed research that provides interesting results. Fowler and her colleagues studied more than 1,500 people between the ages of 25 and 64, looking at whether each consumed regular or diet soft drinks. It was no surprise to find a correlation between the daily consumption of multiple cans of all soft drinks and obesity — which they did.

However, Fowler noted, “What was surprising was when we looked at people only drinking diet soft drinks; their risk of obesity was even higher” [than that of those drinking regular soft drinks]. In fact, Fowler found that for each can of diet soft drink consumed per day, the risk of obesity went up by 41%.

What do you think?

It’s an interesting dilemma for many women who find diet soft drinks and other types of artificially sweetened products as a way to help manage weight gain and diet.

We’d like to know your views on artificial sweeteners and whether or not you feel they are safe for human consumption. We’d also like to know if you think that including artificially sweetened sodas, drinks, water and other liquids helps with a weight management plan.

Leave us a comment so others can make their own decisions based on what they learn.

Resource: Fowler, S., et al. 2008. Fueling the obesity epidemic? Artificially sweetened beverage use and long-term weight gain. Obesity, 16 (8), 1894–1900. URL: http://www.nature.com/oby/journal/v16/n8/abs/oby2008284a.html .