Our Amazing BONES!

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Hi there! HAPPY ThursYAY!!
​How are you doing? How's your week going? I hope you're having a GREAT and PRODUCTIVE couple of days!! I'm R E A L L Y starting to feel Halloween in the air! How about you?! :D Halloween decorations are everywhere! Halloween costumes are overflowing in stores! Lots of fun activities to attend! Loads of Halloween goodies to eat! And...lets not forget, yummy caramel apples...lol! No BONES about it, I'm feeling the Halloween spirit!! :D 
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Today's post is about our BONES :D There's nothing SCARY about our skeleton! Two-hundred and six heroic BONES support our every move!! Amazing, right?!! I posted most of the following information 2 years ago and it's the perfect month to cover this topic again! Keep reading and find out how to keep the framework STRONG and HEALTHY!!

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- BONES are like factories! Though they appear to just sit there, bumpy and rocklike, BONES are really busy worker bees. They manufacture and store marrow, a stem cell-rich substance that produces red and white blood cells. Your BONES also constantly break down and rebuild themselves in a process called remodeling, which keeps your skeleton strong, helps it adapt when your weight changes, and regulates how much calcium is in your blood and tissues.

- Your skeleton loves a good workout! You can bulk up your BONES by putting them under tension and pressure, so high-impact moves like jogging, tennis, or stair-climbing are ideal, says Kathleen D. Little, Ph.D., an associate professor of exercise science at Cleveland State University. Impact bends the BONES a little, making certain cells attract calcium, she says. Oh, and your BONES like weight training, too. They're not asking for much: Only 30 minutes of exercise a day. Most important is to get up and do something. Your skeleton lives by the use-it-or-lose-it principle, which is why astronauts lose BONE mass in space with no gravity to work against.

- Give them the right fuel! Calcium is key: If there's not enough onboard, your body will rob this mineral from your BONES to use for other critical tasks (including keeping teeth strong, contracting muscles, and holding your weight steady). The result, of course, is weaker BONES. More than a third of us don't get enough calcium, says Taylor C. Wallace, Ph.D., senior director of science policy for the National Osteoporosis Foundation. And about 70% of us don't meet our need for vitamin D, which helps you absorb the mineral. Aim for 1,000 mg of calcium and 800 IU of vitamin D a day. Women over 50 need more: 1,200 mg of calcium and 1,000 IU of vitamin D. If you're not hitting those marks with foods like milk, yogurt, tofu, and calcium-fortified orange juice, you can take supplements.
*Further below are ways to get calcium from non-dairy foods too ;)

- Age-proof your armature! If BONES had feelings, they'd fear menopause (OK...and maybe skateboarding...lol)! Thanks to dropping estrogen levels, you can lose up to 20% of your BONE density within 5 to 7 years after your last period, says Andrea J. Singer, M.D., director of BONE densitometry at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, D.C. That can set you up for osteoporosis, the disease that makes your skeleton lacy and fragile. So be sure to get enough calcium and exercise before menopause. Guys...you're lucky...no menopause fun for you...lol :D

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NonFRIGHTFUL information you may NOT know!

- The smallest, lightest BONE is the stapes, in your middle ear.
- Arms account for almost half of all adult broken BONES.
- More than a quarter of the BONES in your body are in your hands (54).
- The longest, strongest BONE is your femur, a.k.a. the thighbone.
- Each foot contains 26 BONES.
- Your BONES constantly replace their old cells with fresh, new ones, so you'll have a completely new skeleton 10 years from now.
- By age 30, your BONES are as dense as they're going to get. After that, you need to maintain what you have with a nourishing diet and exercise ;)

​More ways to BOOsting your BONES (in a good way)...lol!

​The following are some non-dairy calcium-rich foods that can contribute to your calcium intake.
- FIGS. Just 1 dried fig contains 130mg of calcium.
- GREENS. Spring greens, savoy cabbage, broccoli, and kale are packed with calcium. One cup of cooked kale contains nearly 200mg of calcium, around a quarter for your daily requirement.
- ALMONDS. Just 1oz (26g) of almonds provides 60mg of calcium. Toast and sprinkle them over salads, cereals, or fruit compote. You can also add them to tagines and meatballs or use them in pesto. And of course, a handful of almonds make an ideal snack!
​- BONE up on sardines. YUCK...lol! BUT if you're a lover, here's good news :D Canned sardines and salmon can boost your calcium intake! The reason?! The canning process softens the BONES, making the calcium easier to absorb. So...why not have 1 of those old favorites...sardines on toast or salmon and cucumber sandwiches for a light lunch? Or even for an afternoon snack?!

​Listen to your BONES! Use this information and keep the framework in FITastic shape!!
​If you have ANY questions or comments regarding this post...don't be SPOOKED :D Just practicing some Halloween words today...lol! 
​Stay healthy and I'll be right back here on Monday! Bye!! ​