This was such a grounding and refreshing conversation with Adrienne.
To know me is to know I am disgusted with and endlessly frustrated by the food system in the US.
Am I a masochist for choosing this work anyway? Maybe. But it kinda chose me first.
Every single day I support people who are sick that didn’t need to be sick. The burden of chronic disease on our systems is one thing, the burden on individuals and families is unconscionable.
Osteoporosis is LARGELY preventable
90% of the 18 million cases of heart disease in the US were preventable
Up to 40% of all cancer deaths could have been prevented by diet and lifestyle
Type 2 diabetes is almost entirely preventable for adults without genetic predisposition, and still somewhat preventable for those with it. AND even then if you do develop it, progression, symptoms, and suffering from it can be significantly minimized
Pick any one of these and what’s keeping me up at night on any given day..
Adrienne however, has a completely different zoomed out, very scholarly view on it. Thanks to that same food (& water infrastructure) systems, diarrhea is no longer a death sentence. People no longer get scurvy and goiters. For that we can celebrate and be grateful.
I’m still mad so many people are sick tho.
But I guess that’s also why I do what I do
Onto the Show Notes:
Foods first:
Calcium rich foods:
Cow’s milk
Yogurt
Cheese/ cottage cheese/ ricotta cheese
Tofu
Tinned fish with bones
Collard greens, turnip greens, bok choy, kale
Seeds (poppy, chia, sesame)
Almonds
fortified orange juice, cereal, plant based milks
Vit D rich foods:
fatty fish (salmon, trout, mackerel, sardines)
UV treated mushrooms (look for the label)
egg yolks
fortified milk, yogurt, orange juice, cereals
Vit k2 rich foods:
Natto (fermented soy)
if you look into supplementing with nattokinase, remember to check for 3rd party testing and quality control
Aged cheeses (edam, gouda)
egg yolks
grass fed dairy
*note: grass fed dairy & aged cheeses contains both calcium and vit k2 together - yay, Mother Nature!! - and if they are fortified you’ve got all 3!
A meal rocking all three could look like: a slice of sourdough toast with an egg, sardines, and a glass of milk. make mine a latte though, please.
Here’s the recommended daily intake for calcium per age and gender, per the National Institutes of Health:
Vitamin D plays a critical role in calcium synthesis and absorption, and vitamin K2 directs calcium to the bone and not the arteries.
if you’re supplementing, find one that contains both (ask a professional about the right dosage and ratio for you)
take a calcium supplement that has k2 and eat it with food containing vit D
As always, if you’re feeling uncertain or dont know where to start, ask a provider for help. You don’t have to figure it out alone.
the osteoporosis stats are considered to be underreported, but at this time at least 10% of the population is impacted directly; disproportionately impacting women with up to 30% of women believed to have osteoporosis after menopause. Keep aging and it jumps again to 50%; 50% of women will develop osteoporosis, and up to 25% of men as they age. You can do something about it tho (:
If you’re a woman, bone loss rapidly accelerates in menopause, studies show up to 20% of bone loss occurs in the 5-7 years of peri and post menopause. Protection & preservation of bone is absolutely critical.
You know this but I’ll say it again, strength training and weight bearing exercise support bone strength and density. If you’re not doing it, it’s never too late to start. even walking counts.
DEXA: Currently standards have women getting them between 50-65, considered way too late for someone with any risk factors. This is a non-invasive test and if you find the right imaging center, low cost out of pocket. Adrienne recommends getting a DEXA scan starting at age 30 for a baseline and early detection. If you’re on a GLP-1 thats considered a risk factor, and I recommend one. I’m planning to get one this year so I’ll report back on my findings. If you need help finding an imaging place, or aren’t sure how to ask your doctor/ navigate insurance, I’m happy to help.
Thank you again to Adrienne! I had such a great time and am so appreciative of this grounding conversation.
You can find Adrienne here.
Learn more about Seen Nutrition here. Join their mailing list to be first in line for their chew w/ vitamin K coming this month!
Adrienne has graciously offered us a special discount code on Seen’s calcium chews, use EMILY10 for 10% off!
🦴🤍 Nutrition is at the core of bone health, and luckily for me, my clients, and readers looking for support, that’s exactly what I do! Read on for details.
What else:
Emily out in the wild:
Check out my feature in Saratoga Living magazine!
IN PERSON THIS WEEKEND: for my local friends, join me and Dr. Meghan Monthie, and Megan James, DPT for a mother’s day dance party and walk! It’s at the Crossings at Colonie on Sunday 5/10 at 10am. Treats and fun for moms and kids alike :) Details here.
IN PERSON: For all my fellow health provider or wellness practitioners; come hang with and get hella inspired by an amazing group of women. I host a women in wellness mastermind once a month in Saratoga. The next one is May 14th at 930am. Reply here and I’ll send you the details.
What’s happening at HealthierSpan
🎯 Fixing relationships with food & healing bodies on the daily
Hear directly from my clients about what it’s like to work with me here 🫶
HealthierSpan FAQs:
sessions are virtual
8 week, 3 month, and 6 month packages are available for individuals and couples
discovery calls are free ←schedule one here
Wait time right now is about 2 weeks from discovery call to kick off
🤳 see more of the day to day and check out client wins on instagram
Upcoming live episodes here on Substack:
June 2nd at 930am Laura Ligos, RD, mom of almost 3, a friend of mine, biz owner x2, the internet knows her as the sassy dietitian, will be here!! She specializes in women’s health and is my go to resource for all things fertility, pregnancy, and postpartum and gut! Submit your Qs or join us live.
see you there
xx
