Health Biodevicepartnering

Recent research published in the Acta Paediatrica journal by Daniel Cohen has highlighted concern that children today are able to do less physically than children the same age were able to do ten years ago, suggesting that they are weaker with less muscle mass.

Dr Gavin Sandercock, a children’s fitness academic at Essex University and researcher at London Metropolitan University investigated the strength of approximately three hundred ten year olds in 2008 and compared them with a similar number of ten year olds in 1998. All records were taken from children sampled in the same area and from the same type of schools. Results showed that the group of ten year olds in 2008 could do seven less sit-ups in thirty seconds than the group in 1998 and they had 26% less arm strength and 7% less grip strength. Furthermore, one in twenty children could not hold their own weight in 2008 whereas it was only one in ten who could not do so in 1998 which is indicative of a reduction in upper body strength endurance.

These measures focused on upper body strength, but standing long jumps which is a test of lower body strength indicated that the more recent group of children were better, so it’s not all bad news when it comes to the health of our children and researchers are not sure as to why there is this incongruity. There were no significant differences in stature and Body Mass Index (BMI) between the two groups suggesting that the more recent group of children probably have more fat and less muscle than the group ten years earlier. However other studies have shown that children are in fact becoming heavier due to more sedentary lifestyles.

In recent years there seems to have been a change in the type of activities that children have participated in. Today Children tend to opt for more indoor rather than outdoor pursuits. The idyllic images of children climbing ropes to reach their tree-houses or playing tag in the local park seem to result in higher levels of fitness. Now we are cultivating a generation of couch potatoes who might only exercise their fingers when pressing buttons on keypads for social networking or playing computer games. However, this is just conjecture as the research did not focus on behaviour and we also don’t know how applicable these findings are to the rest of the UK.

The researchers highlight the link between reduced muscular strength in children and a poor metabolism during adolescence with an increased risk of associated diseases. They emphasise the importance of developing muscular as well as cardio-respiratory fitness. We are all surrounded by the encouragements to improve our level of health and fitness which is extremely positive. The Surrey Comet brought to light a national scheme which addresses the problem of weight issues and obesity in children aged between seven and thirteen. The MEND Programme (Mind, Exercise, Nutrition, Do it!) aims to get the whole family involved in incorporating healthier eating and exercise into their lives whilst learning about nutrition and strategies for sustaining a healthier lifestyle

It is possible to increase your height just by making a few dietary changes. This is the best and surest way to get taller naturally. The best part is that proper nutrition not only helps with growth but it also promotes healthy living which is beneficial for your overall quality of life.

Nutrition should be the foremost thing to consider when it comes to learning how to get taller naturally. Food that is conducive to bone and muscle development, regular exercise and sufficient sleep are all elements of getting taller naturally. Proteins are rich in amino acids, which are also known as the building blocks of nature because they are an integral part of cells and enzyme growth. Therefore a diet rich in proteins is essential since it promotes bone and muscle growth. Foods like eggs, fish, meat and dairy should be consumed regularly since they are rich sources of protein.

Calcium boosts bone health and are very essential for strong bones. They can be found on foods like milk, soy products like tofu and soy milk, green leafy vegetables, juices, cereals, oysters etc. Another important source of calcium is the sun through which Vitamin D is generated; therefore I advise that you do your best to soak in some sunshine for at least 10 to 15 per day.

Phosphorus is another essential nutrient for bone growth. It is found mainly on the bones. The phosphorus rich foods are nuts, brewer’s yeast, vegetables, seeds, fruits etc. Magnesium maintains bone and muscle health and can be found in peas, nuts legumes and whole grains.

Another thing that you have to do when it comes to your diet is avoid eating things that will stop you from growing. Some of these things include fats, candy and soda drinks. All 3 of these things taste very good but they will do nothing positive for your height so you should do your best to avoid eating them.

Many people refuse to follow a balanced diet consisting of these nutrients and rely more on fast foods; don’t do that if you really want to get taller naturally. In fact, these food combined with moderate exercise will not only induce growth but also prevent a number of bone diseases.

At first it will be very hard to follow the nutritional guidelines that I’ve just given you but if you resist the temptations and manage to follow these nutritional guidelines, you will get taller naturally in only a few weeks.

Since switching to the Paleo diet and giving up dairy products, particularly milk itself, I get a lot of questions about where I get my calcium from. Before I even name some paleo foods that have sufficient calcium in them, I’d like to present some facts and thoughts that should alter the way of thinking about Calcium (and dairy consumption) you’ve been conditioned your whole life to believe.

Fact 1: The biological need for Calcium has been overstated. In contrast, excessive Calcium consumption causes osteoporosis. You can learn why this happens in a well researched, cited, and easy to understand article on the link from reference one below.

Fact 2: Bone health is not as dependent on Calcium alone as are supporting vitamins and minerals. Too much calcium intake inhibits magnesium absorption. Vitamin D is very crucial (some experts argue more so than Calcium) to bone density and health, and Americans fall grossly short of vitamin D needs.(although sadly, it’s the easiest one to obtain!) Vitamin K and boron are a few more nutrients that are important. (2)

Fact 3: If we really need cows’ milk, man could never have existed.Why? Because we have already been on this planet for millions of years. And we have only consumed milk for a maximum of 0.01 million years. This means that we did not drink a single drop of milk from other animals in more than 99% of human existence; in our entire development from ancient times to now.(1)

Fact 4: Dairy contains a high amount of calcium, but that doesn’t mean it’s bio-available in the body, in fact, research shows calcium from plant sources is absorbed much better than that of calcium in milk. The reason why is that calcium is a mineral that needs an alkaline environment in the body to be absorbed effectively. Unfortunately dairy as a food is acidic

So, we don’t need as much Calcium as we once thought, and we certainly don’t need it from other animals’ milk. We do still need it though, in concert with the other nutrients mentioned above. Here are some good sources, all Paleo approved:

Calcium in mg / 100 g

226 Hazelnuts
140 Egg yolk
132 Brazil nuts
96 Olives, green
87 Walnuts
54 Figs
44 Black berries
42 Orange
40 Raspberries
38 Kiwi
33 Mandarin
32 Human milk (included for reference only)
20 Coconut
18 Grapes
16 Apricot
16 Pineapple
14 Plum
13 Salmon
12 Mackerel
12 Mango
11 Watermelon
10 Avocado
9 Banana

Some other sources I don’t have numerical values for:

Leafy greens, notably spinach and broccoli
Sesame and flax seeds
Pecans

Remember, more is not really better. You don’t need to go eating hazelnuts like crazy to get tons of calcium. I cannot give you a numerical daily value to shoot for, but I can point out a study (Veganism, Bone Mineral Density, and Body Composition: A Study in Buddhist Nuns L.T. Ho-Pham, et. al.) that showed vegan nuns consuming less than 400 mg per day had the same bone density as non-vegetarian women who consumed over 1000mg. For reference, the National Academy of Science currently recommends 1000 mg/day for women ages 19-50 and 1200 mg/day for women 50+. Men need slightly less. Instead of shooting for a number, I advise just eating good Paleo foods and trusting that your body will take what it needs. This is but one of the many marvels of Paleo eating. It has worked just fine for me. In fact, I’d like to share a story that makes my faith in the paleo diet or best diets and lifestyle all the greater. In March of 2011 I was out riding my bike in a hilly part of town. As I was coming down a rather steep hill, a motorist at an intersecting street didn’t see me and pulled out into the road. I ended up t-boning his SUV at about 30mph. The impact dislocated my right shoulder, but after going to the ER, I was relieved to find out that no bones were broken. Not even a single hairline fracture. I wish my ligaments would have fared a little better, but at that degree of impact, something has to give. As I write this article 6 weeks after that accident, I’m happy to report that recovery is coming along quite nicely.

References:

(1) “Excessive Calcium Causes Osteoporosis” http://www.4.waisays.com/ExcessiveCalcium.htm retrieved 1-4-10

(2) “Calcium for Women” http://www.marksdailyapple.com/calcium-for-women/ retrieved 1-4-10