How much do you know about bone health? Take the quiz to find out: T F 1. n n Drinking a lot of milk removes your risk for poor bone health. 2. n n You can usually tell if you have poor bone health by the way you feel. 3. n n Weight-bearing exercises put stress on your bones and make them stronger. 4. n n Vitamin D helps your body absorb calcium to improve bone health. 5. n n Ece anotrtin ckeep your bones healthy as you age. How did you do? If you didn’t answer all of the statements crcy, yood bet fm lninoot hto build strong bones. Milk contains vitamin D and calcium, but you need exercise for strong bones, too. If your bones are weak, you can’t really tell. A fracture or break is usually thrt siealexerisd othfetlhabits can keep your bones healthy as you age. Monthly Health Challenge ™ Build Strong Bones “I have fallen, and I can’t get up.” You may remember this as-seen- on-TV catchphrase by the older woman named “Mrs. Fletcher” who falls and calls for help. Those words were actually coined by the late New Jersey actress Edith Fore. Before she was the star of the TV ad, she was actually injured in a fall, but managed to call for help. And it saved her life. The classic commercial raised awareness about bone health and the risk of falling. It also became an icon of pop culture spoofed in movies, TV shows, and comic strips. But a fall isn’t a laughing matter. If your bones are weak, they’re more likely to break if you fall. An estimated 54 million people in the United States have poor bone health or osteoporosis.1 It’s a bone disease that depletes tissues and minerals that keep your bones strong. Older people are more likely to have poor bone health. But prevention starts when you’re younger. Want to keep your bones healthy as you age? Take the month-long health challenge to Build Strong Bones. CHALLENGE Strengthen your bones with diet and exercise Are You Making These Bone‑Health Mistakes? Ever wonder what causes weak bones? Sometimes it’s things you should be doing that you’re not. Like weight-bearing exercises and strength training or eating a healthy-diet. Other times, your diet and lifestyle choices increase your risk for poor bone health. Losing some bone mass is a normal part of the aging process. But some choices increase the risk for poor bone health such as:2 • Lack of exercise • High blood pressure • Eating a lot of sodium • Smoking • Drinking caffeine (coffee, energy drinks, or pills) • Eating a lot of red meat • Depression • Drinking too much alcohol • Taking certain medicines (such as steroids, blood thinners or diuretics) Requirements to complete this HEALTH CHALLENGE ™ 1. Read “Build Strong Bones.” 2. To complete the challenge, do things that promote bone health on at least 22 days this month. 3. Keep a record of your completed challenge in ce yoranizoquireoento Answ ers: 1. Fals e. 2. False. 3. True. 4. True. 5. True. © Wellsource, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Take the September Health Challenge! Build Strong Bones: Strengthen your bones with diet and exercise Ask the Wellness Doctor: This month Dr. Brittany Carter answers the question: Can service and support animals improve your health? Gulp This Down: Sugary Drinks May Shorten Lifespan Study: Sugary drinks increase risk for heart disease, early death Pop open a can. Twist off the cap. Pour yourself a drink. The fizzy sound might be music to your ears if you’re a daily soda drinker. Or the sweet taste of sugary drinks might give your brain a buzz. But if sugary drinks are part of your daily diet, it’s time for a big gulp of truth. Do you consume sugary drinks? New research shows sugary drinks raise the risk of dying from heart disease.4 Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. Sugary drinks also raise the risk for early death and other chronic diseases. Sugary drinks include carbonated and non-carbonated drinks like: Soda, juice, energy drinks, sweet tea, lemonade, fruit drinks, and sports drinks. Zucchini Lasagna Wondering what to do with an end-of summer supply of zucchini? Give this recipe a try:5 Ingredients 1/2 pud lsg noodles, cooked 3/4 C mzrla cheese, grated 1-1/2 C cttge ces 1/4 C Preahee, grated 1-1/2 C rchi sliced 2-1/2 C toto sue2 tsp basil, dried 2 tsp oregano, dried 1 clove garlic, minced 1. Prht oe350°F. Grease 9x13- inch baking dish. 2. Cmie 1/8 C mozzarella and 1 T Prea. Set aside. 3. mozzarella and Preaih cttge cesSet aside. 4. Cmie toto sauce, basil, oregano, and garlic. Spread thin layer of sauce in dish. Add a layer of noodles. Spread half of cttge cesmixture on top. Add layer of zucchini. 5. Repeat layering. Top with sauce and cheese mixture. Cvr wtola30 to 40 minutes. Serves 6. 200 calories per serving. References 1. including coliform bacteria. International Journal of Food Microbiology , 137(1): 61-66. From: https://tinyurl.com/ y4oh552c 2. Merom, D., et al. (2016). Dancing participation and cardiovascular disease mortality: A pooled analysis of 11 American Journal of Preventive Medicine , 50(6): 756-760. From: https:// tinyurl.com/y4a4cogv 3. Walker, K., et al. (2019). Association of midlife to late-life blood pressure patterns with incident dementia. JAMA , 322(6): 535-545. From: https://tinyurl.com/y3o5xkop 4. Malik, V., et al. (2019). Long-term consumption of sugar-sweetened and artificially sweetened beverages and risk Circulation , 139(18): 2113-2125. From: https://tinyurl.com/y3q7d9ad 5. National Institutes of Health. (2006). Your guide to lowering your blood pressure with DASH. National Heart, https://tinyurl.com/y4bmsbdc Just two or more sugary drinks per day is all it takes to raise your risk. The study found that you’re 31 percent more likely to die early from heart disease if you drink two or more per day, compared to someone who doesn’t drink as much. Rethink your drink Maybe it’s time to rethink your drink and cut back on sugar- sweetened beverages. Drink more water. Add a lemon or lime for flavor. Or replace soda with 100-percent fruit juice. Anything you can do to reduce your risk of heart disease and early death is worth the effort. The big benefits of plain water tinyurl.com/y3a4msyy M O R E Here are some things you can do to control blood pressure: • Maintain a healthy weight, or lose weight if you need to. • Exercise at least 30 minutes a day. • Eat a healthy diet (fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, legumes, and plenty of water) • Avoid or limit high-sodium foods. • Avoid or limit alcohol. • Don’t smoke, or quit if you do. • Manage stress in healthy ways. • Get a check-up and talk to your doctor. Fight High-Blood Pressure Zombie-Brain Drain (continued from page 1) 5 simple steps to control your blood pressure tinyurl.com/y286u4h2 M O R E