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New Study: Lean Meats + Low-fat Dairy = Weight Loss without Bone Loss!

Submitted by Willa on Fri, 06/06/2008 - 14:27.

The relationship between healthy weight loss and worrisome bone loss is on everyone's mind, especially for savvy middle-aged women. The low-carb and no-carb craze is still going on, despite mounting evidence that such dieting tactics are harmful to bone density and other women's health concerns. The truth is that what works for one woman may not work for another woman. The real key to great nutrition is balance and individuality. Watching your carbs is a good idea, but so is watching everything else you eat. For example, a red meat-only diet is a recipe for cardiovascular disease, the foremost killer of women of all ages.

Even so, a new study published in the Journal of Nutrition has confirmed that a diet that contains lean meats and low-fat dairy products such as milk and cheese can reduce your risk of bone loss, especially if you are entering menopause. (An excellent report about the study appears in the always-informative Science Daily, right here.) The sudden loss of estrogens and progestins in the female system during the onset of menopause poses a concern to women. The way to deal with this rite of hormonal passage is to take stock of your entire nutritional, fitness, and mental existence, and then to make the necessary changes to ensure a long and happy future in health.

Last month was National Arthritis Month, which brought new awareness to the issue of bone health. Osteoporosis, while an entirely different sort of bone health concern, is one arena you should be focusing on not just during menopause but during the course of your entire life as a woman. Most of your bone tissue is created before the age of 18, but you can maintain and even build upon your existing bone density by making sure your diet contains plenty of calcium as well as magnesium. This will safeguard you against injurious falls. To build and maintain muscle tissue, make sure you get plenty of protein in your diet, whether it comes from lean meats, nuts or natural supplements. This will make you more mobile and thus able to enjoy life to the fullest!

So consider this new study a bit of a reminder to get your protein and calcium intake up to par for your unique body. Just don't do it at the expense of valuable carbs, which you need for energy. Stay strong!