Parenting teens presents all kinds of challenges, not the least of which is ensuring that they’re taking good care of themselves with a healthy diet and plenty of exercise. It’s not only challenging for us as parents though getting a balanced diet when you’re a teen can be just as challenging when you’re juggling so much.
My 13-year-old is busy with school, homework, after school clubs, getting plenty of exercise, chores, and she’s constantly active. A big part of keeping her healthy and strong is making sure she has plenty of calcium because it is such an important part of her overall health.
It’s also important to me because we have a family history of osteoporosis and osteopenia (the precursor to osteoporosis). Bone loss happens as women age, so ensuring she has strong bones now as she’s growing to ensure she’s healthy her whole life. And it’s not just about her, it’s an issue for me, too. I’m nearly 40 after all.
You may think it’s simple to get plenty of calcium, but 68% of women are calcium deficient and 86% of teen girls have a calcium deficient diet.* That’s a staggering number! Additionally, studies have found that low levels of Vitamin D are common among girls, adolescents, and women. Both can be easily prevented with a balanced and healthy diet, exercise, and calcium supplements.
Why Is Calcium So Important?
Bone health, which comes from having the recommended daily intake of calcium, is an extremely important part of overall health for women and for girls. It ensures that you’re strengthening bones and teeth, and avoiding low bone mass and fractures as you (and your girls) age. Additionally, it will also help your muscles, including your heart, and ensure your nerves are functioning properly. 95% of bone mass is present by age 20, so ensuring that your teen is getting plenty of calcium is the key to a lifetime of health. While calcium is incredibly important for girls calcium for women is equally important since it’s likely you’re not getting your recommended daily dose either.
Three Ways To Improve Bone Health:
- Eat a diet rich in calcium.
- Regular bone strengthening exercises. Weight bearing exercises, body weight exercises, or lifting weights are all easy low-impact (and fast) workouts that you can do each day. We’re committing to a walk each day and light bodyweight exercise each day like a series of squats, push ups, and other bodyweight exercises.
- Supplement when your diet is not enough.
Why Take Supplements?
Having a balanced diet that includes the RDA of calcium and vitamin D can be challenge for both girls and women. Taking supplements allows you to ensure you’re getting enough of both in a tasty chew. Who doesn’t like that in place of a giant pill?
I have been deficient significantly in Vitamin D which was causing all kinds of problems for me including foggy memory, joint aches and pains, trouble sleeping, and more. After being on high dose pills for a while I now take daily vitamins and get blood tests each year at my annual physical.
Viactiv Calcium Supplement Chews
Thankfully supplementing your diet each day is easy by taking two Viactiv Calcium Chews daily. They’re almost like a treat each day! My teen puts one in her lunch tote each day and we also have one after dinner. It makes adding more calcium to our diets easy (and tasty!).
Viactiv are chews that help you supplement your daily calcium intake. They come in milk chocolate and caramel. My daughter says they’re the consistency and of a soft chew and the chocolate flavor is her favorite.
Viactiv calcium supplement chews are a great alternative because they also provide me with plenty of calcium, Vitamin D, and Vitamin K. Calcium and Vitamin D work together in your body, so it makes more sense to take them together.
One Viactiv calcium supplement chew contains 500mg of calcium and 500IU of Vitamin D. Taken twice daily it provides 100% of your daily calcium, Vitamin D, and Vitamin K intake.
How Much Do You Need Each Day?
Each day 1000mg are needed for a women, while teen girls need 1300mg per day. Find out how much calcium is in some common foods via Viactiv’s chart.
More Info About Viactiv
Viactiv Calcium Soft Chews are available in milk chocolate and caramel flavors at major retailers including CVS, Rite Aid, Target, Walgreens and Walmart, as well as supermarkets nationwide. Save $2 on your next in-store purchase with the Viactiv printable coupon.
Learn more about Viactiv at www.Viactiv.com and enter their current prize promotions on Viactiv’s Facebook page www.facebook.com/Viactiv and new Instagram channel https://instagram.com/viactiv/.
Kelly
*= according to a 2010 study published in the Journal of Nutrition
This is a product-provided, sponsored conversation on behalf of Viactiv that contains affiliate links. I received Viactiv products for my own personal use. All opinions, text and experiences are my own.
