The Cram Family: Staying Active? No Problem.

April 24, 2014

Dr. Tara Branton, Weddington Family Phsycians,

With spring athletics in full swing for the family’s four children, the Crams are not having any trouble staying active! A typical weekend at this point means four organized sporting events on Saturday and three on Sunday. They are all fortunate to be physically active, without any chronic medical conditions to limit their busy lifestyles. Keeping up that pace can be daunting for many families, but the key for the Crams is that they all enjoy the sports the kids are playing, and it keeps them moving and feeling good.

This week, our team’s dietitian, Kelsey Knasel, from Carolinas Medical Center-Pineville, focused on a topic interesting to many families, including the Crams: vitamin supplements.

Kelsey shared with Mom that adult women are often recommended to take calcium, vitamin D and magnesium. Daily requirements for calcium and vitamin D – both great for bone health – can be difficult to meet with food intake alone. After your twenties, you can start losing bone mass, causing osteoporosis; so you want to take these supplements for prevention, with a doctor’s recommendation. Recommended amounts of magnesium can also be difficult to meet, especially since different foods can interact with its absorption. Magnesium plays a role in more than 300 biochemical reactions; therefore it is vital to have sufficient amounts.

Kelsey discussed the option, as well, for Dad and the kids to take a multivitamin every other day, to assist with meeting their daily recommendations on a wide range of nutrients.

Kelsey and I both encourage families to discuss supplements with their physicians, to make sure they are safe and don’t interfere with other medications.

Looking for healthy recipes the family will love?
Download Carolinas HealthCare System’s free recipe book “Food for Thought” for great, family-friendly meal ideas.

Dr. Tara Branton is a physician at Weddington Family Medicine, part of Carolinas HealthCare System. Kasey Knasel is a registered dietitian with Carolinas HealthCare System.