MSSANT Network Magazine Winter 16

Swallowing: Everyone’s doing it.
Swallowing Day
But no one is talking about it!
Jamaica Grantis, Speech Pathologist
Campaign Kit
Calcium,
Vitamin D and MS
Amber Rose, Volunteer & Student Dietitian
The average Australian swallows 900 times a day. That’s
around three times an hour during sleep, once per minute
while awake and even more during meals. It’s something
every Australian is doing. But very few of us are talking
about it.
Most of us are unaware how difficulty with swallowing
can be frightening and even life threatening. So this year
on Wednesday, 11 May 2016, Speech Pathology Australia
launched Australia’s first Swallowing Awareness Day.
Swallowing Awareness Day 2016 was an opportunity to
bring attention to swallowing disorders and to connect
people with speech pathologists, the professionals who
can help. Speech pathologists assess and treat people with
Dysphagia (difficulty swallowing) – pronounced ‘dis-fay-juh’.
It is estimated around one million Australians have difficulty
with swallowing. Swallowing disorders remain largely
invisible, poorly understood by the general community,
and rarely addressed in government policy.
Swallowing problems can mean food, drinks or saliva gets
into the lungs (aspiration), and this can cause lung infections
(pneumonia). Severe swallowing complications can lead to
death, while other swallowing complications can lead to poor
nutrition, dehydration, health complications, and
social isolation.
Australians with undiagnosed difficulties are frequently
referred to other health practitioners — often for expensive
and invasive investigations — when a speech pathologist
could readily manage the problem.
awareness day
Wednesday 11 May 2016
Jamaica Grantis, speech pathologist said,
“A swallowing problem can occur at any stage of life.
Swallowing is a skill developed from infancy.”
Around 15-30 percent of people aged 65 years and over
living in the community have a swallowing difficulty, with
that figure rising to over 50 percent for older Australians
living in a nursing home. And after falls, choking is the
second biggest killer of nursing home residents.
Almost half of everyone who has had a stroke will have a
swallowing problem, 69 percent of people with Parkinson’s
disease will have swallowing difficulties, as will 25 percent
of patients with multiple sclerosis.
Swallowing Awareness Day is an opportunity for all of us
to learn more about swallowing difficulties and how they
impact on the lives of our friends, neighbours and our
wider community.
What is calcium?
You probably already know that our bones and teeth are made
of a mineral called calcium. But did you know that calcium
is also classified as an earth metal? It’s pretty amazing to
think that our skeletons are made of metal! Our bones, though
we think of them as hard and rigid, are always turning over,
reshaping and rebuilding as we grow older – from birth through
to old age. This means that calcium is an essential nutrient for
humans and we need to consume it in our daily diet
(in the right amounts!) to keep ourselves in the best health.
Why is it extra important to me?
Not getting enough calcium can put you at risk of developing
osteoporosis. Osteoporosis makes our bones weak and
increases the risk of fractures and broken bones from falls.
Unfortunately, people with MS are at increased risk of
developing osteoporosis due to:
• side effects from medications, which can affect the
absorption of calcium;
• being unable to be physically active due to fatigue and/or
immobility, as our bones need to be subjected to regular
weight-bearing activities every day to stay as strong as
possible; and
• needing to avoid heat and the sun, because vitamin D is
also important for calcium absorption and bone health,
and most of the vitamin D our body needs is made by the
action of sunlight on our skin.
What foods contain calcium?
Dairy foods including milk, cheese and yoghurt are all good
sources of calcium. Non-dairy sources of calcium include
fish with edible bones such as tinned sardines and salmon,
firm tofu, legumes, almonds, brazil nuts, fortified soy
products, and leafy greens like broccoli, kale and bok choy.
How much do I need?
Osteoporosis Australia recommends that most people have three
to five serves of calcium-rich foods per day in order to meet their
body’s needs. Most people need 1,000 mg of calcium per day,
which increases to 1,300 mg of calcium per day once you are
over the age of 50. A serve of calcium-rich food could be:
• One cup (250ml) of reduced fat milk = 520mg of calcium
• Two slices (40g) of reduced fat cheese = 418mg of calcium
• One tub (200g) of low-fat natural yoghurt = 488mg of calcium
• Half a cup of firm tofu = 416 mg of calcium
• Sardines canned in water, no added salt, drained = 486mg
of calcium
• One cup (250ml) of low fat fortified soy milk = 367mg
of calcium
If you think that you are not getting enough calcium through
your diet alone, it is best to speak to your doctor about your
concerns before taking supplements.
Cooking with calcium - try it!
Smoked Salmon, Rocket and Ricotta Linguine
(Serves 4)
• 250g linguine pasta or spaghetti
• 250g Australian reduced-fat fresh ricotta, crumbled
• 100g smoked salmon, torn into bite sized pieces
• 100g rocket leaves
• ½ cup basil leaves, roughly chopped
• 2 spring onions, finely sliced
• ½ teaspoon finely grated lemon rind
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 /3 cup shaved Australian parmesan, for serving
1. Cook linguine according to packet directions or until
tender. Drain and return to pasta pot with a small amount
of pasta water.
2. Stir in ricotta, salmon, rocket, basil, spring onions, lemon
rind and juice, oil and pepper.
3. Divide between bowls and serve with shaved parmesan.
Tip: You could add 300g of sliced smoked chicken in place
of smoked salmon.
Nutrients per Serve:
Energy 1614 kJ (386 calories) Protein 23g
Total Fat 11.9g Saturated Fat 5.5g
Carbohydrate 45g
Sugars 2g
Dietary Fibre 3g
Sodium 647mg
Calcium 297mg
Iron 1mg
Recipe Credit:
Dairy Australia Good Health Recipe Book II (available online)
Article Text Credits:
Osteoporosis Australia
Dietitians Association of Australia
Croxton et al 2015. “Food and Nutrition Throughout Life”.
Allen & Unwin: NSW, Australia.
12 Winter 2016 The MS Society of South Australia & Northern Territory The MS Society of South Australia & Northern Territory Winter 2016 13