The Mysteries of Bone Health

 Knowledge is Power. Power is Healing.

Continuing with the National Health Blog Post Month Challenge.

For today’s topic “prompt,”  I chose “I Don’t Know About This, But I’d Like To.” I kind of figured this would be open-ended and fairly easy to do because, quite frankly, there’s so much I don’t know!  Since it IS a Health Blog Challenge, I confined my choices to things I don’t know much about in the medical arena.

Again, so much to choose from.

My choice kind of chose itself because it hits close to home: Bone Health. A few years ago, I had a bone scan and was told that I had Osteopenia. Naturally, I immediately turned to WebMD and asked it, I’m paraphrasing here, “What in the bloody heck is Osteopenia?!”

Osteopenia: Osteopenia refers to bone mineral density (BMD) that is lower than normal peak BMD but not low enough to be classified as osteoporosis.  – WebMd

I’m a “glass is half full kind of gal,” so after I read the definition, I threw a mini party in my head because I didn’t have osteoporosis.  When the party was over, I returned to WebMd and said, “I don’t realize if you know this or not, but I’m not, like, in my 100’s or something. I’m only in my 40’s.”

I learned something as interesting as it is unsettling, All people begin losing bone mass after they reach peak BMD at about 30 years of age.

Further research also told me that certain factors can increase your chances of having Osteopenia or Osteoporosis:

• Metabolic Problems
• Thyroid Disease (guilty)
• Not getting enough calcium in your diet (guilty)
• Smoking (innocent)
• Pre-Menopause or Menopause (guilty)
• Steroid Medicine used to treat asthma (guilty)
• Diet Soft Drinks (about as guilty as you can get)

I found that I was guilty on so many counts that I didn’t have the gaul to complain.  I bought a bag of chewable calcium supplements and found that they caused my heart to race like I’d just ran a marathon or had a great fright – like seeing a zombie or a member of KISS today without makeup.

After a little more research, I basically found, ‘Yeah… they can cause a few people’s hearts to run amok.”

I don’t care for my heart running amok, so I stopped them altogether.  It was a huge shame because…

1. It would have been a simple, fast way to increase my calcium.
2. They were delicious, so there’s no way I’d have missed a day.

The Osteopenia and Osteoporosis Prevention Research Ends

To be honest, I stopped researching calcium sources, Osteopenia, Osteoporosis, how to strengthen your bones, and how to prevent Osteoporosis.  It’s not that I didn’t still care about my bones… but, they were MY bones.  I tend to research topics to the end of the earth and back when they relate to my husband, daughters, and sons-in-law.  I want them to see doctors, take supplements, and have perfect health.  But like a lot of wives and mothers, I tend to put myself at the end of the “Care” list.

I realize that tendency is a whole other topic, and I won’t even begin to address that one right now! Suffice to say, I stopped reading about these conditions and I stopped researching foods that provide more calcium and things like that.

The Osteopenia and Osteoporosis Prevention Research Resumes

I’ve started reading more about bone health recently because of a couple of issues I ran – well, more like walked (literally) – into. I somehow managed to develop a very painful stress fracture on one of my feet.  Now get this… the only exercise I do is walking.  If my bones are so puny that walking makes them think they’ve been overtaxed, I have to start giving them more attention.

I also recently recently have a toe that’s giving me a lot of problems. The pain is similar to the stress fracture.

As I was putting ice on my toe last night, it kind of hit me… what if, Heaven forbid, I broke an arm or leg.   UGLY PAIN!  I’m allergic to ugly pain, I break out in whimpers.

Needless to say, I’ve stocked up on milk and plan to have smoothies and fortified cereal as often as “Jared” has Subway.

However, I want to be more proactive than that.  I want to learn about foods that lead to better bone health.  One of my favorite quotes is, “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” – Hippocrates.  I’m convinced THAT’S where healing is, so the research continues.

If your bone health is something you’re concerned about (and everyone should be!), Organic Authority.com has a super write-up about Calcium Rich Foods to Prevent Osteoporosis.   A few of the foods named were:

• Kale
• Broccoli
• Collard Greens

When I saw Kale and Collard Greens listed, I had to smile because I’m on the right track with my new-found love for Green Smoothies. If only I’d been drinking these beauties for years!  I’ve read that Osteopenia is reversible and that there’s no reason in the world anyone who has it HAS to develop Osteoporosis.  This sore-toed, smoothie drinker is determined that’s not going to happen!

What Are Your Own Health Concerns?

What health issues or topics are you curious about – whether for yourself or for a loved one? Are there diseases that tend to run in your family? If so, that’d be a great place to start!  Research ways to prevent this particular disease or diseases.  Find the foods that are associated with the disease’s prevention and even cure.

Remember:  Knowledge is power.  Power is healing.

~ Joi