Self Help Daily

Inspirational and Self Help Blog with a Save the World Complex...

You are here: Home / Archives for bone health

bone health

The Mysteries of Bone Health

by 2 Comments

Steel Cut Oats

 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

And I’d Never Even Heard of Osteopenia…

by 6 Comments

About a month ago I had a couple of tests done as part of my yearly physical: A mammogram (painless, fast, necessary – no reason not to have them regularly, ladies), blood work (not so painless or fast, but necessary) and a Bone Density Scan. The bone density scan was pretty relaxing, I nearly fell asleep.

All of the tests came back without any problems except for the Bone Density Scan. My doctor tells me that I have Osteopenia – a pretty word that I’d never even heard of. Apparently it’s a condition that signals the individual is on their way to osteoporosis. Fun times.

I can’t really say I’m that surprised. Not only does medication I’ve had to take for asthma increase my odds, I’m not at all a big milk drinker. Never have been. What I have been is a BIG diet pop drinker and apparently soft drinks are linked to low bone mineral density in women. The fact that I have thyroid disease is also a contributing factor. Add pre-existing medical conditions to a diet low in calcium and Vitamin D – I’d have a lot of gall to feign shock.

I’ve been trying to implement more calcium and vitamin d into my daily diet and I’ve added weights to my daily exercise routine. The condition can be reversed and I’m made up my mind to do just that.

A Diet to Build Strong Bones

Whether you’re already been diagnosed with Osteopenia or osteoporosis or not, you should really start eating a diet conducive to better bone health. You need a diet that’s rich in calcium and magnesium as well as protein and vitamins B, D, and K.  A great article that highlights foods packed with bone building nutrients can be found on Caring.com. Just click the link (it’ll open in a new window).

Personally, I’ve fallen in love with tuna and salmon.  I try to eat at least one of these 3 times a week.  Not only are there a lot of canned varieties to choose from, there are also quite a few packaged tuna and salmon brands.  Mixed with a little olive oil or mayo and pickles and onions – they’re outstanding on bread or crackers. I’ve actually gotten to where I prefer them on crackers.

Prevent Bone Loss and Osteoporosis

Below are a few tips from AOL Health to improve the health of your bones and to prevent Osteopenia and Osteoporosis:

  • Get enough vitamin D. Getting enough vitamin D, along with sufficient calcium, is one of the first steps toward preventing or reducing the effects of osteoporosis. Vitamin D helps your body absorb calcium. Taking calcium without vitamin D probably is not beneficial. Recommendations vary, but the National Osteoporosis Foundation suggests that adults up to age 50 get 400 to 800 IU of vitamin D a day. If you are age 50 or older, the recommended amount is 800 to 1,000 IU a day. One glass of milk [8 fl oz (0.2 L)] has about 100 IU. Your bones need vitamin D to absorb calcium. One study showed that vitamin D may reduce an older person’s risk of falling by 22%. Usually 10 to 15 minutes of sun exposure a day is enough to satisfy the body’s vitamin D requirement. But as you age, you cannot make as much vitamin D through your skin. Vitamin D supplements can help older people who are not in the sun much.
  • If you are taking medicines to treat osteoporosis, also take calcium and vitamin D supplements.
  • Exercise. Recent studies show that weight-bearing exercises (walking, jogging, stair climbing, dancing, or weight lifting), aerobics, and resistance exercises (using weights or elastic bands to help improve muscle strength) are all effective in increasing the bone mineral density and strength of the spine in postmenopausal women. Walking also increases bone mineral density of the hip. Regular exercise throughout life cuts in half the number of hip fractures in older people. Develop an exercise program that fits your lifestyle and is easy to follow. For more information, see the topic Fitness.
  • Eat a nutritious diet to keep your body healthy. For more information, see the topic Healthy Eating.
  • Take steps to prevent falls that might result in broken bones. Have your vision and hearing checked regularly, and wear slippers or shoes with a nonskid sole. Exercises that improve balance and coordination, such as tai chi, can also reduce your risk of falling. You can also make changes in your home to prevent falls.

Click HERE to read the rest of their tips and advice.

If you’re anywhere near as accident prone or clumsy as I am, the thought of avoiding falls or “incidents” is almost laughable.  So, I guess those of us who live life on the dangerous side had better load up on calcium, protein, magnesium and vitamins.   I’d be amiss if I didn’t point this out, though.  I, personally, tried to supplement my diet with chewable calcium supplements but I had to stop taking them.  They made my heart race so much I could practically feel the beats coming out of my chest.

I laid off of them for a few weeks, to see if they were in fact the culprits.  The racing went away.  To be doubly sure, I tried taking one again and BAM, my heart got in a huge hurry again. Freaked me kind of out, so I’ve stopped taking them.   Needless to say, just because I’ve had this problem doesn’t mean you will. In fact, to be honest, I react oddly to a lot of medicines and supplements!

I’m only mentioning it because if you DO take a calcium supplement (or any kind of supplement for that matter), I want you to always pay close attention to your body’s reaction.

Now, go pour yourself a large, cold glass of milk.