Healthy Bones and Osteoporosis Recipe
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Directions
We are delighted to welcome back Brandi Simpson, who wrote the popular post on her week-long raw food diet experience. This time she is sharing her vast knowledge on osteoporosis. I met Brandi when we were consulting for a pharmaceutical firm. She worked on their osteoporosis drug, and has since worked extensively in the area. I learned a lot of things from this post - I had no idea that my food goes into my bones!
It’s easy to get caught up in thinking about how what we eat today makes us feel and look now. And I know you mindful eaters are concerned about eating your fruits and vegetables to stave off cancer, diabetes, heart disease and other conditions associated with aging. But have you given much thought to your bones…
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%20when%20maybe%20you%20lived%20on%20coffee,%20beer,%20and%20cheese%20puffs.%20Those%20four%20years%20contributed%20to%20most%20of%20the%20skeleton%20you%20had%20at%2023!%20It%E2%80%99s%20a%20wonder%20you%20didn%E2%80%99t%20break%20a%20hip!%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EThis%20isn%E2%80%99t%20to%20say%20that%20if%20your%20diet%20remains%20unchanged%20your%20bones%20remodel%20every%205%20or%20so%20years%20to%20the%20same%20state%20they%20were%20in%205%20years%20earlier.%20In%20fact,%20about%2080-90%25%20of%20your%20adult%20bone%20mass%20was%20acquired%20by%20age%2020.%20After%20age%2020,%20the%20real%20battle%20becomes%20trying%20to%20maintain%20the%20bone%20mass%20that%20you%20have.%20This%20is%20actually%20challenging%20as%20we%20tend%20to%20lose%20bone%20mass%20as%20we%20age%20and%20our%20habits%20(as%20well%20as%20our%20genetics)%20make%20a%20big%20difference.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EIt%20probably%20didn%E2%80%99t%20strike%20you%20until%20a%20few%20years%20after%20you%20started%20growing.%20But%20every%20time%20you%20gave%20grandma/grandpa/great%20aunt%20Edna%20a%20hug%20you%20noticed%20that%20they%20seemed%20to%20be%20shrinking.%20They%20probably%20were!%20Long%20before%20osteoporosis%20causes%20broken%20hips%20(which,%20by%20the%20way%20can%20even%20lead%20to%20death)%20it%20causes%20vertebral%20fractures.%20In%20fact,%20many%20physicians%20believe%20that%20vertebral%20fracture%20should%20be%20suspected%20in%20any%20woman%20over%2045%20experiencing%20back%20pain.%20Over%2025%25%20of%20post%20menopausal%20women%20have%20at%20least%20one%20vertebral%20fracture.%20Over%20time,%20osteoporosis%20causes%20the%20vertebra%20to%20fracture%20and%20compress,%20resulting%20in%20loss%20of%20height,%20loss%20of%20spinal%20mobility,%20and%20significant%20pain.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EBut%20can%E2%80%99t%20they%20cure%20osteoporosis%20these%20days?%20No!%20Some%20drugs%20can%20slow%20the%20re-absorption%20process,%20but%20they%20do%20so%20at%20the%20cost%20of%20long%20term%20bone%20remodeling.%20In%20fact,%20the%20seller%20of%20the%20world%E2%80%99s%20most%20successful%20osteoporosis%20drug,%20Merck,%20is%20currently%20facing%20several%20court%20cases%20because%20it%20is%20believed%20that%20its%20therapy%20can%20cause%20osteonecrosis%20(that%20is,%20bone%20death),%20most%20commonly%20in%20the%20jaw.%20There%20are%20other%20therapies%20that%20have%20been%20shown%20to%20improve%20bone%20mass%20and%20reduce%20fracture%20risk%20-%20but%20these%20drugs%20also%20have%20a%20lot%20of%20risks.%20%20If%20someone%20has%20severe%20osteoporosis,%20they%20really%20have%20no%20choice%20but%20to%20either%20accept%20the%20risk%20of%20fracture%20or%20the%20side%20effects%20that%20come%20with%20the%20therapies.%20But%20you%20are%20far%20from%20that%20decision.%20Act%20now%20to%20save%20your%20skeleton!%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EWhat%20can%20you%20do?%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EEat%20a%20diet%20high%20in%20calcium%20and%20vitamin%20D.%20%20These%20nutrients%20aren%E2%80%99t%20found%20exclusively%20in%20dairy%20products.%20%20Dark%20leafy%20greens%20are%20excellent%20sources%20of%20calcium.%20%20Fatty%20fish%20and%20eggs%20are%20good%20sources%20of%20vitamin%20D.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EAvoid%20smoking%20and%20excessive%20alcohol%20(yup%20-%20these%20affect%20your%20bone%20mass%20along%20with%20everything%20else).%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EDo%20weight%20bearing%20exercise!%20%20Running%20and%20jumping%20are%20actually%20great%20for%20your%20bones!%20%20Do%20it%20before%20your%20knees%20can%E2%80%99t%20take%20it!%20%20Weight%20lifting%20positively%20affects%20your%20bone%20mass%20too.%20%20So%20if%20lifting%20your%20suitcase%20to%20get%20it%20into%20the%20overhead%20bin%20isn%E2%80%99t%20enough%20-%20now%20you%20can%20do%20it%20for%20your%20bones!%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EKnow%20your%20risks:%20%20non-Hispanic%20Caucasian%20and%20Asian%20women%20have%20higher%20risks%20as%20do%20smokers%20(stop%20that!),%20those%20with%20small%20frames,%20and%20individuals%20who%20have%20taken%20corticosteroids%20for%20long%20periods%20of%20time%20(like%20those%20with%20asthma.)%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EWhat%20I%20ate:%20Kashi%20Go%20Lean%20cereal,%20Fage%202%25%20Greek%20yogurt,%20nectarine;%20salad%20with%20mixed%20greens,%20hard-boiled%20egg,%20%20beets,%20olives,%20red%20peppers,%20and%20balsamic%20dressing;%201.5%20oz%20of%20pretzels%20(I%20know,%20I%20know);%202%20clementines;%20homemade%20chicken%20noodle%20soup%20with%20organic%20chicken%20and%20homemade%20noodles;%201%20fruit%20juice%20sweetened%20Cascade%20farms%20yogurt.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EExercise:%2040%20minutes%20on%20elliptical,%2010%20minutes%20hard%20running%20at%205%25%20incline%3C/p%3E){kind=link}