OSTEOPOROSIS - DIET AND LIFESTYLE DOS AND DON`TS

Dietary supplements are meant to enhance a healthy diet and active lifestyle. There are so many things that can get in the way of eating a healthy diet. This increases the value of taking high quality dietary supplements. Stress, food processing, lack of minerals in our soil (for more information on that refer to the side bar "Giving Back" on page 17), and many other factors make it nearly impossible to get everything we need just from the foods we eat. But that should not be an excuse to eat poorly and simply pop a few vitamin pills. A healthy diet is the foundation of optimum health and wellness, and that includes the health of our bones.

When it comes to a healthy diet, the first place to start is always with vegetables and fruits. Increasing the amount of vegetables and fruits we eat daily is paramount to strong bones. Simply eating more vegetables and fruits has been shown in clinical studies to actually enhance bone density. According to a 2004 study featuring 891 women, which was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, fruit and vegetable intake was shown to be protective of femoral neck bone mineral density.

We should eat at least five servings of vegetables and two servings of fruit every day. That may sound like a lot but consider the fact that just one small cup of leafy greens or ? cup of fresh vegetable juice is a serv-ing. One-half cup of raw or cooked vegetables is also a full serving. When I make a salad, I definitely have more than a cup of greens and if I have a serving of vegetables with my meal it is more than a half cup. As for fruit, one medium fruit, a cup of berries, ? cup of cut up fruit or four ounces of 100 percent fruit juice counts as a serving.

I want to emphasize again the importance of eating organic fruits and vegetables whenever possible (refer to side bar on page 27). If you can't buy organic, wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly with an all-natural cleaner.

Along with fruits and vegetables, protein is important for bone health but not too much protein (about 45 grams per day for women and 52 grams per day for men). And be sure to choose healthy protein sources.

Avoid deep frying foods because they can damage your health in many ways. If you do deep fry using high heat, use a healthy oil such as maca-damia nut, avocado or almond oils. Speaking of oils, choose olive oil over butter whenever possible and avoid margarine completely. For more information on healthy oils refer to the Healthy Living Guide I wrote called Plant Oils.
 
An excess of the following can rob your bones of the important miner-als and nutrients required to prevent and treat osteoporosis:

•  caffeine
•  alcohol
•  simple sugar
•  salt
•  processed foods

Reduce or avoid these foods. In addition, although there is no definitive clinical substantiation, some experts feel drinking from aluminum cans can damage bone because the aluminum can accumulate in bone tissue and disrupt bone turnover and mineral absorption. When you increase your intake of vegetables and fruit and reduce the other dietary items mentioned previously, you are creating a more alkaline internal environ-ment. Your bones will thrive in this environment versus an acidic situa-tion.
One of the most effective ways to strengthen bones is through exercise.

Get Physical

Several animal studies have clearly demonstrated the positive benefits that physical activity has on bone health. More recently, human studies are confirming this fact. A 2009 study featured in the journal Bone featured one group of previously inactive young adult women who exercised con-sistently for eight weeks compared to a matched group who did not exer-cise. The women who participated in the exercise program had improved biomarkers of bone remodeling that showed increased formation without any increases in bone loss.

This study and several others confirm that exercise can help prevent and treat osteoporosis by increasing bone density and decreasing bone loss. In addition, other studies have shown that exercise can reduce the risk of fractures.

If you have been inactive for a long period of time, check with your doc-tor before embarking on a new exercise program. When it comes to bone health, there are four types of exercises to consider:

Weight-bearing exercises = Walking, jogging, dancing, and hik-ing are great examples of weight bearing exercises because they bear your weight as you do them, which strengthens bones. Swimming and bike rid-ing are not weight bearing exercises. Doing weight-bearing exercises for 45 minutes to an hour, three to five times a week is a great goal. But remember, if you have osteoporosis, you should not do high impact weight-bearing exercises such as jogging or high-impact aerobics.

Resistance training = Using weights or resistance bands are exam-ples of resistance training. These exercises strengthen muscles, which stimulates bone growth by putting tension on the bones. Try to do resis-tance exercises at least two times a week. If you have osteoporosis, you will want to get advice from your physician or physical therapist.

Balance exercises = Enhancing balance and stretching tight mus-cles is a great way to maintain equilibrium and flexibility. Balance exer-cises can be done for short periods of time each day. Activities such as Tai chi can also help enhance balance and flexibility. Tai chi is a great low impact way to strengthen bones. According to a review featured in the May 2007 issue of the Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Tai chi appears to be a safe alternative to conventional exercise for post-menopausal women. The authors found that Tai chi was just as effective as conventional medicine and also helped improve balance, reduced fall frequency, and increased musculoskeletal strength.

Postural stretching = Reinforcing good posture will decrease stress on the back and hips. An example of a postural stretch is rolling the shoul-der blades back and together while stretching your chest up and lengthen-ing your spine. A physical therapist can provide you with many easy and quick postural stretches to do throughout the day. As a writer, I am often hunched over a computer keyboard so this is something I have had to pay special attention to. My physical therapist has been instrumental in help-ing me come up with a postural stretching program that I can stick with.

Please keep in mind that certain exercises may not be indicated for indi-viduals with diagnosed osteoporosis. Consult with a physical therapist or an exercise trainer who has experience working with individuals with osteoporosis before participating in a new exercise program or doing new exercises at home.

The most effective way to prevent or treat osteoporosis is with a compre-hensive plan that features consistent exercise, an alkalizing diet, and high-quality dietary supplements. Do your bones a favor, get started today.