Reverse Osteoporosis?

Osteoporosis is a disease in which bones become fragile and easily broken.  If not prevented or if left untreated, Osteoporosis can continue painlessly until a bone breaks.  These broken bones also known as fractures usually occur in the hip, spine and wrist.  Any bone can be affected, but of real concern are the fractures of hip and spine.  A broken hip usually requires hospitalization and major surgery.  It can ruin a person’s ability to walk without help and may cause extended or permanent disability or even death.  Spinal fractures also have serious consequences, including loss of height, back pain, and deformity.

Your body is constantly changing.  Your family history, the foods you eat, where you live, and how active you are play a part in the adjustments you experience in your body over your lifetime.  Without healthy nourishment and activity, the changes that you’ll experience over time will naturally lead you to damage and disability. 

One in two women and one in four men over age fifty will have an osteoporosis-related fracture in her or his lifetime.  If you understand the natural life occurrences we all experience, you’ll be in a better position to manage and adjust to these changes to maintain long-term health and wellness.

Bone remodeling is a natural process that breaks down and rebuilds bone.  As we grow, the nutrients we take from food contribute to your body’s growth – including your bone growth.  By the time you reach your adult size, around age twenty, the growth process in your bones (called modeling) ends and a new process called “bone remodeling” begins.

This is a normal process that breaks down and rebuilds bone.  Your bones don’t just help you move around, they’re also used as storehouses for important minerals.  Calcium and phosphorous are minerals that make up the structure of your bones and are also held in reserve to use for other important functions. These two minerals are involved in nearly every system of the body. …and when they’re needed, they’re taken from your bones and moved to other areas.

Every time these essential minerals are withdrawn and not replaced, your bones weaken.  This creates an imbalance in the remodeling process.  Your bones are breaking down faster than they are being built.  If you don’t add additional calcium and phosphorous through supplements, your bones will grow increasingly weak and will eventually become brittle (osteoporosis) and break.

To prevent and reverse osteoporosis it’s vital to include a quality calcium formula to maintain strong bones and protect against the onset of osteoporosis.  In addition to taking a calcium-formulated supplement, there are other ways to help prevent bone loss:

• Participate in weight bearing exercise like walking.
• Use resistance bands or hand weights to improve upper and lower body strength
• Eat foods naturally high in calcium like low-fat or non-fat dairy products, canned sardines or salmon.
• Live healthy by not smoking and not drinking in excess.
• Consult your doctor about getting an annual DEXA Scan.

On a personal note, I am sixty years old and about four years ago my bone density test showed that I had osteopenia.  My doctor advised two very popular products to help prevent further bone loss.  I considered the side affects of both of these products and decided to try a more natural approach.  I had another bone density scan taken and I had a significant increase in bone mass.

Osteoporosis can be prevented and reversed by implementing a healthy lifestyle including daily exercise, supplementation and eating a variety of natural and healthy foods.

Antoinette is a fitness consultant specializing in small group and senior fitness. Antoinette provides her clients with the knowledge, support and motivation necessary to get to the next level of physical as well as mental, emotional and spiritual fitness.

Call today to make an appointment for you FREE fitness evaluation and consultation by phone.  We would be happy to assist in matching you up with a program that is right for you.  Contact me at 908-902-1207.