STICKS AND STONES...

 

While sticks and stones can break our bones, eating poorly and not incorporating strength training into a regular exercise routine can be even more debilitating in the long run.

 

You see, when we reach the ripe old age of 30, our body stops building bone mass. And by the time we turn 40, we begin losing about 0.5% of our bone mass every year. That may not sound like much, but at that rate we'll lose one-tenth of our bone mass by age 50! And this loss increases substantially more for women during menopause. It's no wonder that 33% of all women and nearly 20% of men will suffer an osteoporotic bone fracture at some point in their lifetime. But hope is not lost. There are things we can do to slow the rate of bone loss, and even increase our bone density well into our 50's and 60's.

 

 

Eating a balanced diet is essential to decreasing the risk of bone loss. I've written about this before (see our June post titled Balance), but ensuring we eat enough vegetables and fruits to offset our commonly high-acidic diets will prevent the body from robbing vital calcium from our bones to keep us in a necessary neutral pH. Our bones contain nearly 99% of our body's calcium, so they're an easy place to pull acid-neutralizing minerals.

 

Unfortunately, pharmaceutical and supplement companies have convinced us that all we need to do to increase our calcium levels is take a few pills every day. But research has shown that taking more than 1,000 milligrams of a calcium supplement can be harmful. It can lead to increased risks of breast cancer and heart attacks. In addition to this, excess alcohol and/or caffeine (coffee and energy drinks), as well as too much sodium, will impede healthy bones. And many medications for depression, cancer, diabetes and even heartburn can reduce mineral absorption.

 

To maintain bone integrity, we should be getting between 600 and 1,200mg of calcium every day, mainly from food sources such as dairy products, cheddar cheese, leafy green veggies, broccoli, tofu, turnips and almonds. We also need to ensure we are getting plenty of vitamin D from high-protein foods like salmon, sardines and whole eggs, and just getting out in the sun. Vitamin D increases calcium uptake.

 

Strength training is also crucial for keeping brittle bones at bay. I have read of cases where women in their 40's and 50's have increased their bone density by as much as 13% in just one year by lifting weights 2-3 times a week and eating properly. And while I don't recommend people use dysfunction-promoting machines to exercise, our body can't differentiate the source of resistance training. Simply placing physical demands on our skeletal and muscular systems will lead to increased bone formation.

 

So heed these words, and you too can avoid the hurt caused by broken bones.

 

 

 

Move Better. Eat Better. Live Better!