Bone Health

Two of the conditions routinely screened for in peri-menopause are osteopenia and osteoporosis. Osteopenia is most easily defined as the beginning stages of bone loss and osteoporosis as more severe bone loss with an increased fracture risk. Both are measured using hip and spine bone density measurements. There are many factors that contribute to bone health including decreasing hormone levels, the quality of the food we eat, exercise, age, familial history and body type. Everything about bone health revolves around minerals in our body. Our bodies are trying to keep calcium levels in our blood stable and our bones are calcium storage. If our blood is low in calcium it will be pulled from our bones to make up the difference. Avoiding foods that promote excretion of calcium from our blood is the first step in preventing bone loss.

Weight bearing exercises increase bone density by forcing our bodies to recognize a demand when the muscles pull on our bones. As more stress is placed on the bone through weight training, our body lays down more bone in response to the stress.

In our bodies energy is expended on a priority basis. If we choose not to partake in weight bearing exercise our body will not make our bones a priority and use the energy it would have spent on bone building for something else.

The two most proactive things we can do for your bones are:

1) Consume a healthy well-balanced diet with the intention of building bone with each bite of food you take.

2) Make exercise part of your daily routine. A balanced exercise program consists of aerobic, weight bearing, and proper stretching exercises.

It is estimated that the age of peak bone mass in women is somewhere between 28 and 30 years of age. It is now recommended that women should consider taking preventative measures for healthy bones in their early thirties.

Beverages that contribute to mineral leaching from our bones include:

Soda pop – Soda contains phosphoric acid, phosphoric acid increases the level of phosphorus in our blood, which triggers the balancing mechanisms in our bodies to take calcium from our bones to counteract the imbalance. In addition to this one 12 oz can of soda contains 9-12 teaspoons of sugar. In order for us to metabolize sugar minerals are also required.

Coffee – the acidity of coffee lowers the ph of our blood, this causes minerals to be leached from our bones to increase the alkalinity of our blood back to its normal value. Coffee also acts as a diuretic, which increases our urinary excretion of minerals.

Important foods for bone health:

1) Organic meat and vegetable soups in a crock-pot with the bones.

2) Mineral rich beverages in place of soda. EX: Emer’gen-C packets, water with fresh lemon.

3) Five servings of fruits and vegetables daily include dark leafy greens with squeezed lemon or vinegar to help liberate the minerals in the green

4) Foods high in calcium such as the grain amaranth, dairy products.

5) Avoid foods and prescription drugs that contribute to bone breakdown (coffee, soda pop, refined grains, steroids.)

6) Consider calcium supplementation with a good type of calcium such as calcium citrate along with magnesium, boron, maganese and vitamin D.