Episode 68: The Bone Density Video

In this episode of Life after Kids with Drs. Brooke and Lynne you’ll leawrn more about bone density as we age and how to prevent bone loss. We’re discussing exercise, supplements, and foods that will keep your bones healthy and strong in midlife.

Do you know someone elderly who has fallen and fractured a hip or broken a rib?  Sadly, these injuries are very common later in life, and they can be devastating.

You may be thinking we're too young to be talking about hip fractures or saying to yourself, "please don't age me too quickly".  However, over 55% of people over the age of 50 in the US have osteoporosis or some form of bone loss. To clarify, osteopenia is a loss of bone density, while osteoporosis is a more advanced stage of bone loss.  It's considered to be disease of the bone.

We believe it's never too soon to talk about bone health and bone density, especially since there are many simply things we can do right now to strengthen our bones and prevent bone loss.  You can learn more about bone density in this week's episode of Life after Kids with Drs. Brooke and Lynne.  For now, we've added a few important takeaways below.

• Exercise is one of the best ways to build bone strength and reduce bone loss.  Try body resistance training, weight lifting, or rebounding

• If you have an injury, joint issues, or other things that prevent you from the exercises noted above, take heart, even activities like walking, moving on an elliptical trainer, or yoga will help keep your bones healthy

• Important supplements for bone health include: vitamin D with K2 magnesium, manganese, and calcium

• Eat the following to keep your bones healthy: dark green leafy vegetables for calcium, macadamia nuts for manganese, and sea vegetables for a variety of minerals

• Alcohol, soda, and caffeine have a negative effect on bone density

• Many of us can't wait to be done having a period, but the longer we cycle, the better it is for the health of our bones, and the higher our estrogen stays the better, so don't hesitate to get your hormones tested in order to know where you stand.

Keep in mind that your body is intelligently designed to be healthy and stay balanced.  Believe it or not, it has a check and balance system to deposit calcium from you blood into your bones when needed, or remove calcium from your bone if other areas of the body need it more.  So, trust your body and treat it right.  Get yourself moving regularly, start a strength training routine, eat whole healthy foods, and supplement when needed.  Also, don’t forget to click the picture above to watch this week’s episode of Life after Kids with Drs. Brooke and Lynne, The Bone Density Video. 

Take care of your body. It's the only place you have to live.
-Jim Rohn