Wellness

[gazelle77]

I thought since this is such an important part of out health as we grow older, sharing ideas and lifestyles to enhance our bone density would make for a good thread.

I myself incorporate a calcium rich diet, not so much dairy( in fact very little dairy except for Nancy's cottage cheese occasionally because I love it!) but, instead with lots of calcium rich greens, chickpeas, raw nuts and other healthy calcium rich foods. I do take extra vitamin D at about 7000 IU a day. I take the mineral Strontium every day, and also a very good calcium/ vitamin k-2 formula. I am now on a walking regime after about 10 years of not walking much due to very bad knees. I pretty much got to the point of being sedentary as just standing for me was so so painful! I had both knees replaced a year ago and now am walking about 45 minutes a day, and moving again thank goodness! I also do strength training about 5 days a week.

My next physical coming up here in the fall, I am going to have a bone density test taken as my Orthopedic surgeon said I should have one done my next physical when I went to see him last week. I am 59 years old. I do have to have both hips replaced here in the next couple of years... and I think he was concerned about the bone density of my hip joints.

[pattypeep]

Good post, Gazelle. Since having br cancer my oncologist has me have bone density tests every couple of years. I wanted to mention that I saw a new rheumatologist because I've come out of a seven year remission regarding my autoimmune disorder. He said that 5,000 iu's of vit d (which is what I've taken for years) is probably too much because vit D is not water soluble, so therefore we can accumulate it in our bodies. My dh and I did not realize this. He's checking my vit d levels as we speak to see where I'm at. Anyway, to answer your question, I believe that exercise is a good way to keep our bone density in check.

[Buck-i-Nana]

I walked, LOTS. Walk my dogs twice a day, no matter what the weather. Each walk is 2 miles, but there's plenty of stopping because it is their time after all. I take an additional walk with my neighbor after I get the dogs settled back at home and we walk my neighborhood 3 times a week. It's got some nice gentle hills that add a little more oomph. I also do some weight bearing workouts twice a week with my son.

I take calcium + K2 daily as well as supplement with Vit D2.

I had a compression fracture of my tibial plateau about 5 years ago, an accident at work. My family Dr wanted to make sure that there was no underlying issues, and ordered up a bone-density test. I have the bone density of a 20 something - not bad for this 60 year old Nana!

[Happy Elizabeth]

Great post! I'm hoping to get some ideas here. I'm "only" 43, but osteoporosis runs in my family, and I've witnessed the pain and suffering of my relatives, so I want to do my best to help my bones. I run 3-4 times a week (hoping to do a half-marathon this fall), and I walk 7 days per week with my dogs, and several miles by myself on non-running days. I don't eat meat, fish, or poultry (never have), and virtually no dairy, but I am very vigilant about my diet - I eat lots of raw leafy greens, fermented foods, nuts, seeds, beans, sprouts, some tofu, all sorts of healthy food. I also take the Lessman calcium (which has vitamin d). I need to have a bone density test (I'm kind of scared), but all of my blood work is fantastic, so that's good. I can tell that my bones are not the greatest though, so I really need to work at it.

PS - Hip replacements also run in my family, so I feel I need to be vigilant of that too!

[gazelle77]

On 6/14/2014 Happy Elizabeth said:

Great post! I'm hoping to get some ideas here. I'm "only" 43, but osteoporosis runs in my family, and I've witnessed the pain and suffering of my relatives, so I want to do my best to help my bones. I run 3-4 times a week (hoping to do a half-marathon this fall), and I walk 7 days per week with my dogs, and several miles by myself on non-running days. I don't eat meat, fish, or poultry (never have), and virtually no dairy, but I am very vigilant about my diet - I eat lots of raw leafy greens, fermented foods, nuts, seeds, some tofu, all sorts of healthy food. I also take the Lessman calcium (which has vitamin d). I need to have a bone density test (I'm kind of scared), but all of my blood work is fantastic, so that's good. I can tell that my bones are not the greatest though, so I really need to work at it.

PS - Hip replacements also run in my family, so I feel I need to be vigilant of that too!

WOW Elizabeth! You are doing great with your healthy eating and moving! You keep it up!!( maybe cut back on the running and walk instead as it is not so good for the joints..... I only say this with love coming from a person with bad joints! ) When you are 60, you will probably have the best bones possible!

[gazelle77]

On 6/14/2014 Buck-i-Nana said:

I walked, LOTS. Walk my dogs twice a day, no matter what the weather. Each walk is 2 miles, but there's plenty of stopping because it is their time after all. I take an additional walk with my neighbor after I get the dogs settled back at home and we walk my neighborhood 3 times a week. It's got some nice gentle hills that add a little more oomph. I also do some weight bearing workouts twice a week with my son.

I take calcium + K2 daily as well as supplement with Vit D2.

I had a compression fracture of my tibial plateau about 5 years ago, an accident at work. My family Dr wanted to make sure that there was no underlying issues, and ordered up a bone-density test. I have the bone density of a 20 something - not bad for this 60 year old Nana!

Wow! For me to inspire to be! Thanks Nana!

[gazelle77]

On 6/14/2014 twopeas said:

Good post, Gazelle. Since having br cancer my oncologist has me have bone density tests every couple of years. I wanted to mention that I saw a new rheumatologist because I've come out of a seven year remission regarding my autoimmune disorder. He said that 5,000 iu's of vit d (which is what I've taken for years) is probably too much because vit D is not water soluble, so therefore we can accumulate it in our bodies. My dh and I did not realize this. He's checking my vit d levels as we speak to see where I'm at. Anyway, to answer your question, I believe that exercise is a good way to keep our bone density in check.

Thanks for sharing twopeas. Do you have the dexi scan type to bone density test? How is your density doing can I ask? Are you close to 60?

[Happy Elizabeth]

On 6/14/2014 gazelle77 said:

On 6/14/2014 Happy Elizabeth said:

Great post! I'm hoping to get some ideas here. I'm "only" 43, but osteoporosis runs in my family, and I've witnessed the pain and suffering of my relatives, so I want to do my best to help my bones. I run 3-4 times a week (hoping to do a half-marathon this fall), and I walk 7 days per week with my dogs, and several miles by myself on non-running days. I don't eat meat, fish, or poultry (never have), and virtually no dairy, but I am very vigilant about my diet - I eat lots of raw leafy greens, fermented foods, nuts, seeds, some tofu, all sorts of healthy food. I also take the Lessman calcium (which has vitamin d). I need to have a bone density test (I'm kind of scared), but all of my blood work is fantastic, so that's good. I can tell that my bones are not the greatest though, so I really need to work at it.

PS - Hip replacements also run in my family, so I feel I need to be vigilant of that too!

WOW Elizabeth! You are doing great with your healthy eating and moving! You keep it up!!( maybe cut back on the running and walk instead as it is not so good for the joints..... I only say this with love coming from a person with bad joints! ) When you are 60, you will probably have the best bones possible!

You are so right about the running! That's why I never plan on doing a full marathon, because my joints just couldn't take the training. I'm hoping I'll be able to satisfy my type-A personality with a slowly run half-marathon. That's also why I only run every other day - as much as I'd love to run every day, it's just not good for the joints.

[Annabellethecat66]

I just had my bone density checked about 2 weeks ago. It had been 2 years since it's been checked.

Since then I've lost over 40 lbs and restarted taking Premarin. I was concerned it had been affected.

Two years ago it was very good. Again, it is very good. It had not changed. I'm going on 68 years old so I try to keep an eye on it.

I do nothing to affect it.

[gazelle77]

On 6/14/2014 annabellethecat said:

I just had my bone density checked about 2 weeks ago. It had been 2 years since it's been checked.

Since then I've lost over 40 lbs and restarted taking Premarin. I was concerned it had been affected.

Two years ago it was very good. Again, it is very good. It had not changed. I'm going on 68 years old so I try to keep an eye on it.

I do nothing to affect it.

Nice that your bones are so strong at 68! Wow, 40 pounds lost must make you feel terrific! That is wonderful!