| When you look in the mirror, it doesn't come into | | | | ofkeeping my bones strong was not high on my |
| view. Just imagine, you could betwenty, thirty, forty | | | | intention of the activities. Somethings change. For one |
| or older and it could afflict you. People who look at | | | | there are no options now. I hate not having options. |
| you don'tsee it. When it does finally surface on the | | | | Dailyexercise, including weight lifting is a necessity. |
| outside for any human eye to see, theharm may be | | | | EAT AND DRINK CALCIUM |
| irreversible. The scary part is the external warning of | | | | Remember when your mom said, "Drink all your |
| osteoporosis issilent while inside the body is clamoring | | | | milk?" Profound and simplewisdom. Calcium, along with |
| for help. | | | | a variety of vitamins and minerals that activate |
| Many women rate turning fifty as a positively high | | | | theabsorption of the calcium, is part of my daily diet. |
| experience. I once lookedforward to the celebration. | | | | Calcium on its own is notenough. It needs at a |
| The inner peace that comes with this proclaimed | | | | minimum, vitamin D, vitamin K, magnesium and zinc. |
| turningpoint is chafed only by my recent diagnosis of | | | | Thosechocolate chews Viactiv(TM) ease the pill |
| osteopenia. Osteopenia is thebeginning phase of | | | | popping dilemma. All this and more, isessential for the |
| osteoporosis. Any age is too young for this disease. | | | | building of our bone structure until we are 30. After |
| My hope of naturally preventing further bone density | | | | 30 or so itseems our body finds difficulty in building |
| loss and even reversibility is tonot take drugs for the | | | | and even weakens in maintainingcalcium. I wish this |
| rest of my life. I prefer to walk around straight and | | | | information and even more was rampant 20 years |
| standshort at 5 foot 2 inches. Unbelievably my new | | | | ago. If youknow you can choose life with or without |
| gynecologist reported my height atone inch less than | | | | a straight jacket, what would you choose? |
| just a short thirty years ago. My fear is that only a | | | | More than what you probably want to know about all |
| life sentence tosome prescription drug will be the | | | | these vitamins and minerals isfound in Preventing and |
| answer. Most of my anger is, "I wish I knew | | | | Reversing Osteoporosis by Alan R. Gaby, MD. |
| thenwhat I know now." The rest of the anger is of | | | | DON'T DISMISS PRESCRIPTION DRUGS |
| closed and under-educated minds in amedical society | | | | If drugs didn't have a part in the creation, why would |
| that takes the Hippocratic oath. | | | | they need to have anything todo with sustaining? |
| BE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR OWN HEALTH | | | | I've always held physicians in high esteem for their |
| For almost 2 years I asked my gynecologist to | | | | technicalexpertise. Sometimes their bedside manner is |
| prescribe a bone density test for me. | | | | an added bonus in the relationship. |
| He tried to appease me by dismissing my concerns | | | | But, what good is having a doctor near your bedside |
| of what I was reading. "You'retoo young; you | | | | if they can only sing you tosleep by singing loudly and |
| needn't worry about this." But, the risk factors in | | | | off key in your ears? When you ask questions of |
| health magazinearticles were consistent. Finally he | | | | yourlong trusted doctor and he or she says, "Gee |
| respected my request. | | | | I've never heard of that," thediscomfort is frightening. |
| BE HUNGRY TO LEARN | | | | Yes, I would rather have more of the questions, yet |
| Can you imagine knowing more about the reading of | | | | I'mwanting the doctor to have more of the answers. |
| a medical test of this naturethan your doctor? It was | | | | The thing they tend to do best isrush to hand you a |
| inconceivable, but true. The results revealed I was in | | | | pre-written prescription for some drug. I fired my |
| thebeginning stages of the precursor to osteoporosis; | | | | gynecologistof almost 20 years. I found an internal |
| something called osteopenia. | | | | medicine doctor, who also does thegynecological |
| The test results read similar to what I found in the | | | | tests, on recommendation. She is more current in her |
| book The Osteoporosis Cure by | | | | information,education and cautiousness to prescribe |
| Harris McIlwain, MD and Debra Fulghum Bruce. My | | | | drugs. |
| doctor immediately wrote up aprescription for me. It | | | | I correspond with several women diagnosed with |
| was for a drug with known possible side effects | | | | osteoporosis who took the naturalway to bone |
| includingbreast cancer. He was not interested in | | | | rebuilding. For all 6 or so of them, a year later none, |
| hearing about my plan for first trying oneyear of an | | | | not one, reportedthat it worked. A drug prescription |
| alternative program to include more exercise, added | | | | is now their life sentence. Yet, there is a recentstudy |
| soy products andincreased calcium supplements. The | | | | of women adding 50 high jumps a day into their |
| potential, natural approach to prevent andreverse | | | | exercise. The resultsincreased bone density in all ages |
| bone density loss lies in a number of year-round daily | | | | of women. One year later, on reading about thestudy |
| routines. | | | | again, it turns out you need to wear a weighted vest |
| AT LEAST DO THE MOST IMPORTANT EXERCISE | | | | to achieve better results. |
| Walking is healthy for both the body and the mind. | | | | I've discovered osteoporosis is the story for millions |
| The outside pleasurable ventureis a time to soak in | | | | of women, yet you don't haveto honor the gathering |
| sunshine and nature with cooperative weather. The | | | | with your presence. What makes me the angriest is |
| treadmill is amore repetitive, boring journey to a | | | | its highlyprobable I could have prevented or at least |
| healthy body but it is tolerable. Weight | | | | minimized all this. You can prevent andreverse your |
| liftingeventually pays off with a lean looking body | | | | skeletal life structure from collapsing when you begin |
| besides helping the skeleton. Weightbearing exercise, | | | | to take charge ofyour own health and when you |
| including a suggestion from what one woman with | | | | begin early in adulthood, age 30 or so. Fear andanger |
| severe osteotold me: when in a standing position, as | | | | don't have to make an unexpected visit. If it's not |
| often as possible, put all your weight onjust one foot. | | | | too late for you, bone-upon the facts! (pun intended) |
| Every step or skip or jump you take tells your bones | | | | While there's still time, you may want to make |
| to bring in somecalcium from somewhere in your | | | | someeasy changes. |
| body. For the longest time the added benefit | | | | |