Osteoporosis

I had quite an active lifestyle until my first daughter came along in 2000. I was working full time and only had a few precious hours with her each day. I couldn’t bear putting her in a jogging stroller or leaving her in babysitting at the gym, so I gave up my work out routine.

I was pregnant with my second daughter in 2002 when I first heard Brian talk about the living foods life style. I found it comforting since most people made me feel guilty about being vegetarian – sometimes even asking me if I was depriving my unborn child. I took in quite a bit of information and made some minor changes in my routine and went about my life. I continued to work full time, and had my 2 year old at home, so I still didn’t consider readopting my exercise routine. I justified that by telling myself that eating healthier would compensate for my sedentary lifestyle.

In my childhood, from the ages of 2 to 13, I had been on and off steroids and antibiotics to treat a weak immune system, asthma, allergies, chronic bronchitis, and pneumonia. I knew these drugs had resulted in my hyper-flexibility and I was concerned about the damage they may have done to my bones. I asked my OB to take a bone scan so I would know where I stood. At 35 years of age, she said it was a bit early, but did it for me anyway.

My test results showed that my bones were in the “medium risk zone.” My OB upped my calcium and told me to come back in a year. I remember Brian saying that the wrong selection of vitamins only created expensive urine, so I tried upping my diet in calcium-rich vegetables as opposed to buying calcium supplements.

The following year, in September 2005, I had my second bone scan and it showed I was experiencing 10% bone loss in my spine and 11% loss in my hips. Now, at 36, this scared me. I used to make fun of my grandmother for shrinking with old age, but I wasn’t old yet! My OB prescribed more calcium and put me on Boniva, a once-a-month pill to combat bone loss. The Boniva instructions were to take the pill but NOT to bend over for 3 hours or suffer possible burns in my esophagus; I decided to call Brian for a consultation.

When I saw Brian, he informed me that it was normal that I was losing bone mass since I was sitting on my behind all day, every day, without doing any exercise. I could take all the calcium and drugs there were, but they were not going to help me. I had to reintroduce an exercise schedule into my weekly routine. I started lifting extremely light weights two times a week and taking silica three times a day (tapering down every few months). I also cut back on coffee and seltzers which create an acidic state and leach calcium from the bones. After one year of doing this, I switched to lifting weights once a month and walking four times a week for 30 minutes.

This past month, September 2007, I had my third bone scan. Before the test, my doctor asked me if I was taking the Boniva and calcium. I said “nope” with a bit of a smug look on my face. She called me naughty, so I explained what I was doing. She sent me in for the bone scan with little hope in her voice. I walked into the scan confident that I had stopped my bone loss.

I was outside her office waiting for my results when she called me back in to the scanning room. She couldn’t believe that not only did I stop my bone loss but I had built 17.9% in my hips and 5.4% in my spine. YEAH! Boy did my smug look turn into an “I told you so” smirk! I actually surprised myself. I had no idea that I was now BUILDING bone. How amazing our bodies are! If we treat them well they really do take care of us!

Just a little information and little effort have certainly allowed me to take charge of my own health.

Vol 28 Issue 1 page 16