Top 5 Lifestyle Tweaks to Fight Osteoporosis Naturally

In osteoporosis, the body's bones become thin and brittle. This can lead to a decrease in mobility, an increase in bone fractures, and worse. Many people with osteoporosis --- yes, the disease affects both men and women ---take medications designed to stop or even reverse bone loss. But the body's natural bone-building process also can be supported through nutrition and exercise. In fact, here are five lifestyle tweaks to fight osteoporosis, along with my suggestion on how to roll them all into one delightful daily activity. Which is: Walk barefoot on a sunny day in a pretty place while munching one of my Pumpkin Carrot Spice Dried Fruit and Nuts Chocolate Chip muffins. Ready?

Walking for bone health

Walking, according to "Exercise Treatment for Osteoporosis," is one of "the best possible exercises for osteoporosis prevention." WebMD notes that "even if you already have osteoporosis, exercising can help maintain the bone mass you have. . . . When you exercise, you don't just build muscle and endurance. You also build and maintain the amount and thickness of your bones."

To fight osteoporosis, WebMD states weight-bearing, resistance and flexibility exercise is helpful. Walking is a simple, inexpensive form of weight-bearing exercise. ("Weight-bearing" refers to the fact that while exercising "your legs support your body's weight.") Walking, quite simply, has been extolled as "Still Man's Best Medicine."

Walk barefoot for a bone-building sensation

Wearing shoes has consequences! Yes, that's what scientists determined when they researched how walking barefoot, compared to walking in various types of shoes, impacted the "peak load" on ankles, knees and hips. It turns out , according to Science Daily, that wearing shoes all the time "alters the normal form and function of the foot." In a separate study, researchers found that bare feet make natural adjustments that protect the hips and knees better than even the "best" shoes! It's no wonder the New York Times ran a long feature on the return to bare feet, You Walk Wrong.

It may not be practical for you to become a true "barefooter." But, as the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety states, "no matter how great the shoe, or how careful you are about your health, occasionally going barefoot is beneficial." CCOHS notes, "being barefoot can partly restore the natural flexibility of your feet. This is why we suggest walking barefoot around the house, in your backyard, on the beach, or any place where there is no obvious hazard to your feet."

Walking for osteoporosis is about weight-bearing. And walking barefoot allows the wonderfully complex feet to naturally adjust how weight is borne by your joints and spine. Walking barefoot also connects your body with the sensations and vibrations that signal bone production. (And, at least for me, going barefoot is just plain fun!)

Natural vitamin D aids calcium absorption, body weight and mood

Sandy Simmons writes, "Walking outside in the sunshine not only gives bones the strengthening benefits that come with the weight bearing exercise of walking, but the skin exposure to sunshine also helps" us manufacture vitamin D, which is needed to absorb calcium. She states that "about 30 - 40 percent of the people who get hip fractures, a common occurrence with osteoporosis, are vitamin D deficient."

Scientists found that Vitamin D deficiency was an important cause of bone loss in cancer patients. Although Vitamin D deficiency can be addressed by prescription drugs, most people also make natural vitamin D, which is actually a complex of vitamins, through sun exposure. (Here's a cool map of available sunlight by region in the U.S.) In addition to its direct impact on bone health, vitamin D supports bone health by helping prevent weight gain.

Vitamin G - lower your stress, help your bones

I've written about vitamin G: "'Vitamin G' is a term coined by researchers to describe --- and emphasize --- the healthful effects of spending time in nature. According to researchers at the National Institutes of Health, 'G' stands for green; specifically, the 'effects of green space on health, well-being, and social safety.' But I like to think of vitamin G as also standing for 'garden' and "the great outdoors.'"

In short, vitamin G --- spending time in nature --- lowers stress. Stress, which can lead to problems such as depression, may worsen bone loss. In fact, scientists found that depression can cause "impairment in the bone renewal process, which is essential to maintaining normal bone density."

How a muffin can help you eat more fruits and veggies

How many health and wellness articles have you read that advised to "eat more fruits and veggies"? Many, I'd wager. Here's an idea: wrap up a bunch of fruits and vegetables in a delicious, portable snack food: the Pumpkin Carrot Spice Dried Fruit and Nuts Chocolate Chip muffin. This muffin recipe, below, is stuffed with goodies to support bone health (yes, even chocolate has health benefits!).

Bake up a double batch of these fruit-and-veggie-filled muffins, freeze for individual use, and you are ready to combine these five lifestyle tweaks to fight osteoporosis into one delightful daily activity: walking barefoot (so far as circumstances permit) on a sunny day in a pretty (or at least green) place while munching on a Pumpkin Carrot Spice Dried Fruit and Nuts Chocolate Chip muffin. Enjoy!

More B.A. Rogers: Avoiding Weight Gain: Stand Up for Yourself and The Surprising Health Benefits of Picnicking.

Recipe: Pumpkin Carrot Spice Dried Fruit and Nuts Chocolate Chip Muffins (makes one dozen)

½ cup pumpkin, canned
1/3 cup honey (or 2/3 cup brown sugar)
2 eggs, slightly beaten
½ cup yogurt (plain, vanilla or any fruit flavor)
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 ½ teaspoon (or to taste) pumpkin pie spice (or 2 teaspoons cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, ½ teaspoon nutmeg)
½ teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons baking powder
¼ cup olive oil (or vegetable oil)
½ cup oatmeal, uncooked
½ cup milk
1 cup carrots, raw and grated
1 cup mixed dried fruit (raisins, dried cranberries, dried pineapple, for example)
½ cup chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans, for example)
½ cup chocolate chips (optional)
2 cups whole wheat flour

In a small bowl, pour milk over uncooked oatmeal. Stir once. Allow to stand.

In a bowl for mixing dry ingredients, mix flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices.

In a large mixing bowl, mix (by hand or on low) pumpkin, eggs and oil. Stir to mix after adding each of the following ingredients: honey; yogurt; oatmeal and milk; carrots.

Add dry ingredients to pumpkin mixture and mix until just moistened. Fold in nuts, dried fruits, and chocolate chips.

Allow the batter to sit for a few minutes. Spoon into muffin tins sprayed with non-stick spray or use muffin liners. Bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until done.

ENJOY!

Did you know? The Whittaker Wellness Institute states that "osteoporosis-related fractures are almost twice as common as heart attacks and nearly five times as frequent as either stroke or cancer in women in the US." A tuning fork, of all things, can be used to screen for bone fractures.

Sources:

Sandy Simmons, "Exercise Treatment for Osteoporosis," Connective Tissue Disorder Site.

Reviewed by James E. Gerace, MD, "Exercise for Osteoporosis," WebMD.

"Footwear Alters Normal Form And Function Of The Foot," Science Daily.

Shakoor Najia, et al., "Walking barefoot decreases loading on the lower extremity joints in knee osteoarthritis," Journal, Arthritis and Rheumatism.

Adam Sternbergh, "You Walk Wrong," New York Times Magazine.

"Walking - Still Man's Best Medicine," Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety.

"Clearing Your Mind and Body Through Your Bare Feet," Buddha Trance.

"Causes Of Bone Loss In Breast Cancer Survivors Include Cancer Drugs And Vitamin D Deficiency," Science Daily.

"Map of Available Sunlight, By Region," Oregon State University.

Groenewegen PP, et al., "Vitamin G: effects of green space on health, well-being, and social safety," National Institutes of Health.

B. A. Rogers, "Stress Relief Tip: Get Plenty of Vitamin G," Associated Content.

"Connection Between Depression And Osteoporosis Shown By Hebrew University Researchers," Science Daily.