The word ‘osteoporosis’ means ‘porous bone.’ It is a disease that weakens bones, and if you have it, you are at a greater risk for sudden and unexpected bone fractures. Most of these are fractures of the hip, wrist and spine.

Definition provided by The Cleveland Clinic

In 2012 I had my diseased thyroid surgically removed, so now I rely on levothyroxine for thyroid hormone replacement. A little known potential consequence of taking this medication is osteoporosis. Additionally, I am a post menopausal woman. So when the results of my first bone scan showed osteoporosis, I was not surprised. In fact, I swear I could actually feel it in my hips and spine, and it also showed in my slouch.

My doctor told me at age 53 I had the bones of an 80 year old. Interestingly, my mother, who was 86 was told she had the bones of a 50 year old. I had to fix this.

I was offered the obligatory prescriptions, like Boniva and Fosamax. But after careful consideration and seeing all the unwanted side effects and warnings, I decided to tackle my porous bones through diet and exercise.

With the guidance of my physician, who specializes in functional medicine, I started reading about osteoporosis on reputable internet sites. I like to use National Institutes of Health (NIH), Harvard School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins and Mayo Clinic, for starters.

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Food as Medicine

For most of my adult life, my diet consisted mainly of the wheat-based carbs and overly processed fast foods that make up the Standard American Diet (SAD). Now I follow the works of Dr. Mark Hyman MD, a functional medicine pioneer and author of Food, What the Heck Should I Eat. He also hosts a weekly podcast called the Doctor’s Farmacy, which I highly recommend if you are interested in improving your overall health and well-being by simply making healthier food choices.

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Dietary Supplements

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Weight-bearing Exercise

The term “weight-bearing” is key. These are exercises that use your legs and feet to support your weight. This type of exercise stimulates bone growth. Swimming and bicycling are not considered to be weight-bearing. Here are a few of my favorite weight-bearing activities:

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*I can’t stress enough that my intake of nutritional supplements and exercises are closely followed by my physician, through regular office visits and labs tests. Do not follow my dietary advice and physical activities without first consulting your physician.*

My strategy so far is working. I get tested every two years and I went from full-blown osteoporosis to osteopenia (a condition of reduced bone mass), to normal bones for my age (60). Again, I need to stress that this is what is working for me, and it’s not for everyone.

If you are a post menopausal woman age 50 or older, talk to your physician about getting a baseline bone scan now. Do not wait until you break a hip and suffer dire consequences. I am living proof that osteoporosis can be reversed without using expensive prescription drugs with consequential side effects.

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Thank you for reading! – Barb, the River Blogger (Btrb)

Feel free to reblog anything I post. I welcome all comments and discussion.

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