SAVE YOUR BONES

Osteoporosis (weak bone disease) was non-existent a few decades ago. Presently it has reached epidemic proportions. Since the time of its discovery it was claimed to affect majority of the female population after menopause and the old age people.

Of late, children between 5-15 years, exhibit the alarming signs of this disease. As a result, even minor falls lead to fractures in kids. Moreover many kids complain of debilitating knee pain, back pain, frequent neck sprains and early fatigue during play.

The undesirable and deviant food habits and lifestyle changes over the past few decades have lead to this dreadful disease.

Ways to prevent and cure osteoporosis:

 1. Stop using refined sugar (white sugar): when cane sugar is refined it loses all its vital nutrients and retains just empty calories. Many toxic chemicals are used in the process of refining, which makes it more dangerous for regular consumption. It depletes calcium, magnesium and copper from the bone which renders the bone weak and brittle (easily breakable). It is also wise to avoid all products which contain this white sugar such as chocolates, sweets, bakery products like bread, cake, etc.

Products like noodles, pasta, pizza, packed chips which contain artificial sweeteners like saccharin and flavor enhancers like high fructose corn syrup (hfcs) and msg (mono- sodium glutamate) should be strictly avoided.

2. Stop caffeine intake: every cup of coffee robs your body of 150 mg of calcium. Stop consuming alcohol and soft drinks: the abundant phosphates and very high sugar content in the carbonated drinks sucks out the calcium from the bones. Alcohol creates a highly acidic environment in our body and hence depletes calcium reserves from our bones.

3. Cut down refined starch (white rice): polishing rice strips of all the nutrients and provides only empty calories and hence depletes calcium and vitamin b complex from our body.

4. Get sunlight everyday: recent researches confirm an ancient truth, that not only plants need sunlight for their survival; even humans should get exposed to sunlight regularly to lead a healthy life. A minimum of 20 minutes exposure to morning sunlight is mandatory everyday for our body metabolism to function normally. In addition, sunlight provides the majority of the vitamin d, which is recently found to be lacking in the modern population.

5. Movement is life: we are born to move and breathe, which is quite lacking in present days due to sedentary (without movement) mode of occupation and lifestyle. Free active exercises involving the large muscles of our arms and legs should be done without weights and any resistance for 20 minutes a day. The muscles exert a pulling force on bones during contraction, which stimulates new bone formation and thereby strengthens bones. Weight bearing movements like walking, stair climbing, cycling should be done with protective braces, splints and walking aids in advanced cases of osteoporosis

6. Be alkaline: all our body functions are designed to function the best in an alkaline medium, so do our bones and their calcium metabolism. Hence we should avoid food which turns our body acidic (non –vegetarian food is highly acidic), and we should concentrate and choose alkaline food (raw vegetable salads, fruits salads, nuts, wheatgrass juice, bilva juice, amla juice, lemon juice, ashgourd juice, banana pith juice, unpolished cereals, pulses with husk and so on.

7. Achieve relaxation: specific time should be allotted everyday for relaxation, during which various relaxation procedures like deep breathing in fresh air, listening to soothing classical music, walking with barefoot (if possible on grass lawns or sand in seashores, foot massage, whole body massage, progressive muscle relaxation procedures, gentle low- grade aerobic workouts in open air. Relaxation reduces the cortisol levels and in turn prevents calcium loss.

8. Be constantly aware of your posture: a faulty posture (excessive bent position of neck, back, one- sided sitting, standing, slouched sitting in sofas, cushioned chairs) causes unequal shearing load on one part of the bone resulting in early degeneration and weakening. Children should not be allowed to carry heavy school bags. People should acquire knowledge about ideal, correct posture from physical therapy professionals and should perform regular postural exercises.