Osteoporosis is more than just a calcium deficiency. Are you at risk?

It’s estimated that approximately half a million people 50 years and older will fracture their hip. Scary thought!  What’s even scarier is that there are usually no outward signs or symptoms of osteoporosis.  Your bones can be slowly deteriorating over the course of decades and you won’t know it. Even bone density scans won’t pick up changes until there is about a 25% change in bone mass.

Many people are not aware of their osteoporosis until they suffer a painful fracture.

Staggering statistics about your bones:

• In the U.S., 10 million people have osteoporosis, and 34 million more have low bone mass
• One out of every two women and one in four men over 50 will have an osteoporosis-related fracture in his or her lifetime.
• Osteoporosis is not just a disease of the aging; it can strike at any age.
• Osteoporosis is not just a disease of women. More than 2 million American men suffer from osteoporosis, and 80,000 of them have a hip fracture each year.
• Osteoporosis causes more than 1.5 million fractures annually.
• The estimated cost of osteoporosis and related fractures in the US is estimated to be over $14 billion each year!

Is bone loss an inevitable effect of aging?

Are we doomed to lose our bones as we enter the second half of life or is bone loss the result of a lifetime of unhealthy habits?

We’ve all been told to drink our milk to prevent osteoporosis.  Milk moustaches on celebrities don the freeway billboards, reminding us to drink our 4 glasses a day.

Does drinking milk actually prevent osteoporosis, or is that a myth propagated by the dairy industry? If dairy products truly protected our bones, wouldn’t we see a lot less bone loss and fewer hip fractures than we do today?

If not helpful, can milk be harmful for your bones?

Is osteoporosis preventable?

Is it reversible?

Bone Breaking Facts About Your Bones

Get answers to these questions and more today on my blog talk radio show “Bone Breaking Facts About Your Bones”, the first of a two part series in preparation for Osteoporosis Awareness and Prevention Month in May.

Because bone health is so important, we decided to kick off Osteoporosis Awareness and Prevention Month with Eating for Bone Health, a class about how to strengthen your bones and reverse bone loss with bone building gluten free , whole raw foods, herbs, and nutrients.

In this class we’ll demonstrate some delicious bone strengthening whole foods recipes and talk about the foods, nutrients and herbs that help strengthen and protect your bones.

Don’t become a statistic.

Our recipes and strategies work for you whether you’re female or male, already in or around menopause, when your bone density tends to naturally decline unless you take action, or in your younger years when you have the opportunity to fortify your bones and prevent the natural decline.

Don’t wait until you’re diagnosed with osteopenia or osteoporosis, or fracture a limb to think about strengthening your bones.  Arm yourself with the knowledge and skills to improve your bone health every day of your live.  Take action now.

Bone strengthening foods are delicious.  Learn to make favorites like Strengthen My Bones Green Smoothie, Skeleton Supporting Savory Sesame Sauce, Bones Don’t Crack Crackers, Creamy Italian Bone Boosting Soup, Bone Building Super Salad and Bone Building Brownies in Eating for Bone Health,where you’ll also learn to fortify your favorite recipes with bone supporting herbs and foods.

Love, Health and Joy to You,

Dr. Ritamarie