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To help keep Canadians healthy and fit, Goldhawk.com has teamed with The Global Healthy Living Foundation to bring you news and information about Health & Fitness. The foundation and its four major websites are only some of our resources. In Health & Fitness, you'll find information about long-term care, exercise, medications and lots more to keep the Canadians hale, hearty and happy throughout life.
Osteoporosis,the silent thief
Osteoporosis doesn’t need to be a result of aging. Osteoporosis, a chronic disease affecting approximately two million Canadians, happens when the body loses more bone than it replaces. Bones weaken and become more likely to break or fracture, even with slight stresses like lifting a vacuum cleaner.
Referred to as the ‘silent thief', people with osteoporosis often have no symptoms until they actually experience a fracture. Dr. Sophie Jamal, director for the multidisciplinary osteoporosis program at Toronto’s Women's College Hospital and assistant professor of medicine at the University of Toronto, says, "People need to understand that osteoporosis is a long-term chronic condition that can lead to disability and even death."
The disease affects one in four women and one in eight men over the age of 50. Seven in 10 fractures in those over the age of 45 are due to this disease.
However, Jamal adds, "We've also made strides in new treatments. Canadians now have more dosing options for medications, including every day, once a week or once a month."
Here are 5 ways to build better bones.
1. Get your Calcium
Important sources of calcium are: milk, yogurt, cheese, almonds, broccoli, bok choy, cooked kale, canned salmon and sardines (with the bones), figs, oats and soy products such as tofu, dried beans and legumes, orange juice and soy milk.
2. Get your Vitamin D
The only natural foods containing Vitamin D are egg yolk, liver and fatty fish, such as salmon, tuna, mackerel and sardines, but Vitamin D is also found in fortified foods such as some cereals and beverages such as milk, margarine and soy milk.
3. Get regular exercise
Regular exercise, especially weight-bearing activities such as walking or jogging, is an important part of building and maintaining strong bones. Twenty minutes of walking 3-4 times a week should do it.
4. Ask about a bone mineral density test
Doctors use a test called a Bone Mineral Density (BMD) scan to help assess whether a person has osteoporosis.
5. Don't smoke
Smoking can increase bone loss.
In Canada, there are a variety of prescription drug treatments for people with osteoporosis.
By Cynthia Ross Cravit
Read more at 50Plus.com.
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