What is osteoporosis?

It literally means porous bones and develops when the process of bone remodeling becomes unbalanced. Old, worn out bone is naturally reabsorbed by the body and new bone should be produced to replace it. However, if not enough new bone is produced then your bones start to become thin and brittle.

Amazingly enough it is a largely preventable disease

Some UK statistics are quite frightening -

• at least 3 million people suffer from it
• one in two women
• and one in five men are likely to suffer a fracture after the age of 50
• it affects younger people too

Here are some helpful tips to help stop you becoming one of the statistics

• Take regular exercise which stimulates the formation of new bone
• High impact is best
• Try
• aerobics
• gymnastics
• netball
• dancing
• racquet sports
• jogging
• skipping

• Eat calcium rich foods
• These include
• dairy products
• green, leafy vegetables
• salmon/pilchards (tinned and with bones)
• eggs
• nuts, seeds and pulses
• white and brown bread made from fortified flour

• Get enough vitamin D
• Summer (15mins) and winter (30mins) sun will help your vitamin D levels
• Good foods include: oily fish, eggs, butter, fortified milk, and fortified margarine and spreads.

• Eat at least 5 servings of fruit and vegetables per day
• these foods contain important bone micronutrients

• Avoid canned and fizzy drinks which contain phosphoric acid
• they may cause a loss of calcium from your bones

• Avoid smoking and excessive alcohol

• Avoid aluminium based antacids
• These impair the absorption of phosphates and after 10yrs regular use, double the likelihood of hip fracture

• Cut back on salty foods/salt intake
• table salt increases the loss of calcium through your kidneys

Christina Vickery

Hi I used to run Stress Awareness presentations within companies throughout the south of England. Then I moved to the New Forest and decided to set up my website on stress, based on my own experiences over the last few traumatic years. The website has proved to be cathartic and I am now adding to it, to include a much wider overview of stress and the anxieties which come with it. Life is a huge rollercoaster and as long as we can keep learning from our experiences then we will always be able to handle stress and its affects on our lives - I must say I have sometimes questioned just how much I have needed to experience some of the learning curves that have been thrown at us! I am passionate in my belief that the world is full of kind and helpful people, and that together we can share our experiences and knowledge to become much happier and evolved souls - sounds a bit "New Age" I know but what is the alternative - shut your door and not share with others - that's never going to help anyone. If we learn to trust and share with others then most of us will be amazed the level of love and support which we can not only give but also receive. There ends the sermon! Seriously though friends and loved ones can help us through the darkest times of our lives and so we must trust more and express ourselves more without feeling ashamed or embarrassed - a bit difficult for us Brits at times. My future plans are to build my website and make a warm and welcoming place for people to visit to get support, advice and information.