I thought I had started a thread about this a few years ago but if I did, I can't find it, so here goes...

I know I'm young but I have a lot of risk factors for osteoporosis, such as being white, being very thin, and having a strong presence of the disease in both sides of my family (grandma, grandma's twin, grandma's sister, grandma's mother, other grandma's sister, and grandpa). Based on those risks, my doctor ordered a DEXA scan in 2007.

Because the health industry generally only screens women in their 60's and women don't reach peak bone density until about 30, we weren't sure what to make of my -2.1 score. So I waited two years and had another DEXA scan a couple weeks ago.

We hoped my score woudl improve, btu it didn't. It stayed the same at -2.1-- osteopenia. I guess that's better than gettign worse (less than -2.5 is osteoporosis), but also discouraging since I shoudl be near my peak (1.5 years until I'm 30).

I tried takign calcium supplements btu they aggravated my vertigo, so instead, I tried to pick up weight lifting and running. I've onyl managed to do thsi with some sort of regularity since December. I guess the next step is to cut out my beloved soda pop Still waiting to hear back from the doctor abotu what she thinks of this since all I heard from her so far is that my score did nto change from -2.1.

There's lots of calcium in food. Green leafy veggies, white beans, yogurt, CHEESE!!! If you can't take calcium, go to a health food store and check out bone health suppliments. I take one from Quixtar (Amway) called Bone Health. Weight barring exercises include walking so get Pouka and Boeing out daily. It's really helped me to take our dogs out. I found a woods near my house that has hills to climb that add to the intensity of the workout.

Hard to get the dogs out--remember I have beauty school 4 ngihts a week after work. But that ends next July. So I've been gettgin exercise at work during lunch.

My mom read soemwhere that Magnesium is more important that people think for beign abel to absorb calcium, and that just takign Magnesium supplements can help. I have a bottle of Megnesium at home that I bougth when I started takign the Citracal. I think I'll dig ti out and start takign it again.

The big problem will be cutting otu soda. I have 1-2 cans a day at work. Anyone knwo if ALL sodas have phosphoric acid in them?

Phosphorus and oxalic acid both interfere with calcium absorption. Cabbage and spinach are both loaded with oxalic acid, and most soda has ridiculous amounts of phosphorus. Dietary calcium (yogurt, cheese, etc) is easier for your body to absorb than most supplements, but if any of your other chemistry is off it can severely reduce calcium uptake even from those sources. Problems that often go unnoticed in younger adults (B12 deficiencies, hypoglycemia, etc) can also cause poor calcium absorption.

Weight training is good. Cutting out soda is good. But neither of those will solve anything if there's an underlying chemistry problem. Have they done a blood panel or checked for anything else as a cause or are they strictly trying to treat this lone symptom?

They did blood work two years ago and it all came out within normal ranges. I still haven't heard back from the doc for if I need to do anything or get more tests--maybe she'll order more but I doubt it since they were normal before.

Man, I thought spinach was good for you! I thought it contained calcium, but maybe I'm confusing it with some other greens...maybe kale?

Spinach is good for you and it does contain lots of calcium, but it's also really high in oxalic acid which binds the majority of that calcium and makes it useless...especially to someone who already has problems with poor calium absorption. (That's why most keepers of herbivorous reptiles don't feed their critters spinach, btw.)

OK, spinach AND kale are both loaded with calcium.

I foudn this link: http://www.citracal.com/Calcium/Foods/Vegetables.aspx

definitely take the magnesium and probably a bit more Vitamin D - both will help calcium absorption and may help with overall mobility, too....

http://www.webmd.com/osteoporosis/tc/osteopenia-overview?page=2

they are..what RRBecca was trying to say was...at least with spinach, it's also loaded with Oxalic Acid which blocks absorption OF that calcium.

RR, leave it to you to know THAT piece of trivia...or was it just an excuse to leave the spinach (which I personally LIKE) at the table!

Trivia like that tends to stick when you learn it by treating a spinach-fed iguana for severe calcium deficiency (she lived but had a permamently warped spine).

Any Southerners have a good recipe for greens? I put that list into Excel and sorted it and all the greens are at the top...

2 heads Collard greens, soaked, washed, and chopped.
1 ham hock bone
fatback or bacon if the ham bone is mostly clean
handful poultry seasoning
butter
salt
pepper

In LARGE stock pot, render chopped bacon or fatback on medium heat until there's a good coat of grease in the bottom of the pot. Add the chopped greens, ham hock, seasonings, butter, and enough water to cover the greens by a couple of inches. Bring to a slow boil, cover but leave a small "breathing" space, reduce heat to simmer, and let cook several hours - stirring occasionally. They're done when the greens are tender. Add more seasoning at the end if desired.

*warning* The smell of greens cooking is about like stewing cabbage - be prepared for your kitchen to smell like feet for a couple of days.

warning* The smell of greens cooking is about like stewing cabbage - be prepared for your kitchen to smell like feet for a couple of days.
=========

That might offset the other smell in dip's house!

My daughter the nurse says you want D3 not just D. Your body has to convert the D to D3 so you loose a chunk of the D you take which, if you need it to absorb calcium, won't help you. Dont' you just love the dominoes effect taking stuff has in your body?

pigtails are good for cooking in greens too...tomorrow I'll post a mustard green receipe if I get time!

It's mostly uses very little water, lots of garlic, a little salt and pepper to taste and cook it nearly to death. Bacon grease, ham, etc...totally optional and not at all necessary.

Thanks Becca! I'm nto familiar with some of the other greens, liek dandelions or mustard. Do you think I coudl add those to the mix also? And what is render? Just heat it up until greasy? I got a big soup pot for Christmas last year--I think I'll try makign this stuff this weekend!

OK, got a message form the doctor:

Will send referral to endocrine for their input And have them look over your numbers
If they need to see you , will give you a call .
Bone density usually is maxed out at early 20's and can start to decline mid-twenties on. You are advanced for your age.


Phooey!

Good luck Dip, and please do cut out the sodas, maybe you could have one on the weekend as a treat for doing so well during the week.


If that helps you what an easy solution that would be to a serious problem!

Thanks! I got an Arizona Orangeade to go with my lunch Less exciting than soda btu oh well!

I got a very prompt call from the endocrinologist office and have an appointment on Friday. The lady on the phoen couldn't tell me what the appointment will entail so I am still clueless.

I did find that hyperthyroidism can contribute to bone loss. My thyroid levels have been tested a few times btu nothign has ever come up as out of range. BUT, if I did have undetected hyperthyroidism, it would explain some of the boen loss as well as my inability to gain weight and fatigue (takign Ritalin work days to combat the "hypersomnia"). Not to mention my mom and uncle have thyroids that are in and out of normal range and my grandma, her twin, and her sister and great-grandma all have weird thyroids too.

Geez, my family gave me some good genes, eh?

Well, I have lots of questions for the endocrinologist...hopefully he'll have answers and I'll get somethgin for my stupid co-pay.

Soybeans! Those are easy to keep at your desk! You can buy a bag to the frozen shelled kind. Also, I have a recipe for a "mock" guacamole that I posted in the weight watchers thread you might want to try - it also had garlic in it which I see is on the list.

Good Luck with this Dip.


Oh, and beet greens -
My mother made us eat those when we were kids. They taste like dirt. Bleeeck! About the only thing on that list I WON'T eat!

On those collard smells... put an pecan (still in the shell) in the pot.. the smell won't be as strong.


Dipster -- good luck!

Thanks!

I'm sitting here eyeballing my koozee-clad Squirt and wondering how/when to cut out soda... I need to do seom grocery shoppign this weekend and buy some new easy drinks. Does juice come in cans?

Also, anyoen knwo if fizzy water contains phosphoric acid? I like fizzy water too

Wean yourself off the sodas - don't go cold turkey. I had to quit them in college because of my migraines and actually had withdrawals for several days. It sucked.

I already quit caffeine cold turkey over a month ago. Finally got over the headaches (that first oen was the worst!!!). Quitting non-caffeine soda shouldn't be hard other than finding new fun stuff to drink that is convenient.

Ah - didn't realize caffeine wasn't a factor. I don't know about 'fun' - but I'm strangely addicted to the little individual serving bottles of Oceanspray that come in a six-pack. They have straight cranberry and a couple of mixes, too. I'm particularly fond of the cran-pomegranate.