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Don't Let Osteoporosis Overtake You: What You Can Do

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If you are one of the more than 40 million people who suffer from osteoporosis, you know firsthand just how much of an impact this condition can have on your day-to-day life. Are you doing everything you can to minimize its impact? While there is no cure, there are things you can do to help live a better life and lessen the effect it has on you.

Watch What You Eat

Being diagnosed with osteoporosis gives you another reason to eat healthy. Believe it or not, the type of foods you eat can accelerate bone damage. If you're having several cups of coffee every morning and soda with lunch and dinner, it's time to cut back on some of your caffeine. Caffeine can cause calcium depletion. This basically means that some of the calcium you intake is broken down and wiped out before its nutritional elements can be extracted, leaving your bones unprotected.  

You should also try to limit your salt intake as excessive salt consumption also promotes calcium depletion, requiring you to consume even higher amounts of the nutrient to protect your bones. Avoiding using table salt on your food and stay away from processed and fast foods to minimize intake. If you don't have this condition but are at risk for it, focusing on your diet early can help lower your risk over time.

Stay Active

One of the worst things you can do is to let osteoporosis get you down -- literally. If you become sedentary after your diagnosis, you are giving in and you're giving the condition an opportunity to progress and have an even greater impact on your health. Make sure you are staying active. Activity helps build and maintain your bone density, which can help counteract the osteoporosis.

If you led an active life before the diagnosis, you should be able to continue with high-impact forms of exercise such as aerobics and jogging. However, if you weren't very active, it's best to ease into a program with more low-impact methods such as walking. You should also try to incorporate a strength training routine into your regimen to build your muscle mass and further protect your bones. Before starting any program, always speak with your physician for proper clearance.

Osteoporosis doesn't have to control your life. You can get back in the driver's seat and work hard to minimize its effects so that you can lead the life you've always wanted. Contact a facility like Sarasota Arthritis Center to learn more about treating your osteoporosis.


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