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Osteoporosis and DIet Bone is a living tissue that is continually remodelled and rebuilt throughout a person’s life. Calcium deposits make bones strong. Eating a balanced diet that includes calcium rich foods is important in maintenance of bone strength. As the body grows, bones become stronger, peaking in mass at about age 30. After this, bones lose calcium as part of natural ageing both in women and men. Oestrogen helps to keep calcium in bones, so when levels drop at menopause, women lose calcium from bones more rapidly than men do. Things that reduce bone strength Smoking Among the many health benefits of stopping smoking, this will improve absorption of many nutrients from the diet, including calcium. Alcohol Four or more alcoholic drinks a day can reduce calcium uptake by the bones despite dietary intake. Weight Being overweight may add stress to bones, however generally leads to a decrease in mobility and weight bearing exercises. Research shows being underweight or having a slight frame also can increase the risk of osteoporosis.  How to keep my bones strong? Exercise Regular weight bearing exercise where some strain is placed on the bones builds up bones in young people, and slows down loss of bone density in older people. Weight bearing exercise requires your muscles to move against gravity eg walking, jogging and playing sports (swimming, cycling and rowing are not weight bearing activities).  Sunshine Vitamin D is needed for calcium to be deposited into bones. Sunshine (ultraviolet light) is needed for the body to produce its own Vitamin D. If exposure to sunshine is limited during a NZ winter especially in the south island, food sources of Vitamin D are important. These include fish oils, sardines, tuna, eggs, butter and margarine and liver. Healthy diet A diet rich in calcium and a variety of foods from the four food groups - fruit and vegetables, breads and cereals, meat or meat alternatives, and milk and dairy products ensure good general health. How do I achieve a healthy calcium intake Adult men and premenopausal women need 800mg of calcium per day. Adult men and premenopausal women need 1000mg of calcium per day. Post menopausal women (over 51 years) and men over 70 years 1300mg per day. The table below shows how to achieve a healthy calcium intake.  Dietary Supplements
The preferred source of calcium is from food and the preferred sources of Vitamin D are sunlight and food. Food also contains other important nutrients such as phosphorus, zinc and magnesium, protein and other vitamins. Vitamin D If you are unable to get outside regularly you may need a Vitamin D supplement. Calcium If you don’t like, or can’t eat calcium rich foods, calcium supplements may be necessary. Discuss with your doctor whether dietary supplements are necessary, and which type is best for you. Therapy Professionals Ltd has dietitians available who are able to provide information to groups or individuals on many aspects of nutrition. Just contact us Phone: 03 3775280 Email: [email protected] References Arthritis Foundation of NZ and DAB ‘Your Bones, Your Future’ Arthritis Foundation of NZ and DAB ‘Look after dem bones’ Mann, J, Trusswell S, ‘Essentials of Human Nutrition’ Why getting moving is 'The Miracle Pill' - Peter Walker
It's estimated that 1.5 billion people around the world are so inactive that they are at greater risk of everything from heart disease to diabetes, cancer, arthritis, depression and even dementia. Daily activity used to be an integral part of daily life, but humans are now more static and sedentary than ever before. Peter Walker is the political correspondent for The Guardian in London, and a regular commentator and broadcaster on issues including active living and health. His new book is The Miracle Pill: Why a Sedentary World is Getting it all Wrong. Walker tells Kathryn Ryan that, after university, he got a secure but ‘incredibly boring’ desk job and, on a whim, gave it up to be a cycle courier. “From doing nothing, I went to cycling about 60 miles a day, five days a week and the transformation was completely amazing. I’d not been sporty, and I had asthma very badly when I was kid and I never thought of myself as being a physical person. “But, within a matter of months, it literally was a transformation in my life. I’ve always tried to be active ever since then, not in such an extreme way, but it’s something that’s stayed with me.” A recent study found that half of middle-aged English people don’t walk for ten minutes or more continuously in an average month. “It’s basically a global issue. Around the world, around 3 in 10 adults move so little that their long-term health is potentially at risk.” He says it’s even worse for children and teenagers who are supposed to get at least one hour exercise every day. “Schools in many countries are too inactive, the kids sit down a long time. It’s a product of all sorts of things, from the rise of screen-based entertainment to the fact that motor traffic makes parents feel scared to let their kids out cycling and walking. “It’s a big problem because this is a time of life when all sorts of things from your cardiovascular health to your bone density gets laid down.” Walker says that, if you’re in a job where you have to sit down for long periods, it’s important to get up and move around every 30 minutes or hour. “Our bodies are designed to move. From the moment homo sapiens emerged for the first time, we’ve been hunting and gathering, our bodies are designed to be in motion and they do shut down really quickly. “The positive other side of it is that the moment you do start to exert yourself, the benefits are instant.” He says that many of the things that have made us more sedentary are good changes, for instance washing machines rather than hand-washing clothes. Another big change that has made us less physically mobile is rising car use in the past few decades. “Even the micro movements people used to do like walking across an office to talk to a colleague is now replaced by emails or chat apps. Even going to the cinema or to the shops can be done from home. “It’s not that there’s been this outbreak of laziness around the world, it’s just that there are more and more opportunities to not do it.” Walker says that losing weight through exercise is very difficult to do, and there’s been a fetishization of fitness that is off-putting to some out-of-shape people, but even if we’re not losing weight through exercise, we’re improving our overall health and staving off serious diseases. Essentially, we can be both healthy and overweight. “A lot of this connects to the stigma of people who have a bit of excess weight and don’t like going to the gym. But studies have shown that it’s better for you overall to be a bit overweight or even quite overweight and active than it is to be a normal weight and to be inactive.” Ref: RNZ https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Miracle-Pill/Peter-Walker/9781471192548 Falls and Eyesight Currently, one in seven New Zealanders are 65 and over. Around 30% to 60% of people in this age group have a fall each year. And 10% to 20% will end up in hospital with a fracture. Those over the age of 85 are 15 times more likely to fracture their hip in a fall than a 65-year-old. Hip fractures can have a huge impact, with 30% of those over 85 who suffer one requiring placement in aged residential care. Research shows there is a link between poor eyesight and falls in older people. As we age most of us will become longsighted (presbyopia), making it hard to focus on things close up and we’re slower to adjust to light. This is because the muscles of the eye lens harden. Eventually we will all need glasses. Other age related eye conditions that contribute to falls are cataracts, glaucoma, macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy. Some tips to prevent falls associated with eyesight issues:
 Follow this advice and you will help to reduce the chances of falling. For other tips on falls prevention check out these links:
http://www.therapyprofessionals.co.nz/uploads/4/9/5/2/49523375/be_aware_of_your_feet.pdf http://www.therapyprofessionals.co.nz/uploads/4/9/5/2/49523375/getting_yourself_up_from_the_floor._.pdf http://www.therapyprofessionals.co.nz/uploads/4/9/5/2/49523375/footwear_matters__.pdf http://www.therapyprofessionals.co.nz/uploads/4/9/5/2/49523375/to__exercise_or_not_to_exercise_.pdf http://www.therapyprofessionals.co.nz/uploads/4/9/5/2/49523375/home_gym.pdf For more information and advice on preventing falls our friendly Physiotherapists can help just contact Therapy Professionals : Phone: 3877 5280 Fax: 03 377 5281 Email: [email protected] www.therapyprofessionals.co.nz Footwear Matters  Here at Therapy Professionals we know the value of comfortable feet. Good footwear is important throughout life, however, as we age it becomes even more important.
Poor footwear can cause foot, back and knee pain, and discomfort from corns, calluses and fungal infections. High heels and sloppy fitting shoes can affect our balance and walking, making us prone to falls. Any of these make us less inclined to walk affecting our health, wellbeing and independence. To avoid pain and discomfort caused by ill-fitting shoes and to maintain your fitness and independence as long as possible, just follow this advice from our friendly Physiotherapists. As we age our feet change shape and become larger so it’s important to get your feet re- sized when you are buying new shoes. Here are some tips on buying shoes: The essential components of good shoes are that they:
The shoe
If you need advice about the best type of footwear for you, Therapy Professionals friendly Physiotherapists can help, just contact us Phone No: (03) 377 5280 Email: [email protected] Website: www.therapyprofessionals.co.nz |
AuthorShonagh O'Hagan Archives
December 2025
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