August 5, 2024 • 34 mins
Did you know that a simple Bone Mineral Density scan (BMD) could reveal more about your health than you ever imagined? Join me on a personal journey as I uncover my surprising diagnosis of osteopenia, despite maintaining a healthy diet and active lifestyle. We'll explore the importance of early detection and why women in their late forties and beyond should seriously consider getting a BMD scan to monitor their bone health.
We'll dive into the often-overlooked impact of certain medications on bone density. From diuretics to corticosteroids, many common medications can impair calcium absorption, increasing the risk of osteopenia and osteoporosis. Through real-life examples and proactive management strategies, such as weight-bearing exercises, resistance training, and adequate vitamin D levels, I share my approach to minimising these risks and optimising strong bones for the future.
Boost your nutritional know-how with an exploration of calcium-rich foods that support bone health. Learn about the power of seeds, nuts, dairy, fish, legumes, and leafy greens, and how to incorporate these foods into your diet effectively. Whether it's the omega-3 fatty acids in chia seeds or the probiotic benefits of yogurt, discover the simple dietary changes that can make a big difference.
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It’s time to reclaim your youthful energy, radiance and self-assurance (and your ideal weight).
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hi, I'm Susie Garden and this is the Ageless and
Awesome podcast.
I'm an age-defying naturopathand clinical nutritionist and
I'm here to bust myths aroundwomen's health and aging so that
you can be ageless and awesomein your 40s, 50s and beyond.
The Ageless and Awesome podcastis dedicated to helping women
(00:24):
through perimenopause andmenopause with great health, a
positive mindset and outrageousconfidence.
Hit, subscribe or follow nowand let's get started.
Hello, gorgeous one, andwelcome to this week's episode
of the Ageless and Awesomepodcast.
Now this week I'm actually goingto share some of my personal
(00:46):
information.
I actually had a different planfor today's episode, but I had
a bit of a diagnosis thismorning and I just
thought-menopause now and I haveno history of osteoporosis in
(01:15):
my family.
But I decided, because I'm ahealthcare professional and
because I'm just so curious andso interested in health and
information, that I wanted thisinformation about my body.
So I elected to have a bonescan and really what I wanted
was just to have a baseline sothat, if there are any changes
(01:37):
in the future, I know where Iwas at, sort of, when I hit
menopause.
So I had a chat to my GP.
She was more than happy and infact, she highly recommended
doing it and it's not superexpensive either.
Like with the Medicare rebatein Australia, it costs me about
$130, which I was actuallysurprised.
(01:59):
I was expecting it to be triplethat price, so $130.
So I went off on Friday andI'll tell you a little bit about
the examination itself, becausebasically at the end of this
podcast I'm going to say if youare kind of in your late forties
, early fifties, if you areperimenopause or postmenopause,
(02:22):
if you are perimenopause orpostmenopause, please go and get
a bone scan.
If it's within your budget todo it, I think it's highly
highly recommended to do it.
But we'll get there, we'll getthere, so yeah.
So I went there on Friday.
Super easy test.
I didn't even have to getundressed.
Normally I wear jeans.
(02:42):
I chose not to, for whateverreason on Friday, and so there
was no metal in what I waswearing except for my bra
because I have underwire.
So I just had to take that off.
But I was allowed to keep allmy jewelry on, which was super
easy.
And then it was literally justlying on a table and they take
some pictures very similar tox-ray on a table and they'd take
(03:05):
some pictures very similar tox-ray and that was it.
It took, like oh gosh, I reckon, maybe five to seven minutes to
get the test done, which wasawesome.
So it's a super simple test andthere was no preparation
required for it either.
So I had that done Fridaymorning and I had a message from
my doctor on Friday afternoonthat she wanted to chat to me
(03:27):
today and I'm recording thisMonday.
And I had a telehealth with herthis morning and she said to me
that my so they take the scanin two places one hip and your
lower back, because I'm assumingthat's where it must you must
start to see changes in bonefrom those two areas.
So my hip had no changes, butmy lower back has showed that I
(03:53):
have osteopenia.
So now that I have beendiagnosed with osteopenia, it
means that I've now become atmoderate risk of developing
osteoporosis.
And I've got to tell you I wasfloored by that because I have a
really good diet, as you couldexpect.
(04:14):
I mean, sure, I have a fewtreats here and there, but
generally speaking I got apretty good diet.
I have a personalized nutritionplan, I have my own glow
protocol and, yeah, I doresistance training.
Now I have been a bit slackwith that, I have to admit since
the beginning of the year,because I've been really
(04:35):
obsessed with Reformer.
But yeah, I'm pretty active,I'm not carrying any excess
weight, I don't have any of therisk factors.
So let's talk about what thismeans.
So osteopenia is essentially, ifyou look at the medical
definition, it's a loss of bonedensity.
So when they've done the scan,they can see that the bone
(04:57):
density in my lower back is lessthan it should be for someone
my age, I guess, and it meansthat my bones don't have as much
mineral content as they shouldand this can make them weaker
and increase my risk of a bonefracture.
And the thing that can happenin spines that I've certainly
(05:20):
seen as a nurse, um, is that youcan get, uh, lumbar or sorry,
um, what do I want to say?
Vertebra, vertebra fractures,even just from like if you have
osteoporosis, even just fromlifting someone, you know,
something, you know, just havingthat pressure on the spine, on
the bones in your spine, liftingsomething heavy can contribute
(05:44):
to breaking them.
So, or having a fall thatnormally wouldn't be a big deal,
you could actually get a spinalfracture if you have
osteoporosis.
And having osteopenia puts mein that risk category if it
progresses to osteoporosis.
So the recommendation actually,before I get into that, what's
(06:05):
the difference betweenosteopenia and osteoporosis?
I guess Osteopenia is an earlysign of osteoporosis and so, as
I said, now that I've beendiagnosed with osteopenia, I
have an increased risk ofosteoporosis and an increased
risk of fracture.
So it is a pretty significantdiagnosis because these things
(06:31):
are asymptomatic.
So osteopenia is asymptomatic.
Osteoporosis is alsoasymptomatic until you start
getting fractures, and onceyou're at that point, there's
really not a lot you can do froma prevention point of view.
That's when you're going onmedications and things to help
stabilize your bones.
(06:52):
So it's really important, nowthat I'm armed with this
information, it's important thatI act.
And the thing is, what is reallytroubling is osteopenia is
really common.
So around a third of adultsthis is American data around a
(07:13):
third of adults older than 50have a degree of bone density
loss.
So it's pretty common.
And the risk factors and thisis why I wanted to talk about it
today most of the people thatlisten to this podcast.
So if you're an adult olderthan 50, that's a risk factor.
(07:34):
If you were assigned female atbirth, that is a risk factor.
In fact, people that wereassigned female at birth are
four times more likely to haveosteopenia than people assigned
male at birth.
So it's a huge difference inrisk People who are
postmenopausal.
So that's two risk factors.
I have the fact that I'massigned female at birth and I'm
(07:58):
postmenopause.
I don't smoke.
I don't drink more than twoalcoholic drinks a day.
Those are two other riskfactors.
Also, I have no family historyof it.
Other sort of medical conditionsI have no medical conditions,
but other medical conditionsthat can lower your bone density
are things like hyperthyroidismso that's the thyroid condition
(08:23):
where you lose weight superquickly Diabetes, chronic kidney
disease, calcium or vitamin Ddeficiency that's the other
thing I have really good vitaminD.
Hormonal imbalances, likeCushing syndrome.
If you don't know what it is,then it probably doesn't apply
to you.
If you've had an eatingdisorder in the past,
(08:44):
particularly anorexia.
If you have an auto eatingdisorder in the past,
particularly anorexia.
If you have an autoimmunedisease, a lot of the autoimmune
diseases do affect your bones,like rheumatoid arthritis, for
example.
There are medications that canincrease your osteopenia risk,
like diuretics that's a verycommon blood pressure medication
Corticosteroids if you're onmedications used to treat
(09:08):
seizures, hormone therapy forcancer, anticoagulants and
proton pump inhibitors sothey're often shortened to PPIs.
They treat acid reflux, sothey're not, like an antacid,
essential.
I wonder if the antacids wouldalso, since they do a similar
(09:29):
thing, which is reduce acid.
And we do know from clinicaltrials that long-term use of
PPIs can increase people's riskof osteoporosis because it
reduces the stomach acid andtherefore your ability to break
down calcium from your food is alittle bit inhibited.
So what does this mean?
(09:52):
So I guess the main thing isthe increased risk of fracture,
and you might think, oh, bigdeal, I've had a broken arm.
It heals right.
Well, not necessarily.
Someone I actually did nursingwith.
She's been sharing online herjourney.
She has an autoimmune condition, but she also recently fell off
(10:14):
a stepladder, like the tiniest,tiniest fall, and she broke, I
think, both of the bones in herlower leg.
It basically shattered thetibia and she required what we
call external fixation.
So it's like when you seepeople that have all that metal
on the outside of their leg.
(10:36):
Generally you can see it inother parts of the body too, but
it's used to help healfractures, so complicated
fractures.
So she's had a number number ofsurgeries the external fixation
to try and put it together.
She had that on for a couple ofmonths and the bone was not
healing, and so she's nowseveral months down the track.
(10:57):
She's still not um got full useof her leg back and this was a
really tiny fall from a very lowheight and and she's the same
age as me the only extra riskfactor she's got the autoimmune
condition, so I assume she'spossibly had corticosteroid
(11:22):
treatment over the years is thatif you have this higher risk of
fracture, then it can be verycomplicated.
A very simple fracture, rather,can be very complicated to heal.
The other thing I know frommany years of nursing is that as
you get older and if you dohappen to in inverted commas
(11:47):
have a fall, you are more likelyto get a fracture, and if you
get a significant fracture likea broken hip, it does increase
your risk of death,unfortunately, often.
I looked after a lot.
I did work, I think, for a yearin an orthopedic ward, and then
I saw a lot of people,particularly women, that had
(12:12):
terrible fractures from fallsand then they'd get urinary
tract infections and they'd bebedridden for quite some time.
I mean, the treatment's alittle different now, but still
it's something certainly that Idon't want, and I don't want it
for you either.
So some of the things that I amnow going to do, now that I have
(12:33):
this information and that isthe beauty of having this
information is it gives you theopportunity to course correct.
If I just kept doing what I'mcurrently doing, which on paper
looks pretty good, then thiscould potentially progress to
osteoporosis.
That could mean lifelongmedication.
(12:55):
It could mean I have somesignificant mobility issues
because I may fracture, I maynot be able to do the things I
like doing, like riding my bike,that sort of stuff.
So let's talk about now what amI going to do, what is my
management plan?
So let's talk.
(13:15):
I'll talk diet and I'll talklifestyle, but let's start with
lifestyle.
So, definitely, movement issuper important and
weight-bearing exercises are thebest ones for strengthening
your bones and plus all of theconnective tissues, such as your
(13:36):
muscles, your tendons, yourligaments, that really help with
your mobility.
So things like walking, sothings like walking, brisk
walking, yoga, which you allknow I love I haven't been doing
as much of it as I have beendoing reformer, so I need to
kind of get a bit more balancethere.
Pilates, definitely, andresistance training I need to
(14:01):
get back into that which I'vebeen wanting to do.
I've just been a little bit toocozy in winter and not wanting
to get up early and do it.
So, yeah, this has been a verymotivating kind of diagnosis to
get my act together when itcomes to getting into the gym
and improving my bone healththrough resistance training as
(14:24):
well, even though I do take avitamin d supplement and my
vitamin d.
I got my vitamin d testedrecently.
I think it was around 98, whichis excellent.
My gp, actually, even beforethis osteopenia diagnosis, said
I want your vitamin d up over100 and I'm thinking it's 98,
surely that's near enough, butshe was like, adamant, I get it
over 100.
So that's I'm going to, eventhough I do take vitamin D.
(14:50):
I'm going to double that dosefor a short period of time just
to get a bit of a boost, and I'malso going to plan a little bit
more sunshine time.
I always recommend to my clientswhen you're wanting to expose
your skin for purposes ofgetting vitamin D.
There's a few things Obviously,no sunscreen, because that's
(15:12):
going to block the UV whichwe're trying to achieve.
So no sunscreen.
And I live in Queensland, whichhas really intense sun in
summer, so at the moment it'snot so bad.
At midday I can go out.
I've been walking my little dogat lunchtime, so I'm making
(15:34):
sure I have my arms exposed andI don't have sunscreen on them,
although, to be honest, I doprefer to expose skin that
doesn't normally get exposed.
So the skin of my back, theskin of my tummy, that's what
I'm going to be concentratingnow, because I'm going to be
putting in a bit more concertedeffort to get a good 10 to 20
(15:56):
minutes a day of sunshine on myskin, and I don't want it to
shine on skin that already hashad thousands of hours of
exposure, that has a lot of thewear and tear that you get with
the sun exposure.
So I'm going to use some of myother skin.
So upper thigh is a good one,tummy back, that kind of thing.
(16:18):
You would probably have yourown areas of your skin that
doesn't see a lot of sunlight.
That's what I recommend, sothat you're not going to then
potentially increase your riskof skin cancer, and that is
something that's in my family.
So yeah, you might notice I saidvitamin D, I did not say
calcium.
Now the thing is with calciumsupplements there is kind of
(16:44):
some controversy around them.
We can only absorb roughly 600milligrams of calcium at a time.
So if you're taking a reallyhigh dose calcium supplement,
it's a bit of a waste.
If you're going to take one,don't take more than 600
milligrams at a time.
You could probably split thatdose and have it twice a day.
(17:05):
Obviously, you need to take theadvice that you've been given
by your medical professional.
The advice or the informationthat I'm providing today is not
personalized to you.
It might be completelyirrelevant to you if you have
other things going on in yourbody.
So please know that what I'mtalking about today is for
someone like myself.
This is my plan.
(17:27):
Okay, if you've been told totake calcium, then that's
between you, your healthcareprovider and maybe you want to
do a little bit of reading andsee if that is the right option
for you.
I am, of course, being anutritionist, going to be
looking to diet for my calciumbecause the body knows what to
(17:48):
do with the calcium in food, andso let's talk about the food
sort of aspect of these.
Now, most people, when theythink of calcium, of course the
first thing they're going tothink of is dairy, and I am
going to have some dairy in mylist, but, interestingly, seeds.
(18:14):
Seeds are tiny littlenutritional powerhouses and many
of them are actually rich incalcium, including poppy seeds,
sesame seeds, celery seeds andchia seeds.
So I already have a tablespoonof chia seeds a day because I
(18:35):
put that in my smoothie.
If I'm having a smoothie, ifI'm having oats, I put it in my
oats and I soak it overnight.
So I've got that covered.
I also have sunflower seeds.
I have LSA, which is linseed orflaxseed same thing.
Oops, there's my phone.
I'm just going to turn that off.
So, yeah, um, linseeds,sunflower seeds and almonds.
(19:00):
I have that in my smoothie, ifI have a smoothie, which I do on
most days.
So I'm getting those extraseeds and also almonds, which
I'm going to talk aboutseparately.
Um, and the good thing withseeds they're just.
It's not just it's zinc, it'smagnesium, it's protein, it's
(19:20):
healthy fats, like, for example,chia very good source of
omega-3 fatty acids, and there'snot too many plant foods that
are.
And what was the other thing Iwas going to say about the seeds
?
It'll come back to me.
But, yeah, omega-3, oh, healthyfats, I guess.
Yeah, really, really important.
And we know, even thoughthey're high in calories, and
(19:43):
this is again another way I'mgoing to combat the calories in
calories out argument is thatpeople that eat a lot of seeds
and nuts, actually, even thoughthey're high in calorie, they
don't put on weight.
They don't, and it's becauseseeds are just, I think they
probably take a little bit moreenergy to break down.
(20:05):
But also it's one of theselittle quandaries, that kind of
break down that calories incalories out theory, as it were.
So what else am I going to beincluding?
Well, cheese is a great sourceof calcium as well as protein.
(20:26):
I do actually really likecheese.
Harder cheese, like Parmesancheese, has the most calcium.
Softer cheeses tend to haveless calcium and so, yeah, I
already sort of have cheese, notevery day, but I do have it on
(20:47):
some days.
So I may increase that.
I'm just going to have a thinkabout that because I do have,
you know, a reasonable amount, Ithink, yogurt I love, love,
love, love, and of course, it'sa great source of probiotics.
So, yep, I do love yogurt.
Again, it's not something Ihave every day, but I'm going to
(21:09):
reconsider.
You know, maybe pop a bit in mysmoothie or something like like
that just to get more of thatin.
Things like sardines and cannedsalmon are high in calcium.
I don't know that I can stomachsardines.
I've had them when I wenttrekking in Nepal and when
you're desperate because you'restarving all of the time when
(21:32):
you're trekking at high altitude, I remember eating them and
really liking them.
So I'm going to experimentperhaps a little bit with that.
The thing is with the cannedfish is that you've got to get
the BPA free lining, which ispossible to get.
I might have to hunt around alittle bit for that, but you can
(21:53):
definitely get it.
And then the other thing you'vegot to think about,
particularly with salmon, is theheavy metals.
Now, sardines are actuallypretty good because they're a
small fish, so they don't tendto absorb as many of the heavy
metals, but the canned salmonthey tend to have some mercury
(22:13):
in them.
However, salmon actually hashigh levels of selenium in it,
as does sardines, and that's amineral that can prevent and
reverse mercury toxicity.
So yeah, that's something againto think about.
Beans and lentils.
So I love beans and lentils.
Some of you may know that I wasa vegetarian for like 10, I
(22:34):
think, 10 plus years, and I'mprobably still around 90%
vegetarian.
So beans and lentils are likemy jam.
I love it.
They're high in many minerals,including calcium.
They're a great iron source,zinc, folate, magnesium,
potassium and things like whitebeans.
(22:54):
So cannellini beans, butterbeans are also very good sources
of calcium, so I actually hadwhite beans for lunch today,
starting my new routine ofmaking sure I'm really including
a lot of calcium-rich foods.
So almonds I said I'd talkabout separately, and of all of
(23:16):
the nuts, nuts almonds are thehighest in calcium, so I love
them.
Um, the great thing about nutsis they contain so many other
minerals and also fiber, whichis great for your gut health.
Um, and you know, nuts may helpyou lower blood pressure, um,
(23:37):
which is also a really goodthing.
Not that I have an issue withblood pressure, but again, it's
always something on my mind.
My mom has high blood pressure,so that could be something in
my future.
So I like to just keep on thatprevention bandwagon.
So almonds I do eat a fair fewof those Leafy greens,
especially kale.
(23:58):
Now, I've been kind of lazy withmy kale, so I'm going to get
back into that.
I used to have kale a lot andI've kind of been leaning more
towards things like silverbeetand spinach, because they're
just a bit easier to work with.
I mean, let's face it, kale canbe pretty hardcore.
But I definitely, now that Iknow that I need more calcium,
(24:24):
I'm going to be bringing backkale in a big way.
And kale's great.
You can again put it in asmoothie.
Just don't put the stalks in,just strip the leaves off.
You can juice the stalks.
So that can be handy if youlike to juice.
But yeah, sautéing kale isfantastic with a bit of garlic,
bit of chili, really nice.
If you're going to use kale ina salad, you can just make sure
(24:48):
you massage it.
So if I'm using kale in a salad, I'll pop it in a bowl, again
without the stalks, and I'll putin some lemon juice and some
olive oil, some salt, and I'lljust rub and rub and rub that
kale, massaging it, and you'llnotice that it really decreased
in size and it gets really shinyand glossy and it's really
(25:10):
delicious and soft and butterywhen you do that to it.
Uh, yeah, that's the greens.
Rhubarb is another food that'spretty high in calcium.
I'm not a massive fan, exceptif it's in more of like a sweet
pie or a pastry or something.
(25:30):
So that's probably notsomething I'm going to have a
lot more of.
Things like amaranth.
Amaranth is a I guess I wouldcall it a grain.
It's like an ancient grain.
It's pretty high in calcium andit's quite nice.
Edamame and tofu is also veryhigh in calcium.
(25:53):
A lot of people may not knowthat and I quite like tofu, so
that's something I'm definitelybringing back in on regularly on
this schedule.
Dried figs are also quite highin calcium, are actually higher
than other dried fruits.
They're also rich inantioxidants and in fiber, so
(26:13):
that's something reallyimportant.
But also it has a good amountof potassium and vitamin K, and
these are two micronutrientsthat are essential for bone
health.
In fact, if you've got a goodquality calcium supplement, it
should have vitamin D and K2 init.
If you don't have that, then Iwould highly recommend that is
(26:36):
something I am going to do isget a vitamin D supplement that
has K2 in it to help withactually allowing the bones to
lay down that calcium Milk.
Of course, a lot of people can'ttolerate milk.
I'm not a massive fan of milk.
I would always recommend, ifyou're going to have milk, to
have the full fat, absolutelyfull fat.
(26:59):
No, that's a no brainer.
Please don't have light milk.
It's really not doing you anyfavors.
Go the full fat, I wouldn't gohuge and huge and huge amounts.
I think that you know, when welook at countries like Japan,
for example, now that they'rehaving more dairy products,
their rates of osteoporosis haveactually increased, which is
(27:21):
really interesting.
They traditionally have had avery, very low rate of
osteoporosis and they have a lotof tofu.
They have a lot of soy productsand we know that soy is very
high in calcium.
So milk, if you drink it, ifyou tolerate it, then sure, but
I wouldn't be going overboard onit because it can block some
(27:43):
other mineral absorption and, asI said, many people get
bloating, they get mucus, theymay not associate their symptoms
with intolerance and themajority of adults actually
don't make lactase, which is theenzyme that breaks down milk.
Uh, yeah, I won't get too muchon my bandwagon about milk, but
(28:05):
yeah, that is something that Ican't talk about calcium rich
foods without mentioning it.
Um, so I think that's probablyall I wanted to talk about.
I guess the main take-homemessages are if you're in
menopause, particularly ifyou've gone into early menopause
, then that is a really goodreason to get a bone scan.
(28:28):
If you haven't already had one,you will, in Australia, need to
get a referral and I did getsome of mine covered by Medicare
, even though I had no riskfactors.
So, or except for being over 50.
So, yeah, that's something Ihighly recommend.
So you've got that baseline Forthat price.
(28:48):
I paid $130.
That is dirt cheap compared toa hospital stay, because I have
a fracture when I'm in my 60sthat may put me out of action
for months.
So, yeah, I feel like if you'vegot information, you're armed
with that.
Then you can take steps toprevent illness in the future,
and that is what being awellness practitioner is all
about.
(29:08):
So, get information, find outwhat your bones are looking like
.
Get your vitamin D tested aswell.
If your doctor can't do itunder Medicare, you can get
private pathology and get ittested.
Highly highly recommend it.
Um, also, if you are over sorry, post-menopausal, you probably
(29:30):
will do well with a vitamin Dsupplement anyway.
Um, get some calcium rich foodsinto your body.
Get some good movement.
Yoga, reformer, pilates, anyweight bearing exercises like
walking, lifting heavy weights,all of those sorts of things
will help.
But you've also got to makesure actually I will add on to
(29:53):
this If you're wanting to getmore calcium out of your diet,
your body needs to be able toabsorb it okay, which means your
gut health has to be sorted out.
So, if your gut health is notgreat, if you have regular
bloating, if you have poor stoolform so lots of diarrhea or
constipation if you have pain,if you have reflux, if you're
(30:16):
taking long-term proton pumpinhibitors or antacids, things
like that, all of those thingscould be impacting your ability
to absorb calcium.
Also, if you have a lot ofstress in your life, a lot of
stress will slow down your gutfunction, will mean you're
perhaps not absorbing as well asyou should be, and therefore
(30:40):
you may consider doing somestress management.
It's pretty easy.
I've got loads of resources onmy website, suzygardencom, to
help you, and there's so manyfree apps, free YouTubes, all of
those sorts of things that willhelp.
So I hope I hope if you'rethinking, oh, is this me?
(31:02):
Should I go and get this testdone?
Just get it done.
And yeah, if you've got anyfurther questions, do let me
know.
I would be very happy to answerthem.
Yeah, so have a great week.
I'll be back on Thursday with Qand a and, yeah, I'll see you
then.
Thanks so much for joining metoday on the ageless and awesome
(31:23):
podcast.
If you liked today's episode,please make sure you click the
little plus button If you're onApple podcasts, or the follow
button if you're on Spotify, sothat you get each new episode
delivered to you every week.
If you like free stuff, thenhead to the show notes and click
the link to receive my freeRadiant Reset Hormone Detox
Guide for Perimenopausal Women.
(31:44):
Or, if you'd like to continuethe discussion, head over to
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I'd love to connect with you.
Hi, I'm Susie Garden and this is the Ageless and
Awesome podcast.
I'm an age-defying naturopathand clinical nutritionist and
I'm here to bust myths aroundwomen's health and aging so that
you can be ageless and awesomein your 40s, 50s and beyond.
The Ageless and Awesome podcastis dedicated to helping women
(00:24):
through perimenopause andmenopause with great health, a
positive mindset and outrageousconfidence.
Hit, subscribe or follow nowand let's get started.
Hello, gorgeous one, andwelcome to this week's episode
of the Ageless and Awesomepodcast.
Now this week I'm actually goingto share some of my personal
(00:46):
information.
I actually had a different planfor today's episode, but I had
a bit of a diagnosis thismorning and I just
thought-menopause now and I haveno history of osteoporosis in
(01:15):
my family.
But I decided, because I'm ahealthcare professional and
because I'm just so curious andso interested in health and
information, that I wanted thisinformation about my body.
So I elected to have a bonescan and really what I wanted
was just to have a baseline sothat, if there are any changes
(01:37):
in the future, I know where Iwas at, sort of, when I hit
menopause.
So I had a chat to my GP.
She was more than happy and infact, she highly recommended
doing it and it's not superexpensive either.
Like with the Medicare rebatein Australia, it costs me about
$130, which I was actuallysurprised.
(01:59):
I was expecting it to be triplethat price, so $130.
So I went off on Friday andI'll tell you a little bit about
the examination itself, becausebasically at the end of this
podcast I'm going to say if youare kind of in your late forties
, early fifties, if you areperimenopause or postmenopause,
(02:22):
if you are perimenopause orpostmenopause, please go and get
a bone scan.
If it's within your budget todo it, I think it's highly
highly recommended to do it.
But we'll get there, we'll getthere, so yeah.
So I went there on Friday.
Super easy test.
I didn't even have to getundressed.
Normally I wear jeans.
(02:42):
I chose not to, for whateverreason on Friday, and so there
was no metal in what I waswearing except for my bra
because I have underwire.
So I just had to take that off.
But I was allowed to keep allmy jewelry on, which was super
easy.
And then it was literally justlying on a table and they take
some pictures very similar tox-ray on a table and they'd take
(03:05):
some pictures very similar tox-ray and that was it.
It took, like oh gosh, I reckon, maybe five to seven minutes to
get the test done, which wasawesome.
So it's a super simple test andthere was no preparation
required for it either.
So I had that done Fridaymorning and I had a message from
my doctor on Friday afternoonthat she wanted to chat to me
(03:27):
today and I'm recording thisMonday.
And I had a telehealth with herthis morning and she said to me
that my so they take the scanin two places one hip and your
lower back, because I'm assumingthat's where it must you must
start to see changes in bonefrom those two areas.
So my hip had no changes, butmy lower back has showed that I
(03:53):
have osteopenia.
So now that I have beendiagnosed with osteopenia, it
means that I've now become atmoderate risk of developing
osteoporosis.
And I've got to tell you I wasfloored by that because I have a
really good diet, as you couldexpect.
(04:14):
I mean, sure, I have a fewtreats here and there, but
generally speaking I got apretty good diet.
I have a personalized nutritionplan, I have my own glow
protocol and, yeah, I doresistance training.
Now I have been a bit slackwith that, I have to admit since
the beginning of the year,because I've been really
(04:35):
obsessed with Reformer.
But yeah, I'm pretty active,I'm not carrying any excess
weight, I don't have any of therisk factors.
So let's talk about what thismeans.
So osteopenia is essentially, ifyou look at the medical
definition, it's a loss of bonedensity.
So when they've done the scan,they can see that the bone
(04:57):
density in my lower back is lessthan it should be for someone
my age, I guess, and it meansthat my bones don't have as much
mineral content as they shouldand this can make them weaker
and increase my risk of a bonefracture.
And the thing that can happenin spines that I've certainly
(05:20):
seen as a nurse, um, is that youcan get, uh, lumbar or sorry,
um, what do I want to say?
Vertebra, vertebra fractures,even just from like if you have
osteoporosis, even just fromlifting someone, you know,
something, you know, just havingthat pressure on the spine, on
the bones in your spine, liftingsomething heavy can contribute
(05:44):
to breaking them.
So, or having a fall thatnormally wouldn't be a big deal,
you could actually get a spinalfracture if you have
osteoporosis.
And having osteopenia puts mein that risk category if it
progresses to osteoporosis.
So the recommendation actually,before I get into that, what's
(06:05):
the difference betweenosteopenia and osteoporosis?
I guess Osteopenia is an earlysign of osteoporosis and so, as
I said, now that I've beendiagnosed with osteopenia, I
have an increased risk ofosteoporosis and an increased
risk of fracture.
So it is a pretty significantdiagnosis because these things
(06:31):
are asymptomatic.
So osteopenia is asymptomatic.
Osteoporosis is alsoasymptomatic until you start
getting fractures, and onceyou're at that point, there's
really not a lot you can do froma prevention point of view.
That's when you're going onmedications and things to help
stabilize your bones.
(06:52):
So it's really important, nowthat I'm armed with this
information, it's important thatI act.
And the thing is, what is reallytroubling is osteopenia is
really common.
So around a third of adultsthis is American data around a
(07:13):
third of adults older than 50have a degree of bone density
loss.
So it's pretty common.
And the risk factors and thisis why I wanted to talk about it
today most of the people thatlisten to this podcast.
So if you're an adult olderthan 50, that's a risk factor.
(07:34):
If you were assigned female atbirth, that is a risk factor.
In fact, people that wereassigned female at birth are
four times more likely to haveosteopenia than people assigned
male at birth.
So it's a huge difference inrisk People who are
postmenopausal.
So that's two risk factors.
I have the fact that I'massigned female at birth and I'm
(07:58):
postmenopause.
I don't smoke.
I don't drink more than twoalcoholic drinks a day.
Those are two other riskfactors.
Also, I have no family historyof it.
Other sort of medical conditionsI have no medical conditions,
but other medical conditionsthat can lower your bone density
are things like hyperthyroidismso that's the thyroid condition
(08:23):
where you lose weight superquickly Diabetes, chronic kidney
disease, calcium or vitamin Ddeficiency that's the other
thing I have really good vitaminD.
Hormonal imbalances, likeCushing syndrome.
If you don't know what it is,then it probably doesn't apply
to you.
If you've had an eatingdisorder in the past,
(08:44):
particularly anorexia.
If you have an auto eatingdisorder in the past,
particularly anorexia.
If you have an autoimmunedisease, a lot of the autoimmune
diseases do affect your bones,like rheumatoid arthritis, for
example.
There are medications that canincrease your osteopenia risk,
like diuretics that's a verycommon blood pressure medication
Corticosteroids if you're onmedications used to treat
(09:08):
seizures, hormone therapy forcancer, anticoagulants and
proton pump inhibitors sothey're often shortened to PPIs.
They treat acid reflux, sothey're not, like an antacid,
essential.
I wonder if the antacids wouldalso, since they do a similar
(09:29):
thing, which is reduce acid.
And we do know from clinicaltrials that long-term use of
PPIs can increase people's riskof osteoporosis because it
reduces the stomach acid andtherefore your ability to break
down calcium from your food is alittle bit inhibited.
So what does this mean?
(09:52):
So I guess the main thing isthe increased risk of fracture,
and you might think, oh, bigdeal, I've had a broken arm.
It heals right.
Well, not necessarily.
Someone I actually did nursingwith.
She's been sharing online herjourney.
She has an autoimmune condition, but she also recently fell off
(10:14):
a stepladder, like the tiniest,tiniest fall, and she broke, I
think, both of the bones in herlower leg.
It basically shattered thetibia and she required what we
call external fixation.
So it's like when you seepeople that have all that metal
on the outside of their leg.
(10:36):
Generally you can see it inother parts of the body too, but
it's used to help healfractures, so complicated
fractures.
So she's had a number number ofsurgeries the external fixation
to try and put it together.
She had that on for a couple ofmonths and the bone was not
healing, and so she's nowseveral months down the track.
(10:57):
She's still not um got full useof her leg back and this was a
really tiny fall from a very lowheight and and she's the same
age as me the only extra riskfactor she's got the autoimmune
condition, so I assume she'spossibly had corticosteroid
(11:22):
treatment over the years is thatif you have this higher risk of
fracture, then it can be verycomplicated.
A very simple fracture, rather,can be very complicated to heal.
The other thing I know frommany years of nursing is that as
you get older and if you dohappen to in inverted commas
(11:47):
have a fall, you are more likelyto get a fracture, and if you
get a significant fracture likea broken hip, it does increase
your risk of death,unfortunately, often.
I looked after a lot.
I did work, I think, for a yearin an orthopedic ward, and then
I saw a lot of people,particularly women, that had
(12:12):
terrible fractures from fallsand then they'd get urinary
tract infections and they'd bebedridden for quite some time.
I mean, the treatment's alittle different now, but still
it's something certainly that Idon't want, and I don't want it
for you either.
So some of the things that I amnow going to do, now that I have
(12:33):
this information and that isthe beauty of having this
information is it gives you theopportunity to course correct.
If I just kept doing what I'mcurrently doing, which on paper
looks pretty good, then thiscould potentially progress to
osteoporosis.
That could mean lifelongmedication.
(12:55):
It could mean I have somesignificant mobility issues
because I may fracture, I maynot be able to do the things I
like doing, like riding my bike,that sort of stuff.
So let's talk about now what amI going to do, what is my
management plan?
So let's talk.
(13:15):
I'll talk diet and I'll talklifestyle, but let's start with
lifestyle.
So, definitely, movement issuper important and
weight-bearing exercises are thebest ones for strengthening
your bones and plus all of theconnective tissues, such as your
(13:36):
muscles, your tendons, yourligaments, that really help with
your mobility.
So things like walking, sothings like walking, brisk
walking, yoga, which you allknow I love I haven't been doing
as much of it as I have beendoing reformer, so I need to
kind of get a bit more balancethere.
Pilates, definitely, andresistance training I need to
(14:01):
get back into that which I'vebeen wanting to do.
I've just been a little bit toocozy in winter and not wanting
to get up early and do it.
So, yeah, this has been a verymotivating kind of diagnosis to
get my act together when itcomes to getting into the gym
and improving my bone healththrough resistance training as
(14:24):
well, even though I do take avitamin d supplement and my
vitamin d.
I got my vitamin d testedrecently.
I think it was around 98, whichis excellent.
My gp, actually, even beforethis osteopenia diagnosis, said
I want your vitamin d up over100 and I'm thinking it's 98,
surely that's near enough, butshe was like, adamant, I get it
over 100.
So that's I'm going to, eventhough I do take vitamin D.
(14:50):
I'm going to double that dosefor a short period of time just
to get a bit of a boost, and I'malso going to plan a little bit
more sunshine time.
I always recommend to my clientswhen you're wanting to expose
your skin for purposes ofgetting vitamin D.
There's a few things Obviously,no sunscreen, because that's
(15:12):
going to block the UV whichwe're trying to achieve.
So no sunscreen.
And I live in Queensland, whichhas really intense sun in
summer, so at the moment it'snot so bad.
At midday I can go out.
I've been walking my little dogat lunchtime, so I'm making
(15:34):
sure I have my arms exposed andI don't have sunscreen on them,
although, to be honest, I doprefer to expose skin that
doesn't normally get exposed.
So the skin of my back, theskin of my tummy, that's what
I'm going to be concentratingnow, because I'm going to be
putting in a bit more concertedeffort to get a good 10 to 20
(15:56):
minutes a day of sunshine on myskin, and I don't want it to
shine on skin that already hashad thousands of hours of
exposure, that has a lot of thewear and tear that you get with
the sun exposure.
So I'm going to use some of myother skin.
So upper thigh is a good one,tummy back, that kind of thing.
(16:18):
You would probably have yourown areas of your skin that
doesn't see a lot of sunlight.
That's what I recommend, sothat you're not going to then
potentially increase your riskof skin cancer, and that is
something that's in my family.
So yeah, you might notice I saidvitamin D, I did not say
calcium.
Now the thing is with calciumsupplements there is kind of
(16:44):
some controversy around them.
We can only absorb roughly 600milligrams of calcium at a time.
So if you're taking a reallyhigh dose calcium supplement,
it's a bit of a waste.
If you're going to take one,don't take more than 600
milligrams at a time.
You could probably split thatdose and have it twice a day.
(17:05):
Obviously, you need to take theadvice that you've been given
by your medical professional.
The advice or the informationthat I'm providing today is not
personalized to you.
It might be completelyirrelevant to you if you have
other things going on in yourbody.
So please know that what I'mtalking about today is for
someone like myself.
This is my plan.
(17:27):
Okay, if you've been told totake calcium, then that's
between you, your healthcareprovider and maybe you want to
do a little bit of reading andsee if that is the right option
for you.
I am, of course, being anutritionist, going to be
looking to diet for my calciumbecause the body knows what to
(17:48):
do with the calcium in food, andso let's talk about the food
sort of aspect of these.
Now, most people, when theythink of calcium, of course the
first thing they're going tothink of is dairy, and I am
going to have some dairy in mylist, but, interestingly, seeds.
(18:14):
Seeds are tiny littlenutritional powerhouses and many
of them are actually rich incalcium, including poppy seeds,
sesame seeds, celery seeds andchia seeds.
So I already have a tablespoonof chia seeds a day because I
(18:35):
put that in my smoothie.
If I'm having a smoothie, ifI'm having oats, I put it in my
oats and I soak it overnight.
So I've got that covered.
I also have sunflower seeds.
I have LSA, which is linseed orflaxseed same thing.
Oops, there's my phone.
I'm just going to turn that off.
So, yeah, um, linseeds,sunflower seeds and almonds.
(19:00):
I have that in my smoothie, ifI have a smoothie, which I do on
most days.
So I'm getting those extraseeds and also almonds, which
I'm going to talk aboutseparately.
Um, and the good thing withseeds they're just.
It's not just it's zinc, it'smagnesium, it's protein, it's
(19:20):
healthy fats, like, for example,chia very good source of
omega-3 fatty acids, and there'snot too many plant foods that
are.
And what was the other thing Iwas going to say about the seeds
?
It'll come back to me.
But, yeah, omega-3, oh, healthyfats, I guess.
Yeah, really, really important.
And we know, even thoughthey're high in calories, and
(19:43):
this is again another way I'mgoing to combat the calories in
calories out argument is thatpeople that eat a lot of seeds
and nuts, actually, even thoughthey're high in calorie, they
don't put on weight.
They don't, and it's becauseseeds are just, I think they
probably take a little bit moreenergy to break down.
(20:05):
But also it's one of theselittle quandaries, that kind of
break down that calories incalories out theory, as it were.
So what else am I going to beincluding?
Well, cheese is a great sourceof calcium as well as protein.
(20:26):
I do actually really likecheese.
Harder cheese, like Parmesancheese, has the most calcium.
Softer cheeses tend to haveless calcium and so, yeah, I
already sort of have cheese, notevery day, but I do have it on
(20:47):
some days.
So I may increase that.
I'm just going to have a thinkabout that because I do have,
you know, a reasonable amount, Ithink, yogurt I love, love,
love, love, and of course, it'sa great source of probiotics.
So, yep, I do love yogurt.
Again, it's not something Ihave every day, but I'm going to
(21:09):
reconsider.
You know, maybe pop a bit in mysmoothie or something like like
that just to get more of thatin.
Things like sardines and cannedsalmon are high in calcium.
I don't know that I can stomachsardines.
I've had them when I wenttrekking in Nepal and when
you're desperate because you'restarving all of the time when
(21:32):
you're trekking at high altitude, I remember eating them and
really liking them.
So I'm going to experimentperhaps a little bit with that.
The thing is with the cannedfish is that you've got to get
the BPA free lining, which ispossible to get.
I might have to hunt around alittle bit for that, but you can
(21:53):
definitely get it.
And then the other thing you'vegot to think about,
particularly with salmon, is theheavy metals.
Now, sardines are actuallypretty good because they're a
small fish, so they don't tendto absorb as many of the heavy
metals, but the canned salmonthey tend to have some mercury
(22:13):
in them.
However, salmon actually hashigh levels of selenium in it,
as does sardines, and that's amineral that can prevent and
reverse mercury toxicity.
So yeah, that's something againto think about.
Beans and lentils.
So I love beans and lentils.
Some of you may know that I wasa vegetarian for like 10, I
(22:34):
think, 10 plus years, and I'mprobably still around 90%
vegetarian.
So beans and lentils are likemy jam.
I love it.
They're high in many minerals,including calcium.
They're a great iron source,zinc, folate, magnesium,
potassium and things like whitebeans.
(22:54):
So cannellini beans, butterbeans are also very good sources
of calcium, so I actually hadwhite beans for lunch today,
starting my new routine ofmaking sure I'm really including
a lot of calcium-rich foods.
So almonds I said I'd talkabout separately, and of all of
(23:16):
the nuts, nuts almonds are thehighest in calcium, so I love
them.
Um, the great thing about nutsis they contain so many other
minerals and also fiber, whichis great for your gut health.
Um, and you know, nuts may helpyou lower blood pressure, um,
(23:37):
which is also a really goodthing.
Not that I have an issue withblood pressure, but again, it's
always something on my mind.
My mom has high blood pressure,so that could be something in
my future.
So I like to just keep on thatprevention bandwagon.
So almonds I do eat a fair fewof those Leafy greens,
especially kale.
(23:58):
Now, I've been kind of lazy withmy kale, so I'm going to get
back into that.
I used to have kale a lot andI've kind of been leaning more
towards things like silverbeetand spinach, because they're
just a bit easier to work with.
I mean, let's face it, kale canbe pretty hardcore.
But I definitely, now that Iknow that I need more calcium,
(24:24):
I'm going to be bringing backkale in a big way.
And kale's great.
You can again put it in asmoothie.
Just don't put the stalks in,just strip the leaves off.
You can juice the stalks.
So that can be handy if youlike to juice.
But yeah, sautéing kale isfantastic with a bit of garlic,
bit of chili, really nice.
If you're going to use kale ina salad, you can just make sure
(24:48):
you massage it.
So if I'm using kale in a salad, I'll pop it in a bowl, again
without the stalks, and I'll putin some lemon juice and some
olive oil, some salt, and I'lljust rub and rub and rub that
kale, massaging it, and you'llnotice that it really decreased
in size and it gets really shinyand glossy and it's really
(25:10):
delicious and soft and butterywhen you do that to it.
Uh, yeah, that's the greens.
Rhubarb is another food that'spretty high in calcium.
I'm not a massive fan, exceptif it's in more of like a sweet
pie or a pastry or something.
(25:30):
So that's probably notsomething I'm going to have a
lot more of.
Things like amaranth.
Amaranth is a I guess I wouldcall it a grain.
It's like an ancient grain.
It's pretty high in calcium andit's quite nice.
Edamame and tofu is also veryhigh in calcium.
(25:53):
A lot of people may not knowthat and I quite like tofu, so
that's something I'm definitelybringing back in on regularly on
this schedule.
Dried figs are also quite highin calcium, are actually higher
than other dried fruits.
They're also rich inantioxidants and in fiber, so
(26:13):
that's something reallyimportant.
But also it has a good amountof potassium and vitamin K, and
these are two micronutrientsthat are essential for bone
health.
In fact, if you've got a goodquality calcium supplement, it
should have vitamin D and K2 init.
If you don't have that, then Iwould highly recommend that is
(26:36):
something I am going to do isget a vitamin D supplement that
has K2 in it to help withactually allowing the bones to
lay down that calcium Milk.
Of course, a lot of people can'ttolerate milk.
I'm not a massive fan of milk.
I would always recommend, ifyou're going to have milk, to
have the full fat, absolutelyfull fat.
(26:59):
No, that's a no brainer.
Please don't have light milk.
It's really not doing you anyfavors.
Go the full fat, I wouldn't gohuge and huge and huge amounts.
I think that you know, when welook at countries like Japan,
for example, now that they'rehaving more dairy products,
their rates of osteoporosis haveactually increased, which is
(27:21):
really interesting.
They traditionally have had avery, very low rate of
osteoporosis and they have a lotof tofu.
They have a lot of soy productsand we know that soy is very
high in calcium.
So milk, if you drink it, ifyou tolerate it, then sure, but
I wouldn't be going overboard onit because it can block some
(27:43):
other mineral absorption and, asI said, many people get
bloating, they get mucus, theymay not associate their symptoms
with intolerance and themajority of adults actually
don't make lactase, which is theenzyme that breaks down milk.
Uh, yeah, I won't get too muchon my bandwagon about milk, but
(28:05):
yeah, that is something that Ican't talk about calcium rich
foods without mentioning it.
Um, so I think that's probablyall I wanted to talk about.
I guess the main take-homemessages are if you're in
menopause, particularly ifyou've gone into early menopause
, then that is a really goodreason to get a bone scan.
(28:28):
If you haven't already had one,you will, in Australia, need to
get a referral and I did getsome of mine covered by Medicare
, even though I had no riskfactors.
So, or except for being over 50.
So, yeah, that's something Ihighly recommend.
So you've got that baseline Forthat price.
(28:48):
I paid $130.
That is dirt cheap compared toa hospital stay, because I have
a fracture when I'm in my 60sthat may put me out of action
for months.
So, yeah, I feel like if you'vegot information, you're armed
with that.
Then you can take steps toprevent illness in the future,
and that is what being awellness practitioner is all
about.
(29:08):
So, get information, find outwhat your bones are looking like
.
Get your vitamin D tested aswell.
If your doctor can't do itunder Medicare, you can get
private pathology and get ittested.
Highly highly recommend it.
Um, also, if you are over sorry, post-menopausal, you probably
(29:30):
will do well with a vitamin Dsupplement anyway.
Um, get some calcium rich foodsinto your body.
Get some good movement.
Yoga, reformer, pilates, anyweight bearing exercises like
walking, lifting heavy weights,all of those sorts of things
will help.
But you've also got to makesure actually I will add on to
(29:53):
this If you're wanting to getmore calcium out of your diet,
your body needs to be able toabsorb it okay, which means your
gut health has to be sorted out.
So, if your gut health is notgreat, if you have regular
bloating, if you have poor stoolform so lots of diarrhea or
constipation if you have pain,if you have reflux, if you're
(30:16):
taking long-term proton pumpinhibitors or antacids, things
like that, all of those thingscould be impacting your ability
to absorb calcium.
Also, if you have a lot ofstress in your life, a lot of
stress will slow down your gutfunction, will mean you're
perhaps not absorbing as well asyou should be, and therefore
(30:40):
you may consider doing somestress management.
It's pretty easy.
I've got loads of resources onmy website, suzygardencom, to
help you, and there's so manyfree apps, free YouTubes, all of
those sorts of things that willhelp.
So I hope I hope if you'rethinking, oh, is this me?
(31:02):
Should I go and get this testdone?
Just get it done.
And yeah, if you've got anyfurther questions, do let me
know.
I would be very happy to answerthem.
Yeah, so have a great week.
I'll be back on Thursday with Qand a and, yeah, I'll see you
then.
Thanks so much for joining metoday on the ageless and awesome
(31:23):
podcast.
If you liked today's episode,please make sure you click the
little plus button If you're onApple podcasts, or the follow
button if you're on Spotify, sothat you get each new episode
delivered to you every week.
If you like free stuff, thenhead to the show notes and click
the link to receive my freeRadiant Reset Hormone Detox
Guide for Perimenopausal Women.
(31:44):
Or, if you'd like to continuethe discussion, head over to
Instagram and DM me atSusieGardenWellness.
I'd love to connect with you.
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Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Bookmarked by Reese's Book Club
Welcome to Bookmarked by Reese’s Book Club — the podcast where great stories, bold women, and irresistible conversations collide! Hosted by award-winning journalist Danielle Robay, each week new episodes balance thoughtful literary insight with the fervor of buzzy book trends, pop culture and more. Bookmarked brings together celebrities, tastemakers, influencers and authors from Reese's Book Club and beyond to share stories that transcend the page. Pull up a chair. You’re not just listening — you’re part of the conversation.