Editor’s Note: Shift Your Mindset is a series from CNN’s life from time to time, but a better team. We talk to experts about how to do things differently to lead a better life.
The anti-aging aspiration has transformed longevity products and services into gold mines of the health industry. But who would like to add years just to spend so they struggle to move, relying on others and not being able to enjoy basic activities?
If you can’t actually live your life, what is the point of sticking to you for so long? Building and maintaining strength and mobility will help you maintain the independence you need to age with dignity. And what you do now makes all the difference.
Their new book, “The Complete Bone and Joint Health Plan: Help Help Help Help Help Help Help Help Help Help Help Help Help Help Help Help Help Help Help Help Help Help Help Trement and Treat and Treming,” nutritionist and personal trainer Sydney Nitzkorski, orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine expert Dr. Jocelyn Wittstein now shares the strategic diet and exercise choices you can make to help you maintain the quality of your life. Nitkolsky is a sports nutritionist at Marist University in Poughkeepsie, New York, where she practices private fitness and nutrition. Wittstein is an associate professor at Duke University School of Medicine in Durham, North Carolina.
This conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity.
CNN: What is the biggest misconception about bone and joint health?
Dr. Jocelyn Wittstein: Most people don’t notice that their bone density (BMD) peaks around the age of 30. After that, your goal is to maintain BMD and slow down bone loss. In women, bone density decreases by about 1% per year until menopause, then accelerates to 2% per year. Men experience a decline of about 1% per year. The key is to build a strong foundation early and continue to support bone and joint health throughout your life.
Another misconception is that cardiovascular exercise alone is enough to maintain mobility, but strength training and light impact exercises are also important. These activities can increase peak bone density in people in their teens and 20s, but those over the age of 30 need the same exercise to minimize losses.
This is important considering that one in four adults has osteoarthritis and some people get older. Age 50 is at increased risk for both arthritis and osteoporosis. Especially women. 77% of postmenopausal women reported joint pain in a randomized study.
Sydney Nitzkolsky: As a nutritionist, I discover that people don’t think enough about how much calcium they are taking in, and most people don’t get enough. Your body is unable to produce the calcium it needs, not just for bones and teeth, but also for the heart, muscles and nerve function. If you’re not consuming enough, your body will raid the reserves of your skeleton to meet that requirement.
This is why everyone at any age needs to get enough calcium. Because if you have kids, it’s when they’re increasing their bone mass. But even if you’re over 60 years old, sufficient calcium is still important. Enhancing bone health is extremely important at all ages and it is never too late to take positive steps.
CNN: Do I need a calcium supplement?
Nitzkolsky: Whole Foods is the best source of calcium, and the supplement is a secondary option. It is recommended to track your typical weekly intake and adjust accordingly. Adults need 1,000-1,200 milligrams of calcium daily. Excellent sauces include milk, milk from fortified plants, broccoli, kale, and sardines and anchovies as they eat bones.
Whitstein: Plus Bok-cho, I consider it a superfood. It is the green vegetable with the highest calcium bioavailability. The calcium your body gets from food depends on two factors. The bioavailability of the total calcium in food and its calcium, or how well the body absorbs and uses minerals. Milk has 300 milligrams of calcium and 30% bioavailable calcium, while Bokuchoi has 160 milligrams of bioavailable. However, each provides the body with an equivalent amount of calcium: about 87.5 milligrams. In addition to Bok Choy’s excellent calcium bioavailability, it also offers fiber and vitamins A and C. I love preparing this green vegetable superfood with garlic, ginger and olive oil, making it an excellent anti-inflammatory food for joints and overall health.
CNN: Pressed Question: Can I count calcium in milk with coffee?
Nitzkolsky: yes! In the book, Jocelyn and I share that we both nail calcium targets by drinking a little coffee. It is true that consuming more than 300 milligrams of caffeine per day reduces the body’s absorption of calcium, but considering that 8 ounces of coffee contains about 100 milligrams and double shots of espresso contain about 140 milligrams, it’s a high bar.
Whitstein: Milk is also a good source of vitamin D, whether from cows or with plant-based types supplemented. I know that consuming 2,000 IU of Vitamin D per day can benefit bone health It may help reduce joint pain. When it comes to coffee, people are happy to know that they are rich in anti-inflammatory antioxidants. Contains polyphenol quercetin It may help to reduce the painND has anti-inflammatory properties.
I like to add cinnamon to my coffee to add anti-inflammatory effects and glucose control. You can also add whey protein and/or collagen supplements that provide the amino acids your body uses to build muscle.
CNN: What is the relationship between inflammation and joint health?
Whitstein: Inflammation can break down cartilage and contribute to joint pain. Chronic inflammation promotes joint degradation. For example, anti-inflammatory nutrition taken through diet and supplements such as omega-3 fatty acids and curcumin can help relieve symptoms such as pain and swelling.
CNN: What does an anti-inflammatory diet look like?
Nitzkolsky: What I like about recommending anti-inflammatory foods is that it also offers many other benefits, such as lowering the risk of a heart attack, increased lifespan, improved digestion, and giving you more energy.
Anti-inflammatory diets are pea proteins found in many protein powders, which can be non-fat dairy products, animal-based animal-based products such as eggs, fish, chicken, and turkey, or plant-based animal-based such as beans, lentils and soybeans. Anti-inflammatory diets also include foods containing omega-3 fatty acids such as olive oil and fish, as well as healthy fats such as walnuts, flax, chia and basil seeds.
Alliums containing garlic, onions, leeks and shallots are flavorful plants with multiple anti-inflammatory properties. And there is a full range of spices, including turmeric, cayenne, black pepper and inger.
Whitstein: Also importantly, dietary fiber from fruits, vegetables, beans and whole grains provides short chain fatty acids, and their levels are associated with lower levels of inflammation. Fruits and vegetables also contain countless anti-inflammatory phytochemicals. This is a naturally occurring compound that offers health benefits.
It is also important to avoid or limit inflammatory ingredients such as processed meat, lean meat, deep-fried foods, saturated fats, and processed carbohydrates.
CNN: What types of exercise promote bone and joint health?
Whitstein: It is important to incorporate resistance training and impact exercises. The goal is to work on a 150-minute weekly activity, which is the next 150-minute combination. It is a 3-day weight-bearing aerobic exercise, 2-day resistance training, 2-day balancing work and light impact exercises.
It may sound a lot, but these don’t have to be long, intense sessions and some of these types of conditioning can be combined. For example, standing on one foot and doing an overhead press counts as resistance training and balancing tasks. There are multiple things you want to do to stimulate your bones and muscles in different ways, but some of these activities can count as two.
Nitzkolsky: You can also integrate small exercises into your daily life. Just as we lose muscle and bone mass as we age, we lose our ability to balance. You need to deliberately practice your balance a little and work to find balance again.
Stand on one leg while brushing your teeth. Instead of sitting while watching TV, stand on one leg. Try writing your name or alphabet, pretending that your paintbrush is tied to your toes. Write S on the right leg, then switch Z on the left to execute Z. To tackle muscle endurance, try small arm circles. These start very easily, but you’ll get tired after doing it for 2 or 3 minutes.
CNN: What does light impact exercise mean?
Whitstein: These include small jumps, jump jacks, or jump ropes. Studies have shown that jumping 10-50 times a week is sufficient to stimulate bone density. I encourage people to weave them in their day. By hopping a little while waiting for the bus, I raise my heart rate and work on light, impactful conditioning.
CNN: If it causes knee pain, would you recommend jumping?
Nitzkolsky: No, people should hear joint pain! If the jump hurts your knees, focus on other types of conditioning, such as shallow squats. You can also spread the jumps over a day or week. That way, don’t keep doing it too much. Alternatively, for balance, you can change the jump exercise using the back of the chair or something else.
Whitstein: Or try changing things like pool jump. This adds resistance and reduces impact in part. Water-based exercises are not as effective as land jump exercises, but they are definitely beneficial for bone density.
The benefits from some of these movement-based interventions may appear small, but they actually lead to significant risk reductions. Pharmaceutical intervention studies have shown that a 2% increase in lumbar spine density reduces the risk of spinal fractures by 28%. A 4% improvement in hip density reduces the risk of hip fractures by 32%. So even small improvements are important.
CNN: Is it too late to improve bone and joint health?
Nitzkolsky: It’s definitely not. Starting early is ideal, but you can always benefit from improving your diet and exercising. A small start – even a 10 minute activity is better than nothing. Over time, small dietary changes become a sticky habit. The goals are consistency and progressive improvement. Therefore, you can enjoy a life that has lived that long.
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Jessica Duron He is a book collaborator, writing coach, and author of “Saved at the Seawall: Stories from the Stories from the Stories from the Stories from the Stories” and “My River Chronicles: Adreakovering the America.”
