5 Ways to Be Good to Your Bones

Did you know that addiction can do damage to your bones? One reason is because drug and alcohol abuse interferes with the body’s ability to absorb vitamin D, which plays a critical role in calcium absorption necessary for bone health. In addition, abused substances like nicotine, alcohol and opioids can reduce your bone density, making you more susceptible to the bone thinning disease osteoporosis. Having clinical depression, which often co-occurs with substance use disorder, has also been shown to up a person’s risk of osteoporosis.

Luckily, committing to your recovery is a great first step toward safeguarding your bones. A few other healthy habits can help prevent osteoporosis, too. Get started with these five bone-boosting tips:

1. Learn your family health history. Studies show that genetics plays a role in 50 percent of osteoporosis cases.
2. Book a bone density screening. They call osteoporosis a “silent disease,” which means you won't know you have it until you get tested (or you break a bone).
3. Load up on bone-friendly foods. A few to consider: sardines, canned salmon (with the bones), almonds, dark green, leafy vegetables, milk, yogurt, cheese, calcium-fortified juices, breakfast cereals.
4. Quit cigarettes. Smoking isn’t just bad for your lungs; it also robs your bones of vital nutrients (like calcium) and makes you more prone to broken bones.
5. Make exercise a priority. When you move those muscles, you stimulate bone-building cells called osteoblasts to create more bone. Depending on your bone health, exercises that use your body weight as resistance (sit-ups and push-ups, for example) are your best bets for building bone density.  

Let Us Fuel Your Recovery
With our in-house chef, the Haven at Pismo helps clients create dietary patterns that support sobriety and correct nutritional deficiencies caused by addiction. Residents learn how to replace sugar, refined carbohydrates, and processed foods with healthy fiber, quality proteins, and antioxidant-rich vegetables. Call today to speak confidentially with an intake specialist: 805-202-3440.