That's Fit

As we get older, our bones can get brittle, so it's important to get lots of calcium in our diet -- especially women. For some, it's easy -- calcium is in our favourite foods, so we don't have to worry about it. But for other, like those who don't like dairy, getting calcium can be a chore.

If you're looking to add some calcium to your diet, here's a list of things that are high in calcium and good for you:

• Non-fat milk
• Ricotta cheese
• Yogurt
• Calcium-fortified soy milk
• Tofu
• Spinach
• Sardines -- huh? Really?
• Swiss Cheese
• Legumes
• Almonds

Thanks for the suggestions, eDiets!

It seems like nothing is as simple as it should be, even building healthy bones. It's true that eating right and exercising regularly starting early in life can keep your bones healthy and prevent osteoporosis, but it's also true that you can overdo it. If you diet too severely while exercising too rigorously you can actually make it harder for your body to form new bone, instead of easier. Which means when you're older your bones will be weaker.

It's all about balance. Exercise is great for bones, but only if you eat enough to provide the fuel your body needs. What you don't want to do is run yourself into the ground, because even if you don't have major symptoms now you'll end up paying for it later.

Osteoporosis and weak bones are generally thought of as a women's issue, and although women are 4 times more likely to suffer from "brittle bones," with 1 in 12 men getting the disease it's a serious issue for them too.

A common culprit for women who have weak bones is the decline in estrogen after menopause, but what about for men? Surprisingly, most men have higher levels of estrogen than most post-menopausal women, which may be why they generally have lower risk. But those men who have a lower number of active estrogen metabolites also have a correspondingly higher risk of developing lower bone density (low -- high -- low -- did that make sense?).

But don't worry guys, there are no plans yet to start generally prescribing estrogen hormone replacement for men. Not yet anyway...

The same way your hair has a major impact on how your face looks, your nails have a major impact on how your hands look. It seems like some poeple are naturally blessed with beautiful fingers and fingernails, while the rest of us struggle with brittle, peeling, cracking nails that break easily.

So what sets some people apart from others when it comes to long sleek nails versus short breaking ones? According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, some common causes are over-using nail products (nail polish, polish removers, hardeners, or other nail products and applications), low zinc or iron levels, or even thyroid problems.

And sadly, sometimes brittle nails are just a normal side-effect of the aging process.

Oh yay.

As if brittle bones and osteoporosis aren't big enough problems already, now a new study shows that some common antidepressant medications can increase the risk for developing fragile bones. The medication culprits are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI's) -- several common ones include Prozac, Zoloft, and Paxil.

A group of Canadians age 50 and older were tested, and those taking SSRIs had 4% less bone mineral density in their hip bones and had double the chance of breaking a bone (or bones). The problem seems to be in how the drugs affect critical bone-forming cells called osteoblasts, interfering with bone growth and bone mass. At this point the only recommendations from the experts seem to be having awareness of this side-effect before starting any SSRI medication, and possibly taking bone density tests before and during the antidepressant therapy.

Growing older is inevitable, but moving out of your home someday because you just can't get around safely anymore doesn't have to be. The statistics are scary: falls are the leading cause of both fatal and non-fatal injuries for people over age 65, one in three people over 65 will fall each year, and the majority of hip fractures are causes by falls at home.

But as disconcerting as those figures may be, the good news is that there are many things you can do to minimize your risk of falling or getting hurt in your own place. This article goes over several of the topics from two books on fall prevention, including simple things to do like having your stair railings extended, taking a close look at the kind of carpeting you have, and even the effects fear and other mental factors can have.

Most falls are preventable, despite aging and it's difficulties. But unfortunately for me, the article doesn't mention anything about falls from plain clumsiness.