One day at the gym in 2008 I slammed my little toe into a metal bench anchor and it broke. My doctor thought that was unusual so decided to give me a bone scan. The scan showed that I had Osteopenia. My levels of Vitamin D were in the toilet and that is the most likely reason for this diagnosis. I never supplemented and was a vegetarian for many years.

The doctor told me that because I was male and the scale they used was designed for females that the reality was that I had Osteoporosis. Osteopenia is just the precursor to it. My bone scan was 1.5.

He also said I needed to get on Fosamax right away, but I did some research and found that the side effects were horrendous. So I told the doctor no thanks. He was very angry and I am sure he thought his recommendation was the best thing for me. In fact, he tried to dissuade me by telling me how horrible death by a hundred fractures can be.

Hormone Replacement Therapy

I figured there must be a better way and thought that boosting my testosterone and Human Growth Hormone might help. So I went to a clinic specializing in Longevity medicine and for about a year and a half I was “treated.” However, these clinics are very expensive and insurance does not cover it so I eventually ran out of money.

One of the benefits, however, was that I lost fat and gained muscle. I loved that but had no idea if it helped with the bone loss.

Hiking

During the whole time I hiked and of course, still hike. It was not until fairly recently that I discovered that running with weight on your back helped to strengthen bones. It takes 1.4 times your body weight to trigger bone growth. However, pounding down a mountain is also rough on your joints.

Still every week I climb a mountain and I think it has helped, but I won’t know until I get another scan.

Osteostrong

Then about a year and a half ago, I found out about Osteostrong. The mother of the person that developed it had Osteoporosis and she was lucky enough to have a genius son. He designed four machines (two for the upper body and two for the lower body) that enable you to put 1.4 times your body weight on your bones without damaging the joints. You do one rep. You push as hard as you can until you can’t anymore (about 5 seconds).

This system has shown to increase bone density by 16% after only a year and a half. So no nasty medications that make your jaw fall off. I think it has probably lengthened my life span considerably. Stay tuned for the bone scan results.

Diet

It has only been very recently since I discovered a diet plan that contributes to bone growth. It was designed by a woman that was diagnosed with Osteoporosis in her 30s. She has completely reversed it. Her husband worked alone with her. Their names are Mira and Jason Calton.

If you or someone you know has either Osteopenia or Osteoporosis please tell them about these two protocols. Weight-bearing exercise and a special diet. Then tell them to go hiking!