OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAI am 48 years old and I have broken many bones in my lifetime. My most recent break consisted of a shattered right shoulder and a broken left arm almost two years ago in my driveway. Just so you know, I don’t recommend breaking a shoulder as it is highly painful. And honestly trying to put your bra on is close to impossible with a broken shoulder or even an arm. Thankfully my husband was glad to help me.  The key honestly is to avoid the break in the first place.

Many women suffer from osteopenia or osteoporosis. Here is the National Library of Medicine definition ” Osteoporosis is a disease in which bones become fragile and more likely to fracture. Usually the bone loses density, which measures the amount of calcium and minerals in the bone.” Some reasons for weak bones are that many of us do not get enough calcium and nutrition in our diets. Back in 2005, I had my first bone scan. At that time I was told I had osteopenia. After a few more broken bones I had another bone scan and my condition had progressed to osteoporosis.  I was in my early 40’s and I did not expect to have osteoporosis. The problem is that many women, young and old alike and men, may suffer from osteoporosis and don’t realize it until they fall and break a bone.

When I received the diagnosis of osteoporosis, my doctor wanted me to consider taking a bone strengthening prescription. I won’t mention the specific one my doctor recommended but there are many that treat osteoporosis but have some serious side effects. I researched Fosamax, Boniva, Zometa and Reclast and I will be honest, I was scared. Maybe you have followed some of the articles about concerns with this class of medication but after discussing the side effects with my doctor, he agreed to allow me to try a nutritional approach.

Having had serious side effects from prescription medication in the past, I now research everything. With my doctors ok, I agreed to increase my calcium and eat a better diet. I was not a candidate for taking a calcium supplement because I am prone to kidney stones and get them whenever I take calcium supplements.

I decided to go with a Cold Pressed Chocolate protein meal replacement shake by a company called XO Healthy Chocolate. It is a wellness shake and it was also featured on the cover of the American Journal of Bariatric Medicine.   The antioxidant and flavonoid benefits are verified by Brunswick Labs, a prestigious lab the government has even used.  I went to hear  Dr. Gordon Pedersen, the XO medical adviser, at an event in SW Florida. Dr. Pedersen is an anti-aging doctor.  He published a cure for malaria and is highly respected.  He mentioned that this shake was good for strengthening bones and that was what I needed to hear. I decided to try it but had no way to verify if it had helped until I had another bone scan.  Trust me,  I was not about to fall and see what happened.

Recently my physician ordered a bone scan and I just got the results on Tuesday. I had pretty severe osteoporosis in the hip including the femoral neck and Ward’s triangle. My most recent test shows I now have osteopenia in those areas. Let me just say I was doing the happy dance!  Click on the photos to see for yourself!

I am not a doctor, just a patient advocating for my rights to be healthy. I have been on the XO meal replacement shake every day for the last 2 years now. I was going to try it for a little while but honestly I really like it. It tastes great and is very healthy. I even crave it.  One shake has a 56,000 ORACfn score which is the amount of antioxidants. This is more than most people get in an entire day. It also has 21 grams of protein which is also something I was not eating enough of. So since I liked the taste, I just kept having it for breakfast every day. I am thrilled that something as simple as changing what I have for breakfast is improving my health.   This is seriously something you should consider adding to your diet as well.

If you have a history of osteopenia or osteoporosis, don’t take it lightly. Your bone health is a serious matter. I am Lynette Henk, XO healthy chocolate lover and member. I can be reached at 941-216-5727, [email protected] or at ChocolateDreamDiet.com.  I would be happy to share recipes for this shake via email. Just send me a note. Here is to healthy bones for us all!  Scan_20131002HENK, LYNETTE  05112010