A lot happened to Luisa Milo when she was 51 years old. For starters, the now-retired dentist and certified personal trainer in New York was filing for divorce after finding out her spouse had cheated multiple times. She left the robust life and loving home she worked hard to create and maintain. And she received an osteoporosis diagnosis. Related: The One Simple Workout Move an Endocrinologist Is Begging People Over 50 To Do for Bone Health“The timing was cruelly poetic,” she says. "My body ached so badly and felt weaker than ever before. I felt broken emotionally and, now, physically…or so it felt at the time.” Her story isn’t without hope, however. Ahead, read about her experience and how she increased her bone density naturally. ?SIGN UP for tips to stay healthy & fit with the top moves, clean eats, health trends & more delivered right to your inbox twice a week?
Milo’s osteoporosis journey started when she entered menopause two years prior. And she's not alone in her experience: One in 10 postmenopausal women has osteoporosis. This population needs to consume more (but not too much) calcium.From the start of menopause, she had lost 13 percent of bone density in sites except her wrist. She also needed a tooth extracted, a bone graft and a dental implant. But how do the latter three items play into her osteoporosis diagnosis?Essentially, she couldn’t treat it all simultaneously. As a dentist, she knew she couldn’t defer the dental procedures. However, she also remembered the chief of endocrinology at a top NYC hospital telling her that she needed an antiresorptive infusion, which slows down or prevents bone loss. Going through all that at once isn’t necessarily safe or in a person’s best interest. “Antiresorptive medication can compromise the jaw bone’s ability to heal from oral surgery in the time following the infusion,” Milo explains. She begged three doctors for estrogen replacement, and they all refused. Then, one outlined the necessity of heavy resistance training, which she soon began.
Related: The #1 Best Strength Training Exercise for Bone Health, According to Personal Trainers for Seniors
Milo decided to move forward with a more natural approach for another reason too.
“After surviving breast cancer at 34 and living with neuropathy from reconstructive surgery, I had no desire to rely on medications unless absolutely necessary,” she says. “I wanted to reclaim agency in my healing and inspire others to do the same—especially those living with invisible disabilities like osteoporosis and neuropathy.”
How Milo Increased Her Bone Density Naturally
Milo naturally increased her bone density by five percent in eight months, effectively reversing the diagnosis. She shares the steps she took to get there with Parade.
Resistance training
Milo participated in progressive weight-bearing movements that stimulate osteogenesis, or bone-building. She also engaged in a variety of exercises:
Pilates 2 times a weekWalking with a weighted vest on every day with increased durationHeavy resistance training 3 times a week (including functional movements, like squatting, hinging, pulling, pushing and carrying)HIIT training 1-2 times a week Ballroom dancing for 2-4 hours a weekNot going super hard from the start with the weighted vest is crucial, so she shares the progression that worked for her. It looks like this:
Body weight walks and light runs with bodyweight resistance training, including Tai Chi-style movements.Wearing a five-pound weighted vest daily for 30 minutes, then an hour, then two hours—basically, as long as she could tolerateWearing a 10-pound vest on walks and runs to resistance-train, and while running errandsWearing a 20-pound vest, resistance training with and without it, and walking and running in itMilo wants to clarify a few things, however: her routine isn’t the only answer, weighted vests can cause discomfort and harm, and a person’s best bet is to talk to their doctor first.
Luisa Milo used exercise to reverse her osteoporosis.From a food standpoint, Milo encourages a diet rich in calcium, vitamin D with K2, magnesium, protein and whole foods. Some foods that fit into those categories include green, leafy vegetables, dairy products, seeds, nuts, chicken, eggs, quinoa, whole grain bread, fish and eggs.She also suggests a protein-dense breakfast. For her, that meant consuming 30 grams of protein from various sources: eggs, meat, avocados, yogurt, cottage cheese, protein powder and others.To ensure you’re getting the ideal amount for your body, consider working with an anti-diet dietitian. Related: ‘I’m an Osteoporosis Specialist, and This Is the Type of Cheese I Swear By for Bone Health’
Restorative sleep
Milo went to bed in a cold, dark room at 9 p.m. as consistently as possible, aiming to get seven to nine hours of sleep a night. Getting enough quality sleep is important for bone health because during sleep, old bone tissue is removed and new bone tissue is formed. This could explain why getting five or fewer hours of sleep is associated with lower bone mineral density and higher odds of osteoporosis.
This category includes a lot of moving parts. Milo mentions therapy, journaling, spending time outdoors, enjoying being alone and spending time with people who leave her feeling energized. The research on how this benefits bone health is quite interesting. There’s the fact that prolonged elevated levels of cortisol (the stress hormone) can inhibit bone formation. Additionally, relaxation techniques reduce stress, which reduces inflammation in the bones and other areas. A 2019 study in Frontiers in Psychiatryconcluded that there are potentially molecular links between a pathological response to stress and the development of bone disease. This information is only a start.
Medical insight
Milo didn’t go on this journey without medical help. She still went in for tests and imaging, and she consulted with various healthcare professionals for their best advice.“Dr. Kyle Gillett helped optimize my internal environment through judicious selection of bioidentical hormones and comprehensive and continued health metric monitoring over time,” Milo says. “Bioidentical hormones” are created by compounded pharmacies or other manufacturers, she explains, and are derived from plants in the likeness of naturally occurring hormones. Her doctor helped her select some of those supplements to help with the menopause piece. The “health metric monitoring” part, for her, entailed tri-annual or quarterly labs and follow-ups.
Leaning into community resources
Spending time with her support system also helped Milo. She recommends getting connected with resources, research and purpose through the Bone Health and Osteoporosis Foundation’s peer educator, advocacy and training opportunities. As the saying goes, knowledge is power.
While this approach may not work for everyone, it worked for Milo—and the results speak for themselves.
“Within eight months of my osteoporosis diagnosis, I reversed my osteoporosis diagnosis and continued to restore my bone density,” Milo says. “More than the numbers, I reclaimed my strength and mobility and safeguarded the vibrancy of my life.”
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Related: The #1 Simple Workout Plan for Women Over 50 With Osteoporosis
Sources:
Luisa Milo, a retired dentist and certified personal trainer who increased her bone density naturallyMenopause and Bone Loss, Endocrine SocietyGetting a good night’s rest is important for better bone health, University at BuffaloThe Link Between Stress, Mental Health, and Bone Health, National Osteoporosis Foundation South AfricaBones and Beyond: The Benefits of Self-Care for Both Body and Mind, Bone Health and Osteoporosis FoundationImpacts of Psychological Stress on Osteoporosis: Clinical Implications and Treatment Interactions, Frontiers in PsychiatryHence then, the article about after an osteoporosis diagnosis i increased my bone density naturally here s everything i did was published today ( ) and is available on Parade ( Saudi Arabia ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
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