Derek L. Hill, D.O.

Fellowship-Trained Orthopedic Surgeon and Specialist

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Give Joints & Bones Some TLC With a Daily Dose of Vitamin D

Posted on 08.5.14 | 2 Comments

girl does yoga at sunsetDo you eat healthy, exercise regularly, and take a daily multi-vitamin? If so, good for you! You’re certainly doing a stand-up job at supporting the health and overall well-being of your body. However, even those with the healthiest habits might be missing out on a critical component for optimal wellness – vitamin D.

So what’s the big deal with vitamin D? There are actually a number of benefits that this particular vitamin offers your body, including:

  • Stimulates new cell growth
  • Boosts your immune system
  • Lowers risk of diabetes
  • Improves cardiovascular health
  • Fights diseases
  • Reduces blood pressure and cholesterol
  • Aids in calcium absorption

Last, but certainly not least, vitamin D promotes strong and healthy bones. The reason for this is because essentially, vitamin D teams up with calcium and nourishes your body by increasing bone density. Together, these two nutrients are the keys to success when it comes to bone health.

The reason why bone health is so important is because it is something that affects everybody eventually. As we age, as gracefully as possible of course, certain changes are simply unavoidable. Obvious external changes will take place – wrinkles, gray hair, decreased height, skin spots, etc. – but less noticeable internal changes will also occur, such as weakened bones.

Even though our bodies are able to produce some vitamin D on their own, it is not a substantial amount. In order to maintain optimal bone density and strength, and prevent osteoporosis, you need to be conscious of your vitamin D intake.

Lucky for us, there are plenty of sources of vitamin D readily available to us. Use them all or pick your favorites to better your bones.

Sunshine

When your body absorbs sunlight through the skin, it produces vitamin D and then stores it for up to a month.

Seafood

Various kinds of fish and raw oysters are packed with high amounts of vitamin D.

Eggs

Another good source of vitamin D is eggs, with the yolk offering the most benefit. Caviar can be included in this category as well.

Fortified Foods

Certain food items are fortified with additional vitamins and minerals, which makes them an ideal choice. Read labels and look for fortified products.

Deli Meat

Ham and sausage are high in vitamin D, but they can also be high in fat content so these deli meats should be consumed in moderation.

Mushrooms

Vegetarians can obtain adequate amounts of vitamin D from mushrooms.

No matter how old you are, it’s never too early to fight bone loss. As a matter of fact, studies have shown that vitamin D is the most common type of deficiency. Give your body the TLC it deserves with hearty helpings of vitamin D, which makes bones efficient so you won’t be deficient.

Written by: Kaity Nakagoshi, Online Community Director

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About the Author

As the Online Community Director for Tenet Florida Physician Services, Kaity is able to connect with fellow health nuts and broaden her knowledge of a wide range of topics. Kaity was born and raised in sunny Florida, and obtained two bachelor’s degrees from the University of South Florida. Some of her favorite things are hot yoga, online shopping, Sunday brunch, college football, hair bows and headbands, playing golf, and FaceTiming with her niece.

Feast on These Foods to Give Your Bones a Boost

Posted on 06.24.14 | Leave a Comment

foodHas milk done your body good? Believe it or not, this outdated but catchy ad campaign spoke the truth. Milk is high in calcium, and calcium is one of the most essential nutrients that your body needs. In addition to strengthening bones and fortifying teeth, calcium fights blood clots, supports muscles, triggers the release of hormones, and helps maintain a healthy beating heart.

Despite the benefits that milks offers your body, eating a bowl of cereal for breakfast does not provide optimal levels of calcium absorption. Failing to pay attention to your daily calcium intake may not result in any problems now, but as you age issues will arise. The main concern pertaining to poor calcium consumption is bone health, osteoporosis disease in particular.

The good news is that you can keep your bones lively and limber by choosing foods that are high in calcium. The even better news is that there’s a variety of vitamin-rich food items that will boost your bones.

Eat your way to better bones by learning the list below:

Beans

Not only do beans come in all shapes and sizes, but they are chock-full of protein and calcium. They fill you up without filling you out.

Citrus

All natural orange juice is a-okay at providing your body with calcium, but so are other juicy citrus fruits like lemons and grapefruit.

Dairy

Low-fat dairy products including milk, yogurt, cottage cheese, frozen yogurt, and a number of different gourmet cheeses, are excellent sources of calcium and vitamin D, which helps with the absorption process. Surprisingly, even though Greek yogurt is packed with protein, it contains less calcium so keep that in mind.

Fish

Salmon, tuna, and even sardines are the best fish types for better bones, due to the high amounts of calcium and vitamin D.

Greens

Fresh spinach, collared greens, kale, and other leafy vegetables will feed you ideal amounts of calcium. Plus, you can eat it so many different ways, whether it’s raw, cooked, or masked inside a fruit protein smoothie.

Oils

In moderation, olive and flaxseed oil are great sources of healthy fat that will actually benefit your entire body, from your brain to your bones.

Nuts

All varieties of tree nuts are smart snack choices, but some are better than others. In the case of calcium supply, almonds are the best. They’re also well-known for being heart-healthy and delicious.

Tofu

A meatless and dairy-free food product that is jam-packed with calcium goodness is tofu, which is made from vitamin-rich soybeans.

Beware of These Bad for the Bones Foods:

Alcohol

Similarly to other various health problems, over-consumption of alcohol is damaging to your body, including your bones.

Caffeine

When your body consumes caffeine, it interferes with calcium absorption. If your daily caffeine intake is on the higher end of the spectrum, just make sure to counter it with more calcium.

Salt

The reason why salt has a negative effect on bone health is because the more sodium you take in, the more calcium you lose. Just be smart with the saltshaker.

Written by: Kaity Nakagoshi, Online Community Director for Tenet Florida Physician Services

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About the Author

Kaity is the Online Community Director for Tenet Florida Physician Services, an online hospital directory with a top-tier network of doctors and medical specialists. Miss Nakagoshi obtained two bachelor’s degrees from the University of South Florida and is a native to the “Sunshine State.” She enjoys hot yoga, online shopping, Sunday brunch, college football, hair bows and headbands, playing golf, and eating endless amounts of chips and salsa.

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Orthopedic Specialties

  • Total Knee Replacement
  • Partial Knee Replacement
  • Anterior Approach Total Hip Replacement
  • Hip Arthroscopy
  • Multi-Modal Pain Management
  • Rapid Recovery

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