Recently, a bone mineral test showed that my bone density is very low. The test organiser recommended a calcium-cum-Vitamin D tablet. I’m 44 years old. I make it a point to walk daily. How can I increase my bone density? Also, is weight and fat reduction the same?

Vishwa

You’re already on the right course, so I’ll just add some tips:

Continue walking – it is the safest way to strengthen the bones. Walk for a minimum of 20 minutes a day, for at least four days a week.

Ask your family physician about how long you should take the calcium-cum-Vitamin D tablet. He/she will tell you when your next bone density test is due, and advise accordingly.

Eat calcium- and Vitamin D-rich foods such as low-fat cheese, milk, yoghurt, and paneer . Add yoghurt to curries and dals, and milk to soups and desserts. A soup made from the stock of bones is excellent. Add a little vinegar while boiling the bones; the vinegar dissolves the calcium in the bones and adds it to the water.

Get 30 to 40 minutes of exposure to direct sunlight (to increase Vitamin D levels).

On your second question: You can lose water and lean muscle if you diet but don’t exercise. Walking help to burn fat, but you need to walk briskly for 45 minutes, five times a week. Check with your physician whether you can increase the time walked. If you follow a regimen of walking and a sensible diet for 3-6 months, the weight loss reflected on the scale will be fat loss.

I’m 62. I have diabetes, which is under control. I follow a vegetarian diet, but I’ve been suffering from constipation for several years. I don’t take any laxatives. Please suggest a remedy.

G.M.Raju

To address your issue with constipation, I would suggest the following:

Drink 10 to 12 glasses of water every day. Dehydration is often a cause of constipation.

Eat fibre-rich foods. Bhindi (lady’s finger) is an excellent source of fibre. It should be cooked without oil to retain maximum benefit. Snip the bhindis on either end, and slit them lengthwise. In a kadai , heat mustard and cumin seeds without oil until they splutter. Add the bhindis and stir until they’re coated. Lower the fire, and add chilli powder, chopped ginger and salt, and sprinkle some soya sauce. Cover the kadai and cook for 10 minutes. For an evening snack, have a bowl of fibre-rich fruit such as papaya, watermelon, guava and pineapple. Eat fruit on an empty stomach – eating it after other foods could cause gas.

Relax. Listen to soothing music, or meditate – this can help to ease a tight colon.

Consider quick relief if need be with kayam churan , taken after dinner. Finally, never strain your bowels – it could cause painful haemorrhoids and fissures.

I’m 53, and have blood pressure. When I eat chocolates, spicy or oily food in the evening, I suffer from headache and pain in the neck the next day. Can you suggest a solution?

D.Prem

The solution is simple: Avoid chocolates, spicy food and oily food later in the day. Chocolate contains tyramine, the culprit behind the headaches. Since digestion tends to slow down after 2 p.m., your body can’t deal with the tyramine. Also, due to slower digestion, spicy food causes acidity, and oily food causes gas. When the gas rises to the neck and head, it presses on the nerves and causes inflammation – the cause of your head and neck aches. Here are some additional suggestions:

Have a light, early dinner.

Keep your head elevated on two to three pillows. Elevation prevents acidic reflux – no fumes, no headache.

Sleep on your back. If you turn to your left, place your right arm behind you, or vice versa, to stretch the nerves in the neck.

Avoid the ‘danger foods’, or limit their intake.

The writer is co-author of the book Fitness for Life.

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