Bone Health : Naturally

We have previously talked a little about osteoporosis, but I recently received a request for more information on bones and bone spurs. I do have more information about that.

You can read my previous article about osteoporosis HERE.

Let's talk a little about what causes "old bones" and/or bone spurs (calcium deposits).

The causes of these calcium deposits are actually two fold; too much calcium, and not enough calcium. In the first case the body has more calcium than it can handle, and it doesn't have the resources it needs to get rid of it, so it stores it. In the second case the body recognizes a shortage and so it grabs on to any calcium it can find to store it in case of emergency calcium need.

Now that would make you think that you have to very carefully balance your calcium intake. But let's get a little deeper.

Every cell of your body actually uses calcium. The cell can take calcium in when it needs it, and when it is finished with it, it pumps it back out. This is sometimes called a "calcium pump". The calcium pump is actually a special protein, also know as an enzyme.

As the body "ages" (gets out of balance) these pumps can stop working, or at least lose some of their capacity to pump. So calcium will start to build up in the tissue. This can cause all kinds of stiffness and pain.

The body prefers to store calcium in the bones. That would be a good thing. But when it doesn't have the resources it needs to build bone, or it can't get the calcium out of the cells where it doesn't belong, it can't build the bone. And it will take what calcium is left in the bones to balance critical processes that need calcium.

If the body is healthy and has all the resources it needs, it will put calcium into the bones until they are very strong and healthy and will then dump any extra calcium out of the body.

So, the question is, if you are having one of these problems, how do you get the body to correct this and start pulling the excess calcium out of the soft tissue and putting it into the bones?

Remember that everything in the body requires balance. Balance comes from whole foods. Also remember that the body cannot move anything around and through the body without water. And, of course, to move the water and other stuff around, you have to have movement of the muscles and skeleton. Exercise is imperative. In fact the joints that are the stiffest probably need the exercise the most.

Now let's go back and think about those calcium pumps for a minute. If your pumps are not working as well as the should be, then you probably aren't getting the enzymes you need.

Remember that enzymes are special proteins. Proteins are made from amino acids. We must take in amino acids (in a balanced way) to allow our bodies to make the proteins (and enzymes) that it needs.

If you are having this type of problem, I highly suggest that you try to get good proteins with each meal every day. Eggs are probably the best source of these balanced amino acids. Eat plenty of eggs. You could even have some with each meal if you wanted to. Some people will warn you against eating too many eggs, but they have simply read the wrong reports. That is very old outdated information that somehow keeps getting passed around.

Of course, moderation in all things is also prudent. You can run into problems if you eat more than 20 eggs a day. Your food intake needs to also include lots of green leafy vegetables. These will help very much in getting the good resources (minerals, enzymes, etc.) that you need to balance all of the body processes.

Other excellent sources of protein are raw milk, grass fed lean beef, and whole wheat. Please note the adjectives in that last senctence. Milk that isn't raw, isn't good. Beef that isn't grass fed, is generally full of lots of junk that isn't good for the human body. Processed wheat products (even if labeled "whole wheat") are not good for the human body. When I say whole wheat, I mean you bought wheat in grain form, and then ground and/or soaked it yourself.

Here is an interesting tidbit. Drinking apple cider vinegar can change the pH of the body because it helps to pump out the extra calcium out of it's hiding places. So if you feel that you are having a problem with calcium getting stored in the wrong places, a drink of warm water with a tablespoon or two of apple cider vinegar may help. When I do that, I add a spoon of raw honey to the drink as well. This makes it more palatable as well as adding more good enzymes.

If you are in need, you can safely have a drink like that three or four times a day.

Of course you want the whole body balanced, so eat plenty of all good wholesome foods. In fact if you are exercising and drinking plenty of liquids, you can eat as much as you can of all good wholesome foods (be sure and get a variety) and you won't gain any weight (unless you need to gain weight).

So that's about it for today. Let me know if there are further questions.

Have a great day, with a healthy lifestyle!

Coach G.

Osteoporosis? Put Calcium Back In The Bone!

The other day I was visiting with a lady who had been told by her doctor that she was developing osteoporosis. She had read about some of the dangers of drugs that are prescribed for osteoporosis, and so she did not want to take them.

You can get a free copy of a report on drugs prescribed for osteoporosis HERE.

She told me she had been taking calcium supplements for several years, but saw no improvement. She asked if osteoporosis was just an inevitable part of aging (she is in her 70s). She eats fairly well, with lots of fresh-from-the-garden produce.

I explained to her that her body can heal, and her bone can take in more calcium and become stronger.

She had already realized, and also read, that many calcium supplements are a waste of money. Most of them are not in a form that makes the calcium bio-available to the body.

After discussing her diet with her, I told her that she was getting plenty of calcium into her body. The best sources of bio-available calcium are actually from good wholesome foods.

The truth is that nearly all of us have plenty of calcium in our diets. The problem is that most of it is not recognized, by the body, as something that it can build strong bones with. So instead, the body deposits it in joints and fatty tissue, to get it out of the way.

Bone-spurs and arthritis are calcium build-ups from too much calcium. So why are the same people with arthritis and bone-spurs losing calcium from their bones?

Balance! The modern lifestyle and eating habits, put our bodies out of balance. The signals, that should be telling the body to put calcium into the bone, are all messed up.

Here are some quick keys:

• Drink plenty of good clean water. It allows the body to move nutrients and wastes to where they need to go.
• Get good balanced minerals (I suggest using "Redmond Real Salt").
• Eat plenty of green leafy veggies.
• Get good exercise that gives the body a bit of jarring.
• Eat good fats for healthy nerves (important for proper signals in the body).
  

This wonderful lady was doing many things right, but she hadn't learned the seven-keys to building strong bones.

One very important thing, that she was missing, was exercise that builds bone. So I explained to her about how NASA has learned that astronauts lose bone mass when they are on long space voyages. The body needs weight bearing exercises to build strong bones.

It is the actual jarring of the body from running and jumping and the like that signals the body to build strong bones. I gave her some simple exercises that she could do that would start to build that ability in her body. I cautioned her to start slow and build gradually.

Now of course we could get into all the science about balanced minerals, and vitamins, and other nutrients, that also help the body to build bone strength. But if you understand the basics, you will be just fine, in most cases.

There is a wonderful little book that will teach you all seven-secrets to building strong bones. It was put together by a nurse who broke her hip twice. She discovered the seven-secrets, and now has strong healthy bones, even after the age of 80. She has avoided the hip replacement surgery that her doctor told her was inevitable.

To learn more GO HERE.