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.

Protein : Is There A Better Whey?

Everyone has heard of protein. It is one of the major building blocks of life. But what is it?

Proteins come in all shapes and sizes. In fact they change in shape as they perform their various functions. They have a multitude of functions in the human body. They are building blocks for muscle, and the structure of every cell in your body. They are also enzymes and signalers and messengers. They are an active part of every function of every cell. They make your immune system work. Proteins even determine which parts of your genetic code get read.

Proteins can be very complex chains linking up hundreds of amino acids to make a single protein. They are made up of 20 different amino acids. 8 of those amino acids are considered essential (9 for children). That is because if you eat foods that contain those eight, your body can manufacture the rest. So foods that contain at least all 8 of the essential amino acids are called complete proteins.

Interestingly enough, even though they are such a huge part of what goes on in the body, we don't have to eat huge quantities of them to get all we need. According to nutritionists, even the biggest muscle building weight lifters only need to get about 1 gram (1.2g maximum) of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. For 160 lb person that comes out to about 73 grams per day. The RDA for adult males is 63 grams. Surveys done by the government indicate that on average, Americans eat nearly double the amount of protein that they need. To get this info from a nutritionist go HERE.

Many athletes use special protein powders or whey powder to get lots of protein to build and maintain muscle. Studies however, show that taking extra protein does not result in extra muscle or strength. In fact eating too much protein can be taxing on the kidneys.

One of the reasons whey caught on as a supplement was because farmers could get pigs very large and healthy with it fairly quickly. So body builders started using it. It is now in the realm of 'body builder facts' that lots of whey will help you to bulk up. Never mind all the people who have taken it for years and still can't bulk up. Studies do not show that whey helps to build extra muscle, though it does seem to make pigs eat more food. Only good balanced nutrition, and exercise can build muscle.

Whey powders, as well as many other protein powders, are not good balanced nutrition. Whey is a highly processed artificial food. Now many of you will balk at that statement because I used the word artificial. Whey is usually made from natural ingredients, so many people call it a natural food. However in my world, anything that is processed from a natural food, with certain things added or other things taken away, has become artificial. Whey does occur in nature, but it isn't powdered.

Now, granted, if you have just been eating junk food, and then you start taking whey powders, you will likely see a health improvement. It is much better than most junk food. It is the elimination of junk food that causes the benefit.

But whey is not the perfect protein portrayed in so many advertisements. For one thing it is usually high in tryptophan. Tryptophan, while being a necessary amino acid for the human body, is toxic to the human body in large amounts and has even been shown to be carcinogenic. Read HERE to learn more about that.

Remember that the key to health is in balance. Not 'laboratory balanced', according to some formula made by man, but balanced by God. Whole foods used with prudence and wisdom can easily give you all the proteins, as well as all the other nutrition, that your body needs.

Another great thing about proteins is that they are found in practically every whole food. Grains, fruit, veggies, animal products, nuts, and legumes, all contain protein.

Some great 'complete protein' foods everyone agrees on are eggs and milk. However I will now go astray from the main stream, by telling you that grains (particularly wheat) are also complete protein foods, if the whole grains are used.

Why do others not call them complete? Because they have been taught that you need a certain prescribed amount of each of the essential amino acids to be called complete. Wheat contains all the essential amino acids, as do some other grains. They just aren't all in the quantities that some people would like to see. So, what I'm saying is, if you make whole grains the foundation of your diet you will get all the protein you need.

Nature (God) balances things much better than mankind knows how to.

Oh, yes, potatoes also contain all the essential amino acids. The point is, if you eat a variety of good wholesome foods you will probably get all the protein you need.

PS. What weight lifters need, more than extra protein, is extra calories. (Preferably from good foods.)