6 Pillars to Excellent Bone Health

It is popular belief that calcium is the answer to building strong healthy bones. Though calcium is plentiful in the body, building strong bones takes more than calcium. While milk, cheese, yogurt, and even ice cream seem to be dietary recommendations for bone health, a look at the cases of bone deficiencies and other bone related diseases around us tell a different story.

Healthy bones transcends way beyond chugging down vats of yogurt and chewing on sea shells everyday! Here are six vital keys to mull over as far as healthy bones are concerned:

Diet

The key to healthy bones is to provide the bones with the nutrients they are made of, and otherwise need to rebuild themselves. Though bones achieve sturdiness from calcium and phosphorus, macro minerals like magnesium, sodium, potassium, chloride, and sulfur are integral components in bones. Also, trace minerals such as iron, molybdenum, copper, zinc, fluoride, selenium, chromium, silica, manganese, iodine, and cobalt are crucial to bone health.

One way of getting all these minerals is regular consumption of stocks from chicken, fish or beef. Homemade is the way to go here, people. That way you avoid unnecessary additives, and harmful dyes, plus you can throw in some good herbs and vegetables (stock recipe).

Good calcium

Calcium is important to bone health. What’s more important is its source. The body finds it difficult to breakdown poor or unnatural sources of calcium, and so they do the body more harm than good. The body deposits indigestible calcium in joints and ligaments. This calcium deposit or accumulation (calcification) causes pain and stiffness in the joint.

Calcium from live natural sources is best for bones. For example, dark green leafy vegetables (e.g. kale, spinach, turnip greens, collard greens, Chinese cabbage, alfalfa sprouts, dandelion greens) pink salmon, sardines, black strap molasses, organic yogurt, calcium-rich herbs such as Valerian Root, White Oak Bark, Pau d’ Arco, Kelp, Horsetail, Bayberry, Damiana, Hydrangea, Chlorella, Devil’s Claw, Alfalfa.

Vitamin D is also important for calcium absorption. That is where supplementation comes in. Herbal formulas such as Skeletal Strength, HSN-W, and Herbal CA contain a good balance of vital minerals and vitamins that ensure proper calcium absorption into cells and tissues.

pH balance

Proper pH balance is essential to bone health. The body is constantly breaking down old bones and rebuilding new ones. This requires nutrients such as calcium, sodium, potassium and magnesium. In an acidic body (i.e. when acidic foods are consumed, or toxins make the body acidic), the body draws these alkaline nutrients to balance its pH.

This causes a loss of essential nutrients in the bones, and thus affect bone strength. Sodas, coffee, alcohol, and cheese are very acidic, and therefore have this effect on bones and overall health.

Drinking water and liquid chlorophyll helps the body rid acids, and bring it back to alkalinity.

Exercise

Inactivity makes bones weaker. Exercising for bones does not have to be grueling. Light exercises such as walking put a little stress on the bones and make them stronger in response to the stress. Also, exercise stimulate muscle growth. Muscles protect bones and cushion joints, especially knee joints which support body weight and take pounding up to 1,200lbs from daily activities.

Make sure to seek professional advise and maintain proper form during exercise, you don’t want to strain the bones and joints you are trying to strengthen.

Posture and alignment

Bad posture or poor alignment puts stress on bones and causes problems with the body’s structural system to create wear and tear. Posture and structural alignment are important to skeletal health. Slouching on a chair, not standing straight, the way you hold your feet, your gait, and positions during sporting activities and exercise all count towards shaping your posture.

Bad posture creates problems that cause arthritis and other poor bone developments. Standing and sitting up straight protects joints from the neck to the knees. Good posture also helps guard hip joints and back muscles.
Posture is also important when lifting and carrying. For example, strapping both shoulders when using a backpack, instead of slinging it over one shoulder. Carrying unbalanced weight puts more stress on joints.

Guys, please remove your fat wallets (or should I say purses!) from your back pockets before sitting down, especially while driving in your car. It creates alignment problems for the spine. Imagine a trucker doing that. Sitting on a wallet while driving can have the same effect on the spine as a workout injury or auto accident, no matter how small the wallet is. Oh here’s an idea: have same sized wallets on both pockets!

Did U Know?

Chiropractors believe that the spine is in perfect alignment when hands are held up. Who knew praising the Lord with “hands lifted high” is actually good for the body?!

Massage or chiropractic care can also be helpful for structural problems. There are other useful systems for aligning the physical structure, such as Rolfing, the Alexander technique, and others which you may wish to consider.

Detox

Our bodies are exposed to toxins from foods, chemicals, and environmental pollutants. These toxins make the body become acidic and mounts a considerable load of stress on the bones, especially air pollution. Though it is difficult to avoid air pollution, regular detoxification is a good idea. Regular detox is good for bone and overall health.

One cheap and easy way of detoxifying the body of environmental toxins is using herbal detox formulas such as Cleanse and Detox Activated Charcoal, USDA Organic Milk Thistle, and Liver Cleanse Detox & Repair. Getting the Designs for Health GI Microb-X is also another effective way of ridding the body of harmful chemicals.