Dear Reader,
I just went to a seminar on Bone Health with Michelle Walter, ND who works in a Cardiovascular center in Michigan. She is holistic, does allot of blood testing and works with supplementation and diet.
I took 14 pages of notes. I got very inspired to start doing even more of a plant based diet to help my Osteoporosis. I saw studies, I looked at the evidence. I got convinced.
I have been noticing that I don’t have the energy I want to have by eating salads and animal protein. It doesn’t work for me anymore. So I have to change. I will still listen to my body when it wants animal protein but I am committed right now to even more plant based eating. Until that doesn’t feel right.
There isn’t one diet that works for everyone because everyone is so different. So we all have to experiment and try out different ways of eating until it feels right. And then we have to listen, listen, listen and tweak it and change again as our body changes and ages.
Turns out the studies are proving that the Eat Right for Your Type book from the 90’s is pretty accurate for allot of people.
Here are some things I got from this time with her.
Your “Bone Bank” is built by early adulthood. So if you are eating fast food, or processed foods you likely will not have strong cortical bones.
Children and adults should eat bone healthy food and maintain a healthy body weight. Exercise has really decreased in many children and those who do not get out and play with weight bearing exercises are at a higher risk for bone fractures much earlier now than back when I was a child. Many children are sedentary.
It is recommended Exercise for 20-40 minutes four times a week and weight bearing excercises 2 x a week.
Children are getting bone fractures easier than ever before. It’s a problem of bone size and how they are more narrow and a thinner cortex. Minerals are needed to increase density.
Medications in adults can cause more fragility. Know the effects of your medications. Be alert to any personal risk factors like family genes.
Some doctors have written that our Health Care system will be bankrupt in one more generation because of the epidemic of childhood obesity which will cause Osteoporosis.
The cost of all the knee, and hip replacements will make it unaffordable.
Gut dysbiosis plays into bony remodeling. Heal the gut and it helps the brain and the bones and really most systems of the body.
I learned that the overuse of Clariton and Allegra is leading to Parkinsons like symptoms in adults and if you look inside the box and read the big long paper included there is a black box with this written that it leads to Idiopathic Parkinsons symptoms.
Same thing for Sudafed: It leads to Idiopathic Lupus. The seminar leader herself experienced this. But by rebuilding the gut flora and protecting the liver she was able to reverse it.
Idiopathic means they don’t know what causes it.
There are many childhood illnesses that are linked to bone fragility.
In kids with chronic disease—30% of children will fracture a bone—in girls peaks at age 8-12 and boys 11-14.
Kids that are on medications or have decreased exposure to sunlight and decreased exercise or any inflammatory disorder and pesticides that pollute the food or medication caused are more likely to break bones and this goes for adults too.
If there is a lack of Vitamin K1 when young this is a big risk factor.
People who have fractured a bone before are more likely to fracture again if they are:
- Overweight
- Eat False Food- processed
- Not active
- Have lower bone mass
- Have had a sibling with a fracture
- Low calcium intake
You can only be on Fosamax for 5 years and there is a lot of conflicting information on whether it does or doesn’t create stronger bones or prevent fractures. Some studies show there is increase in bone density but not bone quality.
You can get Jaw necrosis while on it if you don’t have enough nutrient rich dense foods and even profound hearing loss because the small bones of the inner ear can reabsorb when on bisphosphate medications.
Bone Health Packets 2 a day by Standard process has been shown to help allot when combined with a nutrient rich plant heavy diet and exercise.
Vitamin D levels at 74 are optimal according to Naturopaths trained at Bastyr college of Naturopathy and from observation in practice.
Vitamin D levels tend to be low in people with lower back pain 25 or lower and in Migraine sufferers. 2000-4000 mg of Vitamin D a day can help but it must have Vitamin K 1 and K 3 with it.
There is a great study on The role of gut microbiome in Estrogen regulation in bone metabolism that I read.
You want to be getting these bacteria into your gut: Collostrum from a good source cows that are organic, I have a good one in the office.
Saccromyces Boulardi, Bifidobacterium longum, Lactobacillus Reuteri
Inulin and prebiotics, fermented veggies, all help the brain and the bones. It was found that one year after adding the L Reuteri that the bone density increased in women in her practice. Also Butyrate can directly inhibit the formation of osteoclasts that break down bone. Foods like potatoes, butter, legumes, oats and fermented foods.
Medications that cause bone problems are Glucocorticosteriods
And maybe progesterone ( but it helps Estrogen which helps bone so its not for sure) and Anticonvulsants, and Rheumatoid arthritis meds.
Xrays can measure the size of the Vertebrae and the density is easy to see if read by a board certified radiologist. I send my xrays out to one and he always remarks on the density.
I will not be getting into the Dexa scans only that there is allot of radiation with them but they are necessary. I carry Radinex by Pekana to help protect the body during and after that exam.
Nutrients involved in Bone Health: B complex vitamins, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Calcium, Phosphorus, Minerals like Min Tran by Std process, mins like Zinc copper molybendum, iron and others, Vitamin D3, K1, K2
Probiotics, Fatty acids like Omega 3.
Weak brittle fingernails indicate not absorbing nutrients
Receding gums later sign of osteoporosis
Decrease stress, big cause of Osteopenia and Osteoporosis
Other things: Sleep, exercise ( start doing what you used to love to do when you were age 12); whole food plant based nutrient dense food and protein. Exercise like a good vibration plate that doesn’t go over 50 hertz. Sit on the floor and try to get up without using your hands to do so. Practice that. And also grip strength is a good indication of your bone strength. Use a rebounder with handles if you don’t have good balance. Fill a backpack full of books and go up and down 2 flights of stairs twice a day.
There is allot of water all around bone so hydration is very important.
Water and not bubbly water because it blocks Phosphorus from entering the cell.
I take Ostinol, and Bone Up but you have to take allot of it, and Osteo 8 from Evergreen for my bones and of course allot of minerals and vitamins I mentioned.
There was so much more but it’s too much to put into a newsletter like this.
Here are some interesting books: Metabolical by Robert Lustig MD
- Drug Muggers a website and PDF you can download to look up medications and what vitamins they waste in you by Susie Cohen a Pharm PHD (for instance medication taken for high blood pressure steal your B vitamins and Vitamin C)
- For delicious low histamine simple recipes by Becky Campbell DC. The 4 phase Histamine Reset
- One Degree of change cookbook by Standard Process ( I can order it for you)
- The Body Ecology diet
- Eat right for your type book
- Beyonce’s trainer has a 22 vegan Pdf cookbook that has great recipes
- Lets talk shit podcast by Dr Sabine Hazen
- Estrogen Matters by Dr Blooming ( pro low dose Hormone Replacement therapy along with fiber and whole foods)
- Mindy Pelz DC The Menopause Reset
- Aging Backwards by Miranda Esmerelda White
- Miziwellness.com for awesome workouts for any part of the body