Published July 16th, 2013, Valley Times, Cave Junction, OR
The secrets to bone health - Sunshine & leafy greens
By Lisa Rohde
For the VT
Strong, healthy bones will carry you through a lifetime.
Are you an average American who grew up being told to drink your glass of milk because milk would give you strong bones. What if I told you that bone health is far more complex than a glass of milk a day? In fact milk may be amplifying your risk of fractures and osteoporosis.
Developed countries, including the United States, that consume more milk products, have more bone fractures than traditional countries consuming less milk products. In fact, hip fractures are highest in the U.S. Harvard University conducted extensive nurses’ studies following 78,000 nurses for 12 years. The findings revealed that one who drank two or more glasses of milk each day had twice the risk of a hip fracture than those who drank a glass per week or less.
Bone composition is roughly 65 percent calcium for hardness, and 35 percent collagen for flexibility. If one were to remove collagen from the picture, and apply stress to one’s bones, the bones would shatter. Alternatively if one were to remove the calcium from the picture and all that remained was collagen, when stress is applied, the bone will flex bend. So where does one find their great source of collagen for flexible bones? Actually, collagen comes form a cocktail of bone-building nutrients including vitamins A, C, D, K, B6, folic acid, magnesium, phosphorus, boron, copper, manganese, and zinc. Greens are the best source of collagen producing agents. Rich in vitamin C, kale, spinach, collards and asparagus help to strengthen the bodies ability to manufacture collagen.
Red veggies and fruits also add a lot of antioxidants which increase collagen production. Likewise dark berries including blackberries and blueberries are great sources of antioxidants to stimulate collagen. It is necessary to have plenty of protein in the diet for the collagen mixture which essentially is a protein itself. Healthy fats for Vitamin D absorption are also necessary. Healthy fats including omega acids, salmon, cashews, pecans, almonds, and avocados are great choices. Foods high in sulfur including olives, cucumber, and celery, combined with foods rich in Vitamin A including raw carrots, cantaloupe and sweet potato, are all great additions to the collagen complex. Vitamin D protects our bones from harmful free radicals. The best source of vitamin D comes from the sun and we need at least 30 minutes of direct sunlight without sun block each day to produce sufficient amounts of Vitamin D. Use caution and avoid peak sun. Furthermore, showering with soap removes much of the beneficial Vitamin D oils from our skin which can take up to 48 hours to be absorbed. Delaying showering even for a little bit will allow more Vitamin D to be absorbed and utilized by the body.
What is the best source of calcium? Dark leafy greens, to be exact, Watercress tops the charts for calcium content. Furthermore broccoli, Chinese, cabbage, dairy, soy, almonds, and some canned fish with bones, all make the top ten for calcium content.
Collagen coupled with calcium forms strong and flexible bones that will not break. The very best sources of collagen and calcium are both found in dark leafy greens. With the addition of sunlight, we build strong and forgiving bones.
Remember our cousins, horses, cows, elephants, they all have the biggest and strongest bones and they eat greens rich in both calcium and collagen. Even some of the biggest dinosaurs were plant eaters.
A beneficial diet for bones includes dark leafy greens and cruciferous vegetables including cabbage and cauliflower throughout the day. Greens and veggies should make up the bulk of your diet 70-80%. Whole grains including brown rice, quinoa and millet should be about 20% of your diet. Amaranth one of the highest calcium content whole grains, second to teff, is also high in other beneficial nutrients including lysine an important amino acid (protein) and magnesium. Always soak your grains before cooking to break down phytic acid, a digestive inhibitor and anti-nutrient. An anti-nutrient requires you to draw on your reserves of vitamins and minerals in order to properly digest the food. Food is intended to aid you not take away from you, so always soak those grains and seed like grains.
Beans and organically free ranged animal foods are a great sources of protein. Healthy fats including olive oil, coconut oil, cultured butter, pumpkin seed, sunflower seed, and essential fatty acids including flax and hemp seed oil, are excellent sources of fat to ensure proper bone development.
What we eat and how we prepare the food we eat makes a difference for our bones. Cooking with stocks made from vegetables, seaweed or meet bones is also beneficial as it ensures high mineral content important to the collagen complex. In fact when cooking whole grains, or soup, you can replace the cooking water with stock instead. Be sure to add seaweed such as kombu to your cooking beans.
As mentioned above, it is important to avoid foods that leach minerals out of our bones. Thus it is important to soak your whole grains. Foods that leach minerals from our bones to be avoided include, refined sugars, and white flour, including pastas, white bread, muffins, baked flour desserts, refined and sugar foods in general, coffee, caffein, and sugar beverages. Also based on Harvard’s Nurses Study and studies of countries worldwide, avoiding milk products may prevent bone fractures! It is also important to note too that approximately 75 percent of the population is lactose intolerant. In other words, after the early years in life, 75 percent of the population no longer produces the enzymes needed to properly digest milk products. The remaining 25 percent of the population, may do just fine with milk digestion.
Finally no diet is whole based on food alone. Food is in fact secondary to our primary needs including joy in life, hydration and exercise to name a few. Thirty minutes of exercise a day is proven to increase your health and happiness. In particular weight bearing exercise such as walking with a hip pack or small backpack will keep your bones healthy.
Lisa Rohde Certified Holistic Health Coach CHC, AADP, is an expert in the field of preventative medicine with a professional certificate from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition. Rohde offers individual counseling, workshops and group classes. Connect with Rogue Living Well on Facebook and to learn more visit www.RogueLivingWell.com.
The secrets to bone health - Sunshine & leafy greens
By Lisa Rohde
For the VT
Strong, healthy bones will carry you through a lifetime.
Are you an average American who grew up being told to drink your glass of milk because milk would give you strong bones. What if I told you that bone health is far more complex than a glass of milk a day? In fact milk may be amplifying your risk of fractures and osteoporosis.
Developed countries, including the United States, that consume more milk products, have more bone fractures than traditional countries consuming less milk products. In fact, hip fractures are highest in the U.S. Harvard University conducted extensive nurses’ studies following 78,000 nurses for 12 years. The findings revealed that one who drank two or more glasses of milk each day had twice the risk of a hip fracture than those who drank a glass per week or less.
Bone composition is roughly 65 percent calcium for hardness, and 35 percent collagen for flexibility. If one were to remove collagen from the picture, and apply stress to one’s bones, the bones would shatter. Alternatively if one were to remove the calcium from the picture and all that remained was collagen, when stress is applied, the bone will flex bend. So where does one find their great source of collagen for flexible bones? Actually, collagen comes form a cocktail of bone-building nutrients including vitamins A, C, D, K, B6, folic acid, magnesium, phosphorus, boron, copper, manganese, and zinc. Greens are the best source of collagen producing agents. Rich in vitamin C, kale, spinach, collards and asparagus help to strengthen the bodies ability to manufacture collagen.
Red veggies and fruits also add a lot of antioxidants which increase collagen production. Likewise dark berries including blackberries and blueberries are great sources of antioxidants to stimulate collagen. It is necessary to have plenty of protein in the diet for the collagen mixture which essentially is a protein itself. Healthy fats for Vitamin D absorption are also necessary. Healthy fats including omega acids, salmon, cashews, pecans, almonds, and avocados are great choices. Foods high in sulfur including olives, cucumber, and celery, combined with foods rich in Vitamin A including raw carrots, cantaloupe and sweet potato, are all great additions to the collagen complex. Vitamin D protects our bones from harmful free radicals. The best source of vitamin D comes from the sun and we need at least 30 minutes of direct sunlight without sun block each day to produce sufficient amounts of Vitamin D. Use caution and avoid peak sun. Furthermore, showering with soap removes much of the beneficial Vitamin D oils from our skin which can take up to 48 hours to be absorbed. Delaying showering even for a little bit will allow more Vitamin D to be absorbed and utilized by the body.
What is the best source of calcium? Dark leafy greens, to be exact, Watercress tops the charts for calcium content. Furthermore broccoli, Chinese, cabbage, dairy, soy, almonds, and some canned fish with bones, all make the top ten for calcium content.
Collagen coupled with calcium forms strong and flexible bones that will not break. The very best sources of collagen and calcium are both found in dark leafy greens. With the addition of sunlight, we build strong and forgiving bones.
Remember our cousins, horses, cows, elephants, they all have the biggest and strongest bones and they eat greens rich in both calcium and collagen. Even some of the biggest dinosaurs were plant eaters.
A beneficial diet for bones includes dark leafy greens and cruciferous vegetables including cabbage and cauliflower throughout the day. Greens and veggies should make up the bulk of your diet 70-80%. Whole grains including brown rice, quinoa and millet should be about 20% of your diet. Amaranth one of the highest calcium content whole grains, second to teff, is also high in other beneficial nutrients including lysine an important amino acid (protein) and magnesium. Always soak your grains before cooking to break down phytic acid, a digestive inhibitor and anti-nutrient. An anti-nutrient requires you to draw on your reserves of vitamins and minerals in order to properly digest the food. Food is intended to aid you not take away from you, so always soak those grains and seed like grains.
Beans and organically free ranged animal foods are a great sources of protein. Healthy fats including olive oil, coconut oil, cultured butter, pumpkin seed, sunflower seed, and essential fatty acids including flax and hemp seed oil, are excellent sources of fat to ensure proper bone development.
What we eat and how we prepare the food we eat makes a difference for our bones. Cooking with stocks made from vegetables, seaweed or meet bones is also beneficial as it ensures high mineral content important to the collagen complex. In fact when cooking whole grains, or soup, you can replace the cooking water with stock instead. Be sure to add seaweed such as kombu to your cooking beans.
As mentioned above, it is important to avoid foods that leach minerals out of our bones. Thus it is important to soak your whole grains. Foods that leach minerals from our bones to be avoided include, refined sugars, and white flour, including pastas, white bread, muffins, baked flour desserts, refined and sugar foods in general, coffee, caffein, and sugar beverages. Also based on Harvard’s Nurses Study and studies of countries worldwide, avoiding milk products may prevent bone fractures! It is also important to note too that approximately 75 percent of the population is lactose intolerant. In other words, after the early years in life, 75 percent of the population no longer produces the enzymes needed to properly digest milk products. The remaining 25 percent of the population, may do just fine with milk digestion.
Finally no diet is whole based on food alone. Food is in fact secondary to our primary needs including joy in life, hydration and exercise to name a few. Thirty minutes of exercise a day is proven to increase your health and happiness. In particular weight bearing exercise such as walking with a hip pack or small backpack will keep your bones healthy.
Lisa Rohde Certified Holistic Health Coach CHC, AADP, is an expert in the field of preventative medicine with a professional certificate from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition. Rohde offers individual counseling, workshops and group classes. Connect with Rogue Living Well on Facebook and to learn more visit www.RogueLivingWell.com.