Those amazing bones

Muscles and bones contribute to our overall well being in many different ways. They are important to our physical protection, our survival, our beauty, and our immune systems. We often forget about our bones, relegating them to the limited care of calcium and vitamin D supplements.. When in reality they are living organs that provides us with life. Red and white blood cells are made in the bones along with the immune cells phagocytes. Bones regulate how much calcium is in the blood stream and calcium is needed in the blood for many metabolic functions. So if bones not only give us shape, but also play a role in metabolism and immunity, we should learn to take good care of them. Taking care of the bones does start with adequate calcium intake however, I am leery of the store bought supplements. Because a proper balance of enzymes and vitamins, are required for calcium absorption I recommend getting calcium through raw vegetarian sources in the diet and whole food supplements. Vitamin D is still being studied extensively and the US RDA keeps creeping up but we do know that it helps with calcium absorption and may play a part in preventing several other diseases. So my recommendation is 15 minutes outside and 600IU everyday. Keeping the bones strong also means we need to do some weight training. Moderate resistance training 3 times a week will improve the amount of calcium being deposited into the bone. Limited caffeine and alcohol consumption will help increase calcium absorption as well as lowering emotional stress levels. Lowering emotional stress is important because we know that when we chronically stress our body in any way our body releases cortisol which sets up hyper nutrient metabolism and tells the cells not to bother storing nutrients for later.

Our muscles are not only there to help us move and make us look good and they are not independent of the bones. Muscles are the communicators between the bones and the nervous system. Studies have shown that in induced muscle paralysis there is rapid degradation of bone. The papers indicate that even very minor localized muscular deficits can have dramatic effects on bone re-absorption. Muscle derived cells contribute directly to bone healing. So if we are going to take care of our bones we need to take care of our muscles. Taking care of our muscles means we need to eat plenty of proteins and polyunsaturated fats, take essential fatty acid supplements, and do some strength training 3 times a week. Really, a well balanced diet of whole foods, some supplements, and moderate exercise will help to keep our bones and muscles working well. They are much less demanding than our digestive or endocrine systems yet essential to living well.

Since everything is connected to everything these recommendations will undoubtedly have other benefits to the body and provide little to no interference.