Written by guest blogger: Jill Anenberg Lawrence www.jillanenberg.com
That "ol’ bag of bones” is a description most of us never want to be referred to. The not desired O—Osteoporosis—can lead to fractures, back and neck pain, and a loss of up to 6 inches of height over time. My grandma is pretty short, what about yours? So I’m making it my mission in this blog to keep that sexy skeleton of yours strong & fierce. Hey...I’ve got your vertebrae!
It’s essential to maintain bone mass throughout life by eating right and taking a kick butt supplement with max absorption. We’ll get to that, but first let’s start with what dietary choices might taste really good, but don’t throw you a bone.
• Reduce sodium & switch to Himalayan Sea Salt. White table salt causes insane amounts of calcium to leave your body. It’s like the cops busted your party and all your friends bailed and stole your treasured items!
• It ain’t so sweet. We’re onto the “other” white offender, sugar! Not only does this poison inhibit the absorption of calcium but it also blocks phosphorus, which is calcium’s wingman in absorption!
• Sayonara soda! If you’ve got just one soda a day in those phalanges, pretty soon they’ll be too weak to hold any beverage. The phosphoric acid is like Pac Man on your bone’s minerals and sister you are out of quarters to defend yourself. In the bonus round, this acid prevents the absorption of calcium, too.
• Not all greens are created equal. As a health coach I recommend lots of leafy greens, but some caution against spinach and swiss chard. Oxalic acid interferes with the absorption of calcium so always turn up the heat on these bad boys and bring em’ to the sauté soiree.
• Break up with your booze. I’ll give you this, two drinks or less can totally have health benefits but more than that can reduce the absorption of calcium, your calcium reserves, and reduce hormones like estrogen that help with bone production. Funny but not, lots of alcohol can also lead to falling and breaking more than your wine glass.
No gender is safe here, both men and women can get osteoporosis, but it's more common in women, especially after menopause...lucky us! So what’s the magic number? 1,200 milligrams of calcium a day. Sure there are great high calcium food options like almonds, hemp milk, figs, flaxseeds, chia seeds, collard greens, & kale. But a good quality supplement is like an insurance plan for your precious bones.
Salus Calcium Magnesium (US/CA) is a top product with 98% absorbability because the minerals are already dissolved in a liquid form to promote maximum digestion and absorption. We all want the best in our bodies and you get that with this tonic! Free of gluten, wheat, yeast, dairy, lactose, alcohol, GMO, additives, and preservatives. Containing vitamin D3, magnesium and zinc helps the body further to absorb this clean supplement of calcium. How does it taste? Um, delicious with a fruit juice base and herbal extracts. The Earth lover in me adores Flora for bottling in recyclable glass.
Alright, now here’s the personal trainer in me...get off your coccyx (that’s your tush) and let’s get moving to build and strengthen our bones. From walking, jogging, weight lifting, plyometric/jumping exercises, to climbing stairs—all those weight-bearing movements make your bones so happy they’ll thank you with literal support throughout your life. Most of all, always exercise your funny bone!
