I was asked in our pharmacy the other day “What can I do to make sure I have healthy bones?”. After explaining, I got to work on writing it all down. Here is my “bone schpeal”.
To maintain strong bones we need calcium, vitamin D, magnesium, potassium, vitamin C, clean water, and weight bearing exercise. Also, progesterone is important because it stimulates the action of the cells that make bone. Environmental toxins are responsible for hormone imbalance and progesterone can help.
Foods rich in calcium are milk, yogurt, kale, broccoli, almonds, and sardines.
Vitamin D is BEST generated in our body through exposure of cholesterol in the skin to sunshine. If that isn’t enough, consume foods that are naturally rich in vitamin D, such as milk, wild salmon, sardines, yogurt, egg yolks, and beef liver.
Foods rich in magnesium are amaranth, brown rice, spinach, potatoes, peanuts, wheat germ, beans, cashews, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, quinoa, and black beans.
Foods rich in potassium are potatoes, yogurt, fish of all types, artichokes, bananas, apricots, dates, raisins, melons, spinach, lettuce, pumpkins, raisins, peanuts, plums and broccoli.
Foods rich in vitamin C are citrus fruits, broccoli, kidney beans, tomatoes, mangoes, red/yellow bell peppers, kiwi, and berries.
Water is generally easy to come by. Clean water may be more difficult. There are many water filtration systems available. At the moment the best method seems to be reverse osmosis.
Weight bearing exercise is any activity you do while on your feet and legs that works your muscles and bones against gravity. During weight bearing exercise, bone adapts to the impact of weight and the pull of muscle by building more bone cells.
Progesterone supplements are available without a prescription. Here is a suggested method for using the creams.
Apply 20 mg Progesterone, USP once daily for days 1 through 12.
Apply 20 mg twice daily for days 13 through 26.
Stop.
Start again on day one.
If having cycles, day one is the first day of the period. Otherwise, a calendar is a great method for keep track.
For men, we suggest 10 mg daily, 6 days a week.
You’re in charge of your bones. Get to work.