Lifestyle Choices

Are you making good choices when it comes to your bone health?  Are you spending a lot of money on pain killers for your joints?  How about natural supplements for pain…do you know which ones to choose?

Joint pain and bone health concerns are on the rise in America.  Also the purchasing of supplements or drugs for both joint and bone health are also on the rise, so, you’ll want to spend your money wisely.

I would like to take a moment in this blog to help you narrow down your search for a good joint and/or bone health supplement, as well as, dietary and lifestyle changes that assist with optimal health.  (Please read my disclaimer.)

Strength Training

While I’ve been recommending natural supplements for my family regarding bone and joint health for years, I also have to be mindful of my own.

I’m a very active female in her late 30’s with a tall but small frame.  It was recommended to me many years ago by a physical trainer that I should continue being active while adding in light to medium weight bearing exercises.

According to the  National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases , doing strength exercises helps to protect bones and reduces fractures and other related injuries.

I began doing various cardio exercises in my teen years but like many other women, I didn’t think too much about using weights during my workouts.

It was a slow process, but I now look forward to my strength workouts.  If you’re worried about getting too bulky, this is very difficult to accomplish but possible.  Using lightweights ranging from 2 – 20 lbs depending on your strength, every other workout, is sufficient for protecting your bones with lean muscle mass.

If you do have a desire to bulk up, I would recommend hiring a trainer who can assist you with your workouts to obtain those goals.

Reducing Inflammation

Another positive and significant life change would be to reduce foods in your diet that cause inflammation.  You may also consider being mindful of switching out those foods with anti-inflammatory foods which I discuss further HERE.

The following is a break down of the most popular and well researched natural supplements for bone health:

Calcium and Supporting Nutrients

Calcium in the amount of approximately 1,200 mg daily for women is usually suggested by most doctors.  Preferably, you will want to get most of your calcium from the foods you eat and NO, dairy is a very poor source of calcium.  Don’t believe me?  Watch this: Is Milk Good for Our Bones?

If you are supplementing with calcium you will also want to take magnesium to assist with the break down of calcium.  Vitamin D3 is essential for the absorption and Vitamin K2 is necessary for directing the necessary nutrients into your bones rather than into your blood.

Get Pure Thera’s liquid —>> D3 and K2.

Also please note that there is a cheaper form of calcium on the market in carbonate form.  This is a poor form of calcium and has caused some side effects including constipation and calcium build-up in some people.

Click the link for a list of vegan food sources of calcium.

Boron

Some bone health combinations also contain boron which is another mineral that has bone building properties and is used in cases where there has been bone loss.

Combination supplement formulas contain both ‘bone building’ properties alongside joint and anti-inflammatory aids.

Combination Joint Supplements

Glucosamine is an amino sugar and acts as a component of cartilage, which is also true for chondroitin which cushions joints.  MSM is an organic source of sulfur which helps to repair and create new cells.  Click here for more MSM health benefits .  Vitamin C  also assists in wound repair and helps the MSM work faster and better.  Feel free to read my blog,  Total Cell Rejuvenation which specifically talks about MSM.

Healthy Fats (Omegas!)

I would also recommend adding foods into your diet that are rich in plant based omega-3 and omega-6 like hemp, flax or walnuts.  Not only will this help to lubricate your joints, healthy fats are essential for every single function in the body.  Plant based omegas also have anti-cancer properties and generally also contain fiber and phytonutrients.  Fish and fish oil supplements have become very popular but unfortunately they all contain toxins.

Curcumin

Curcumin which comes from the spice turmeric has gained a lot of popularity recently and has received many great reviews for reducing inflammation in the body, therefore acting as a natural pain reliever.  (For more information, please read my blog: Medicinal Use of the Ancient Spice Turmeric.)

Last But Certainly Not Least

Wobenzym-N is a specific set of natural enzymes that assist the body to reduce pain by reducing inflammation.  This formula, while quite pricey, has been very popular (for those that know about it) for the last 60 years.  It especially assists with the natural healing process our body goes through to fight inflammatory disease.

Additional Herbal Support

Lastly but certainly not least, Boswellia, also known as Indian  Frankincense will significantly help with the pain associated with joint inflammation with no known side effects.

I do not recommend taking all of these supplements listed above at the same time, of course.  It is important to narrow down what supplements are the most important in assisting with your healthy lifestyle so that you may live the best life possible.  Please also know and understand that we should try our best to get all of our nutrients from food-sources.

If we eat a large variety of fresh fruits and vegetables throughout each day, we will be able to get all of the nutrition we need for sustenance and for optimal health.

Eat well and be well always!

Cynthia Moon