How To Prevent And Beat Osteoporosis – Not With Milk?

Osteoporosis is the condition marked by frail, weak bones that have lost their density over time. But, time is not the only enemy. Osteoporosis can be accelerated by a poor diet, too, specifically, a diet lacking calcium, Vitamin D (for calcium absorption) and protein.

Now, milk has all 3 – and our bones need them to grow strong and defend against becoming brittle and breaking. The dairy product pushers know this and they capitalize on it every chance they get.

You may have even seen the television ad where Susan Sarandon glides through her rustic living room. Glass of milk in one hand as she picks up a skateboard left in the middle of the floor with the other…all the while talking about nutrient deficiency and how to “close the gap” with milk.  In the background, a light, airy, quasi-classical piece plays softly as if to offer a comforting, home-style feeling of safety that erases all mistrust in advertising.

Then she tells us that in addition to vitamin D and calcium, milk also has potassium and protein. And she’d be right.

So, what’s the problem?

Before that, she says eating may not be enough. There she’d be wrong. Good thing she said “may.”

Fact is, you should be able to get all the nutrients you need to beat osteoporosis by eating a balanced, healthy diet.

Doesn’t Milk Already Do That?

Theoretically, it should. But, as you know, theories don’t always pan out in the real world.

You see, milk certainly contains the essential nutrients bones need – that’s the good news. The bad news is those nutrients come from an animal. And the protein found in animal foodstuffs can cause you to lose calcium.

This means the amount of calcium you need in your diet is completely enslaved to the amount of meat and dairy you consume.

And here’s the kicker…because of our high-animal protein diets, Americans may not be able to take in enough calcium to replenish what’s lost by our catch-22 eating habits. Result? We’re up there at the top of the world-wide Osteoporosis List but…

Protein Is Protein – Isn’t It?

No. It isn’t.

Animal protein is a Potential Renal Acid Load (PRAL) protein and our bodies are designed to defend against it. Why? Because this acid must be neutralized before it gets to the kidneys – and our bodies consider the kidneys mandatory for survival, even before bones. Where do you think the most easily obtained source of this acid neutralizer is located? If you said, “the bones” you were right!

So, it literally milks your bones dry!

If that weren’t bad enough…

Homogenized Milk Is A Chemically Altered Drink

The process of homogenization alters the chemical make-up of the milk we drink. This process increases the acidity of a beverage already high in acid content. Plus, pasteurization and homogenization create a laundry list of health and digestion problems for the drinker. It gets worse…

Today, cows are genetically engineered to produce more and more milk each time they’re pumped. They’re given a man-made Bovine Growth Hormone called rBGH which artificially increases the cow’s ability to produce milk. So what? So, rBGH has a nasty side effect in humans. It’s been linked to an increase in blood levels of Insulin Growth Factor-1, which is linked to several different types of cancers.

Over time, as the body fights itself trying to make sense of all this protein/calcium conflict of interest business, nothing suffers more than our weak bones. They’re the platoon that chalks up the most casualties. Continuing on with this type of diet can only lead to hip replacements, a cracked rib when reaching for a coffee mug, or possibly a shattered wrist or pelvis simply by moving a light piece of furniture or being involved in a fender-bender. Plus, osteoporosis is known as one of the Silent Diseases – because it consumes you slowly and without warning. You won’t even know it’s there — until you fracture your first femur.

Author’s Note: I know a nice cold glass of milk is the perfect companion to most deserts, that a nice warm glass of milk is a great substitute for sheep when it’s time to fall into the arms of Hypnos. Plus, it’s a fact that cows have some of the strongest bones in the Animal Kingdom, too. So, if you MUST drink milk, make it raw. Raw milk (not pasteurized or homogenized) is less acidic than it’s chemically altered counterpart. But, be careful – it still must be filtered and immediately cooled to about 36-38 degrees. Please make sure it’s organic, coming only from grass-fed cows, OK?

For the Naysayers

“Pish-posh,” you say…”Osteoporosis is only for older folks.”  Think again.

This should be an unusual story, but it’s not. Meet, let’s-call-her, “Stephanie…”

Stephanie was diagnosed with osteoporosis at the ripe old age of 27, after enduring some painful compression fractures.  Before her condition forced her to stop working, she was a health-care professional.

Because she didn’t want to live her life in fear – bending wrong, or perhaps coughing and breaking another bone, Stephanie took steps to prevent further bone density loss and even rebuild the tissue that disappeared.

Today – 12 years later – she’s recovering – eating a healthy, well-balanced diet, and feeling stronger every day. She still has to think about her actions and the effect they have on her bones but she no longer lives in fear and has begun enjoying life again.

Osteoporosis – It’s Not Just For The Older Folks Anymore

Nor is osteoporosis just for women. In fact, it quietly affects 28 million Americans today and that figure represents an 80/20 split between women and men, respectively. If the appropriate, preventable opportunities to stop and beat this disease are not taken, that number is predicted to jump to 41 million affected skeletons by 2015. That’s a 46% increase in just 4 years.!

We know dairy products are not preventable opportunities – so, what are?

Fortunately, there are a number of ways you can take control of your bone density and let your body do the work to rebuild it. All you have to do is enjoy some simple, delicious, and above all natural, healthy foods and drinks. Some delightful herbal tea elixirs that can be used to treat osteoporosis are:

• Dandelion
• Chaste Berry
• Dong Quai
• Black Cohosh

Eat high protein and potassium foods like:

• Peanut butter
• Sesame seeds
• Beans
• Apples
• Bananas
• Figs

Please don’t forget your unsalted almonds and green, leafy veggies!

All these deliver the nutrients you need to remain healthy and bone-strong for life.

Not enough?

More Food For Thought

Below are 2 tasty recipes providing healthy calcium to prevent and crush osteoporosis once and for all.

Red Spaghetti with Broccoli Sauce

Ingredients

• 300g broccoli, stems trimmed
• 50g Sbrinz cheese, grated
• ½ container sour cream
• Salt, pepper
• 500g spaghetti
• 1.2 liter salted water
• 4dl beet juice
• 20g butter
• 60g Sbrinz cheese, grated

Directions:
Cook the broccoli in salted water till cooked through, put it in a strainer, and squeeze out most of the excess water, reserving a little. Put the broccoli in a mixer, a bit of cooking water, the Sbrinz, sour cream and purée till smooth. Add a little more cooking water if the sauce is too thick. Put the sauce back in the hot pan and season.

Mix the beet juice with the salted water and cook the spaghetti till ‘al dente.’ Remove the spaghetti and put in a hot pan with butter.

Reheat the sauce, place some spaghetti on serving dishes, top with some of the sauce and sprinkle with Sbrinz. Serve the remaining sauce on the side.

Nutritional information (per serving):

Calcium: 393 mg

Curly Kale Salad with Fruits and Nuts

*This recipe is an old traditional Danish dish.

Ingredients

• 150 gr curly kale (kale)
• 1 orange, peeled
• 6 dried apricots
• 25 gr walnuts
• 150 gr yogurt (0,1% fat)
• 1/2 dl whipped cream

Preparation:

1. Rinse the curly kale carefully. Remove the rough stalks. Chop the curly kale
   in a food-processor or with a knife.
2. Cut the orange in small pieces.
3. Cut the apricots in small pieces and chop the walnuts roughly.
4. Whip the cream soft but not stiff. Mix the cream and yogurt with salt.
5. Mix the curly kale, orange, apricots and walnuts into the cream.

Tip:  You can use different sorts of sour milk or sour cream products in the dressing.

Nutritional information (per serving):

Calcium:             404 mg

Vitamin D:        .15 iu (international units)

 

Final Thoughts

Those are just 2 recipes in a world of good healthy foods. To add the most bone-building power, try adding these to your osteoporosis diet, too:

1. Lots of fresh, organic green and root vegetables.
2. Of course, fruits should make the front page.
3. Mineral-rich herbs build bones with infusions of red clover and the over 500 mg of calcium per cup behemoth – stinging nettle.
4. Drink pure water to cleanse and hydrate.

Most importantly – take magnesium – magnesium is essential in the calcium absorption process. So, the more calcium you take in, the more magnesium you’ll need to see that it gets to where it needs to go. Not enough magnesium and the calcium will be pulled from the bone like the meat off a well-cooked sparerib. Don’t let this happen to you.

What to avoid

1. Table sugar
2. Corn syrup
3. Cake? Yes, cake!
4. Bread and pastas made with white flour.
5. Soda – pop, Coke®, Pepsi®, root beer…whatever you call it!
6. You’re going to hate this – most packaged cereals should be avoided, as well.

There are many exciting opportunities out there to prevent and beat osteoporosis before it beats you. Young or old, man or woman – it knows no age or sex. It strikes when you least expect it because it develops slowly…creeping through your weak bones with symptoms undetectable until it’s too late. Dairy products and animal proteins only serve to exacerbate the problem. Unless you take the preventable steps to stop any further bone density loss you could be its next victim.

Remember: you may have loved Susan Sarandon in that-thing-you-saw-her-in but it doesn’t mean she’s qualified to give you dietary advice – especially when it could cost you so dearly. Jay Leno advertised Doritos – doesn’t mean they’re good for you.

Chow for now!

 

*Recipes courtesy IOFbonehealth.org