Dem Bones! How to Maintain Bone Density

There has been a lot of talk around the house lately about osteoporosis - what it is, what causes it, how it affects us, and what we can do to help our body out. So here are some fast facts about osteoporosis:
• In the United States, more than 10 million people suffer from osteoporosis
• Even more suffer from osteopenia, or low bone mass
• A lack of calcium and vitamin D keeps the body from rebuilding bones
• Low testosterone levels [in men] and low estrogen levels [in women] play a key role in bone density loss
• Lack of exercise/physical activity can affect or worsen osteoporosis
• Drug use, overconsumption of alcohol, and prescription medication can make it hard for the body to absorb good nutrients [like calcium and vitamin D]

Our bodies have bone-making cells and bone-eating cells. The bone-makers [osteoblasts] work from the outside-in, using calcium [which is stored in the bones], hyaluronic acid [a major component of connective tissue repair] and protein to help rebuild bones. The bone-eaters [osteoclasts] work from the inside-out to help shape the bones and keep them from becoming too dense. As we get older and our hormone levels drop, the body isn’t able to build bones the way that it’s supposed to – especially if we don’t have the right tools.

Calcium – is what our body uses to build bones. Calcium most often comes in the form calcium carbonate and the body has to go through twelve steps to turn it into calcium bicarbonate [the only form in which the body can use it]. We get calcium from some of the foods we eat; dairy products, meats and green leafy vegetables are good sources of calcium. Homemade chicken stock is made from chicken bone, so the calcium in it is the calcium bicarbonate. It’s one of the easiest ways to give the body the usable calcium [plus it’s super yummy!]

Vitamin D – is essential for the body to absorb calcium. The sun is a great way to stock up on your vitamin D. You can also get it from fish and some meat.

Exercise – Our bone-eaters and bone-makers can adjust based on stress to the body. Regular exercise helps to reinforce bone structure. The less we exercise, the less our bodies think we need strong bones [since there’s less stress being put on them]. Just like they’ve always said, “if you don’t use it, you lose it!” Because our body is so efficient, and doesn’t like to waste energy or resources, it won’t make strong bones if it doesn’t need to. A small fall can turn into a big deal.
So this winter, make yourself some yummy chicken

Economy and How Everything is Changing

It’s hard to believe that another year has already gone by. Many of my clients and friends are talking about the state of the economy and how everything is changing. They are understandably frightened and uneasy. Some have lost jobs or their spouses have lost jobs; some have lost houses and at the very least, things have constricted in most of our lives. I want to share something in the back of my memory that I remember hearing from my Grandmother. I feel it is appropriate now.

I used to get earaches, terrible, terrible earaches. I would cry and cry, and Grandma would stroke my hair and shush me, trying to soothe my pain while she warmed oil to put in my aching ears. I asked her, “Why do my ears have to hurt so bad, Grandma?” Grandma replied as she hugged me tight, “God gave us pain so we could appreciate the joys of life.” Now to be honest, I was in too much pain to quite grasp the meaning at that moment. But I didn’t forget what she said, and I kept looking for ways in which it might be true. Sure enough, the next time I got the flu I really appreciated what it felt like to be healthy, to be able to climb a tree and ride my horse and run like the wind. Up until then I really took those things for granted. I couldn’t wait to get better so that I could get back to the simple things of life, running, jumping, laughing, eating, singing, all of it -- LIFE! The point my grandmother had made was that the very act of being sick had made me appreciate being well.

What was happening to me while I was well? I was taking my wellness for granted, as if I would always have my health. I forgot what it was like to be well. I forgot what a gift it was to be able to run and jump and laugh and sing. Ride my horse, climb a tree, think, play and love. The very act of getting sick humbled me, made me remember what gifts I had, all the things I had to be grateful for.

Now I realize this is a very simplistic little story but it can be stretched bigger and bigger to apply all over our lives and even all over the world. I guess I want every one to realize two things.

First: Let’s remember to be grateful for all of the blessing that we have, no matter how small. Are you alive? Count your blessings in every way, every day!

Second: Change is the only thing that remains constant. If you look back throughout history there have always been ebbs and flows, ups and downs. It is natural -- the universe has to move this way. It is impossible for it to move only in one direction. Think of the tides.

For us, the more flexible and trusting and grateful we can be, the more we will come out of this unscathed. We are all in this together so let’s help each other with a kind thought, kind word or a kind deed. With love from my heart to yours, Eve

Give the Gift of Positive Energy

We can make anything sacred through our attention and intention.

The Holiday Season is well underway. The hustle and bustle in the air is all around us. The energy can be exhilarating and inspiring just as it can be exhausting and depleting.

Have you ever noticed your mood or energy change after being with another person? Possibly the vivacious clerk at the market gave you a boost of energy with his kindness and obvious enjoyment of his day. Or maybe the stranger in front of you drained your energy by scowling at the lines and choosing to focus only on the negative.

I always think of how people with negative outlooks have to live with themselves and how unhappy their world must be. Whereas the people who choose to be present and see the beauty around them, regardless of the environment, live in a beautiful and abundant world. Our outlook affects not only those around us, but our own (reality) universe. Our world is our choice. It’s a decision we make.

I am reminded of an article I read about a woman who was writing a book. During the time she was creating her book she needed other income and accepted a housekeeping position at a bed and breakfast. She described it as not only her way to pay her bills, but as part of her spiritual discipline. She wrote, “When I am preparing the room I pray for the people that are coming, I ask that they have a most wonderful and memorable time that is transformative for their relationship. I make the bed as though it were a gift I am wrapping for them. I greet every person I meet with kindness and love. I give thanks for getting paid to get the exercise I need after sitting so much to write my book.”

She made the decision to be present in all that she does and present for all those she encounters. Her world is a beautiful world. When we come from a belief that all we do is an offering, a gift to the world, people respond positively to that energy. It is not just about positive thinking or creating your own reality. It is about a conscious way of being that you continually cultivate. In this way, your world can be sacred, creative and spiritual. It is your decision.