Flesh and Bone are not the only things necessary for pain-free, agile movement. You need strong ligaments to keep muscles in place. You need minerals and water to feed your muscles. If you removed all flesh from your skeleton it would fall into a heap on the floor. Muscles and ligaments support your sitting, standing, and walking. In a perfect world, we would all eat nutrient-rich, fresh organic fruits and vegetables. We might fast one day weekly on dried figs and low fat goat’s milk–excellent sources of potassium, calcium, magnesium, and necessary minerals. We would spend at least thirty minutes daily in sunshine for vitamin D. We would exercise daily walking and swimming. We would think nice thoughts and have no worries. For the rest of us, there are nutritional supplements to make up for real life.
Minerals are difficult to absorb even under the best of conditions. We absorb nutrients depending on several important factors–age, health, food combinations to name a few things. People over 30, whose eating habits are irregular, and who work under stress lack adequate digestive enzymes. Getting the enzymes in pills is second best to having your own. That’s why a few new supplements such as Active-C from Vitamin Shoppe combine vitamin C, a little calcium, magnesium, and zinc along with pepper to increase digestion. The pepper increases acid, which helps digestion. You might also take your vitamins and minerals with orange juice: It’s acidic.
If digestion is weak, pills pass right through. Some minerals like dolomite, said to be a source of calcium, are made from rocks and mountains. Did you ever try to eat an Italian mountain? It does not work. Taking pills is not enough. For one thing you have to have the right combination of nutrients and the right ph conditions in your digestive tract. Some people, for convenience, bolt their vitamins and minerals with coffee or tea–both diuretic. That reduces absorption. Why take a tonic with a cleanser? It would be like waxing the floor then scrubbing it with bleach.
I can’t promise to know all the best supplements for Flesh and Bone. I myself don’t like swallowing too many pills. So I schedule some with or between meals, with or without acid foods, depending on how they should be absorbed.
With Calcium think Magnesium, Zinc and Acid Foods
I asked my pretty Florida chiropractor, Iris–shapely in jeans, high heels, and long black hair–about enjoying cafe Cubano and taking calcium. Most people know that coffee leaches calcium from bones. She said, take calcium and magnesium and vitamin C regularly. Supplements are not like drugs that work powerfully for a short period of time. Minerals need to build up over time in your body. Take them daily. I avoid taking minerals along with coffee. Mornings I often have fruit, tea and/or coffee. They are all cleansing. With them, I may take cleansing herbs like neem, used to fight bacteria, virus, parasites, and itchy skin conditions. It’s a nice rejuvenative cleanser you can take long term as long as you have acidophilus or yogurt in your diet. Other good cleanser might include a source of chlorophyll like one from Puritan Pride made from copper.
Good sources of calcium are not necessarily dairy products. Lot’s of people–some say most people–have dairy allergies. Leafy greens offer lots of calcium in an easily absorbable form. So are sesame seeds. Ayurvedic doctors recommend a handful of raw sesame seeds chewed daily as a source of calcium. I enjoy eating a spoonful but you might add them to salad, soup or grains. Chinese doctors recommend a very nourishing, beautifying combination of 1 cup each of blanched raw black sesame seeds and chopped walnuts and 1 cup raw honey. They recommend blending the ingredients and baking the mixture at around 200 degrees for hours, but you can make it without cooking. Cooking damages the honey. You might put it into an airtight glass jar and keep it in the sun. Enjoy a couple of tablespoons daily.
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Letha, what a beautiful photograph! Excellent advice as usual. I have a question: I have read about the wonderful nutritional properties of virgin coconut oil. What do you think about it? Thanks.
Nola
Hi! I really appreciate your writings. They help me sort out my daily choices. I am embarrassed that I feel too busy many days to make the conscious choices that I know are needed to build health and enrich longevity. Thanks for your reminders!
Cliff in Cleveland
Leitha, I agree, what a stunning photo.
You are living proof of walking the path of good health.
My question is about joints. Many people take handfuls of
Glucosamine/Chondroitin supplaments. I belive that the molocule is so large that absorption is almost zero. A pharmasist once said that he wouldn’t expect any benifit in under at least 3 months.
I am curious of your thought about joint health and how I can be more proactive.
I am looking at a torn medial Menescus in my knee. Probably a an arthroscopy in the near future. Is there any pre/post statagies that I can follow to aid in the recovery process and long term healing?
Once again, your beauty is only eclipsed by your brilliance.
thank you
Hi Nola,
Thanks. Some people like the taste of coconut oil. It can be slimming because it helps control water retention. It has antiviral effects and soothes digestion. I like it on my skin and hair too.
Hi Timothy
I have missed your comments. Thanks.
Please see the new category on the Home page “Flesh and BOne”
I think it may be easier to absorb glucosamine etc. with additional digestive enzymes, also take it with orange juice (acidic) add the contents of the capsules in enema water.
Knee surgery heals very slowly – 6 – 8 month. But you can speed it with
1. Yunnan Paiyao directly after surgery and for 3 – 4 weeks
4 capsules daily to reduce pain and swelling
2. 12 – 16 capsules daily of yucca, rich in saponins that make aching stiff swollen joint move better.
all best, L.
Thanks Cliff, You are more than welcome.
i am new to your blog- i have a question about digestion, i take enzymes on & off but get tired of having to take them before every meal- i have had digestive problems for some time about 10 years- other wise in great health as far as i know. I am thin -58 -workaholic floral designer- don’t drink enough water. where do i begin to make changes i can keep?
Fran
Hi Fran
Do you like yogurt? You might try a cup of it, adding a little water and up to 1/4 tsp. of tumeric powder.
This is good before bed. It increases healthy digestion and clears and tones complexion.
I’ve been taking magnesium chloride for anxiety – it works.
It is concentrated seawater from unpolluted sources.
It beats everything including Epsom salts, “relaxing” herbs,
and also beats strong drugs like Benzos. One 1/2 hr foot bath
will last 24hrs or more.
You said take yogurt before bed. Dont you think it is bad at night? As per ayurveda curd is strictly prohibited at night. If still need to eat always put black pepper.
Munda you are right about eating yogurt at night especially it is recommended to avoid dairy with Kapha conditions.
but to take organic pure pearl powder it helps to take it with 1/4 tsp of yogurt because it does not mix with water.