Well, folks, I tipped the scale Sunday at 117.2 pounds. That may not seem like a lot, but it represents a five-pound gain since the beginning of last summer. My jeans, which fit nicely when I weighed 112, are getting tight. It’s time to go on a diet within the OsteoDiet.
Where to begin? With an examination of conscience! I had to ask myself, “Why did I gain these five pounds?” in order to know how to lose them. When I looked honestly at my situation, these reasons surfaced:
1) I haven’t been writing down what I eat. It’s amazing how much I eat of certain foods when I don’t keep track. Even healthy foods can be fattening, if I eat too much of them!
2) I have been spending more time indoors since the colder weather started. More time indoors means less exercise and sunshine, and more time spent in the kitchen keeping warm and…eating.
3) I have been busy with other projects in the morning when I need to be exercising at the gym. The only days I got to the gym last week were Friday evening and Saturday morning.
4) I have been eating more Ezekiel bread, almonds, and sunflower seeds than recommended on the OsteoDiet. These healthy foods need to be included in my diet, but not to excess.
5) I had gotten away from weighing myself every morning. I started doing that again when I wrote the article last week, “Top 10 Checklist for Daily Health and Strong Bones.”
6) I haven’t done a colon cleanse in quite a while. Toxic debris can build up in the colon, which can add weight.
7) I have been enjoying a few “forbidden” foods lately–like coffee and grits. Both of these foods are acidifying. A treat once in while keeps me from feeling overly deprived, but right now I’d rather be the right weight!
Now that I’ve come to grips with the reasons for the weight gain, I can make a plan to lose the weight. This is the plan:
1. Write down everything I eat and report to someone else at the end of the day. That someone is going to be you!
2. If it’s too cold to go outside, I will spend my time indoors in rooms other than the kitchen!
3. Get to Planet Fitness at 5:00 a.m. to work out. (This also means I have to be in bed asleep at 9:00, in order to get 7-8 hours sleep.) If it’s just too cold to go to the gym, I will work out with one of my bone-building exercise DVD’s.
4. Daily limit of Ezekiel bread: 2 slices; raw almonds: 16; and sunflower seeds: 1 handful.
5. Weigh myself every morning! No exceptions!
6. Begin a three-week colon cleanse. (More on that tomorrow…)
7. NO forbidden foods until the scale is reads 112!
The diet starts today.
Want to join me? To begin, pick one or two of the points of our action plan that are the easiest to implement, such as limiting bread/seeds or weighing yourself in the morning, and then add another point tomorrow. If you continue adding steps, you’ll have the whole plan in the works within a week.
Our goal is to lose five pounds in three weeks, while building both our health and our bones.
May God bless our efforts!
Kathy
Tags: bone health, dieting, losing weight, Osteodiet, Planet Fitness
Although I no longer see Dexascan scores as the most telling indicator of bone health, I was encouraged by the results of this year’s scan. A 2.2% gain in the bone density of the hip (femoral neck), correlating with a T-score of -2.4 and a Z-score of -1.7. No longer is my hip in the “osteoporosis” category; instead it is now classified as “osteopenia.”
In the lumbar vertebrae (L1-L4), the 5.9% drop in bone density is, I believe, the result of upper body immobilization this summer due to the bike accident. While my shoulder fractures healed quickly, recovery of the strength and mobility of shoulder muscles, ligaments, and tendons after the injury has taken several months. Now that I have returned to both upper and lower body workouts, both at home and at Planet Fitness, I expect the bone density in my lumber vertebrae to improve this year, as it did in the 2007 Dexascan.
Having said this, I no longer believe that negative T-scores are abnormal for me. As you can tell from my photo, I am a petite, small-boned woman. I am of Irish descent. I am shorter and tinier than the average woman, and so I cannot be expected to have the same weight and density of bone as the average woman. If you’ve read The Myth of Osteoporosis, you understand also that bone density is not the only predictor of bone strength; in fact, it is not even the best predictor.
The fact that my shoulder fractures healed in record time this summer shows that my body is perfectly capable of building bone where bone is needed naturally, without the use of dangerous pharmaceutical drugs. The task ahead is to continue to convince my body that bone is needed in both spine and hip by continuing regular weight bearing exercise, especially walking, running, and weight training. I will also maintain the osteoporosis diet (80% alkaline / 20% acid), as well as allowing 7-8 hours of sleep per night.
After two years on this diet and exercise regimen, I feel great! I am strong and healthy and full of vitality. I take nutritional supplements, but no pharmaceutical drugs. The only side effects of the foods and supplements I take are increased health!
So continues my ongoing success story with fighting osteoporosis…naturally!
Tags: Dexascan results, osteopenia, osteoporosis
In today’s world of processed foods and high-pressure stress, optimum health that leads to strong bones doesn’t just happen. To obtain and maintain health, I follow a daily checklist that keeps me on track.
____ 1. Have I offered my day to God, asking for His guidance, blessing, and presence?
____ 2. Have I weighed myself this morning to stay motivated to maintain my proper weight?
____ 3. When will I hydrate to drink at least 6-8 cups of water per day? (Example: before breakfast, at breakfast with supplements, morning snack, lunch, afternoon snack, supper, before bedtime with supplements)
____ 4. Have I planned healthy meals and snacks for the day: breakfast, morning snack, lunch, afternoon snack, supper, and bedtime? Have I eliminated fried foods, processed foods, and foods to which I am allergic or that I don’t digest well?
____ 5. If I am eating any main meals away from home, have I packaged my daily supplements for easy consumption?
____ 6. When will I exercise? Have I alternated between weight bearing exercise, aerobic exercise, and stretching/flexibility exercise? When will I spend time (2-10 minutes) rebounding to keep my lymph flowing and refreshed?
____ 7. Does my spine feel in alignment? If not, have I made an appointment for a chiropractic adjustment?
____ 8. Have I tested the acidity of my saliva or urine at least once this week to make sure my blood is at the correct alkaline pH level of approximately 7.38?
____ 9. Have I set aside some relaxation time in my day with family that I love and activities that I enjoy?
____ 10. Have I planned 7-8 hours of uninterrupted sleep to allow body, mind, and soul to regenerate, so that I will feel my best tomorrow?
As the old saying goes, if we fail to plan, we plan to fail. By planning for success in the area of health, however, we reap a cornucopia of blessings for a strong body, mind, soul, and spirit!
May God bless you today and always,
Kathy
Last Wednesday I had a new bone scan done at Florida Hospital Fish Memorial. The results are supposed to be in on Monday. You would think I’d be anxious about my Dexascan readings, but I’m not. After what Dr. Rogers said about my not needing one (“Once the blood is fixed, the blood will take care of the bones.”), this Dexascan is merely a way of documenting what a normal bone density level is for ME. No, I will not have the bone density of a 20-year-old in top condition, which is what T-scores measure against. I won’t even have the bone density of the average 55-year-woman, which is what Z-scores compare. Instead, I will have the bone density of a small-boned, petite woman of Irish descent who is post-menupausal and in optimum health. Whatever that score turns out to be is fine with me!
Tags: bone scan, osteoporosis; Dexascan
Answer: No, there is no recommended limit on the amount of xylitol humans can eat.
Studies in humans and rodents have shown that xylitol, when appropriately administered orally, is well tolerated and safe to levels of at least 90 grams per day, with no subjective or objective adverse findings. The Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) of two United Nations agencies (FAO and WHO) indicated that no special consumption limits were needed for xylitol. In detail, JECFA recommended an unlimited ADI (Acceptable Daily Intake) based on the safety of xylitol. This type of specification reflects the safest category in which this committee can place a food additive. (Information excepted from Xylitol.org.)
As mentioned previously on this website, however, xylitol is not safe for dogs!
Tags: osteoporosis; xylitol
Breakfast: Fruity Protein Shake using Soytein protein powder, 2 slices of cinnamon raisin Ezekiel bread, 1 tbsp. sunflower seeds, raspberry tea with Vitamin C powder, supplements, and water
Snack: Leftover tuna croquette
Lunch: Apple and celery, water
Snack: 2 slices of cinnamon raisin Ezekiel bread
Supper: Baked Salmon, Almond Mashed Potatoes, Tossed Salad, raspberry tea with Beyond C powder, supplements, water
Bedtime: Greens Shake, supplements, water
One of the unexpected problems of life for many menopausal women is vaginal dryness and discomfort during intercourse. Never would I have thought it could happen to me, but…
I looked into natural hormone replacement therapy, but decided it was not for me. So, what to do? I tried using Vaseline Intensive Care lotion as a personal lubricant, which was okay for a while, but ultimately it turned out to be inadequate. Next, I tried Astro Glide. Yuck! It was slimy and sticky, and it didn’t even lubricate as well as the lotion had. Not nice at all!
Then, I found this little treasure at DeLand Bakery and Natural Foods: Personal Gel Lubricant by AloeLife International. It’s made with Organic Aloe Vera, Calendula, Allantoin, and Vitamins A, E, and Zinc. Made especially for menopausal women, it “soothes burning and itching skin while restoring a healthy moisture balance as needed.” For women seeking silky comfort during intimacy, AloeLife’s Personal Gel is a welcome solution!
For more information on AloeLife products, visit http://www.aloelife.com.
Tags: AloeLife International, menopause, Personal Gel by AloeLife, vaginal dryness, vaginal lubricants
