A friend of mine asked me the other day, “Where do I begin?” She had been feeling so tired and worn out and was concerned about her bone density. She wanted to start taking supplements and work on improving her health.
In my mind, my friend has already begun. Knowing that you need to make a change in your health practices in the most important first step. “Change your mind and you change yourself,” a wise man once told me.
The next step, in my opinion, is to find a doctor who will lead you to healthful eating habits and who can prescribe supplements or pharmaceuticals that will help your body to heal.
On your own, there are a number of ways you can start on the road to better health, too:
1) Drink more water. Drop the coffee and sodas, and drink water instead. Try to drink a glass of water with every meal and one in between each meal, and upon rising. That gets you six glasses of water, and that’s a good start.
2) Find a good multivitamin at your nearby health food store.
3) Work toward substituting natural foods for processed foods. For example, try eating Ezekiel bread instead of biscuits; fruit for dessert instead of cake, vegetables with nuts and spices for flavor instead of veggies with cream sauces.
Each small change carries big benefits. Keep a list of each change you make, and celebrate your progress by giving yourself well deserved rewards–especially the gift of time to do something you enjoy doing. If you give yourself the gift of time to go for a walk in the evening after supper, you’ll be taking another step toward better health and stronger bones.
And you’re on your way!
Tags: bone health, osteoporosis
Mama Mia! I never knew tomato soup from scratch would taste so delicious! This soup tastes like pizza without the crust…and it’s good for your bones!
1 10-oz pkg frozen bell pepper strips
1 28-oz can organic crushed tomatoes, undrained
2 chicken bouillon cubes
1 16-oz can navy beans, rinsed and drained
1 16-oz can water (Just fill up the empty navy bean for an easy measure.)
3 tbsp chopped fresh basil leaves
2 tbsp snipped fresh parsley or 1 tbsp dried parsley
2 tbsp dried minced onion flakes
1 tsp dried oregano
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
1/8 tsp dried red pepper
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
In a blender, process the bell pepper strips with the tomatoes until smooth or slightly chunky. Pour into a large saucepan. Next, in the blender, process the navy beans, water, basil leaves, and parsley. Pour into the saucepan.
Add all other ingredients to the saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the flavors have blended well. Ladle into cups or soup bowls, and enjoy! Serve it with Mediterranean Tuna Salad, a millet loaf, and lighted candles for a hearty, healthy Italian dinner.
Buon appetito!
Tags: osteoporosis, Recipes, Tomato Soup
Much of the healing that has had to take place in building bone density has been inner healing–that is, the healing of my attitudes and emotions about myself and about life in general. For most of my life, I have believed that happiness was to be found outside myself, in my activities I engaged in and in the people I chose to associate with. I worked hard to maintain control my environment, trying to make sure I was safe from unexpected hardships and always seeking to do my job perfectly and fulfill my responsibilities which life had thrust on me. Underneath it all lay a pervasive fear that God would not take care of me and that I could not trust my own inner guidance from the Holy Spirit.
All that has changed over the past two years through reading the books that Dr. Steve and Dr. Rogers recommended, as well as other wonderful books that have crossed my path through the grace of God. The latest is a wonderful book by Lee Jampolsky, Ph.D., entitled Walking Through Walls. This book is an 8-week spiritual journey that “transforms our individual struggles into lasting serenity through an exploration of the eight self-actualizing qualities of: Honesty, Tolerance, Gentleness, Joy, Defenselessness, Generosity, Patience, and Open-Mindedness.” Each week I felt my level of peace increase and my level of worry diminish. I also learned something completely new to me: Joy does not come FROM the activity and people around us. Instead, joy comes from resting in the heart of God, and then we bring joy TO the activities and people in our lives.
After reading this book, I feel a new sense of peace and a definite reduction of inner stress. The perennial knot in my stomach has disappeared, and I feel a sense of excitement and trust that God is indeed with me, loving me and guiding me to new growth and greater joy. I can now believe with all my heart what Jesus said, “I came that they might have life–life to the fullest.”
If you are interested in buying this book, both new and used copies are available from Amazon.com.
God bless today and always,
Kathy
What it’s for: MedCaps T3 promotes the health of the thyroid. It “features targeted nutrients and herbs that support healthy thyroid hormone synthesis. This combination may facilitate the expression of thyroid hormone genes. The addition of ashwaganda and guggul may aid in the conversion of thyroxine to triiodothryonine (T4 to T3) and may assist in maintaining healthy blood lipid levels.”
What’s good about it: The pills are small and easy to swallow. Also, the standard dosage of two pills in the morning and two in the evening is easy to manage with my work schedule.
What’s bad about it: The label contains a warning that excessive intake of Vitamin A may increase the risk of birth defects and that women who are pregnant or may become pregnant should not exceed an intake of 5000 units of preformed Vitamin A (retinyl palmitate) per day. Four capsules per day contains only 3000 units, which would not exceed the suggested limit.
It’s better than: Iodine supplements alone. Research has shown that iodine supplements can cause either hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism when taken in massive doses.
It’s not as good as: Natural thyroid hormone. When I first started going to Dr. Rogers, my thyroid was barely putting out any thyroid hormone. So, Dr. Rogers prescribed natural thyroid hormone (NOT synthroid) , along with MedCapsT3, to get my metabolism moving. As the nutrient in MedCaps T3 began to heal my thyroid, Dr. Rogers gradually reduced my intake of natural thyroid hormone until I no longer needed it.
Why I use this product: I continue to take MedCaps T3 in order to keep my thyroid healthy and functioning normally. Taking this supplement makes me feel energized, alert, and satisfied–rather than dragging, down, and hungry all the time.
Best place to get it: Phone Xymogen at 407-445-0203 or 800-647-6100.
For more information about the product, visit http://www.xymogen.com/uploads/attributes/medcaps-0906.pdf
Tags: bone health, MedCaps T3, osteoporosis, product review, thyroid health
Last night we hit on the perfect recipe for oatmeal cookies! It’s quick to make because I used Bob’s Red Mill Wheat Free Biscuit & Making Mix as the base. My family snarfed down this healthy treat as fast as I could get them out of the oven!
1 cup Earth Balance buttery spread*
1/2 cup Xylosweet*
1/4 cup honey
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1-1/2 cups Bob’s Red Mill Wheat Free Biscuit & Baking Mix*
1 tsp vanilla
3 cups Bob’s Red Mill Quick-Cooking Rolled Oats*
Optional additions:
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup raisins
1 cup carob chips* or 1 cup chocolate chips
(*These items can be purchased at DeLand Bakery & Natural Market.)
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Beat together the first five ingredients.
3. Add dry ingredients and mix well.
4. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. (I use a glass pan lined with aluminum foil for best results.)
5. Bake 8 or until golden brown.
6. Use a spatula to slide cookies from the pan onto a plate for cooling.
This recipe makes 3 to 4 dozen cookies, depending on the size of the cookies you makes. I separate the dough into 2 bowls so that I can add raisins to one batch and chocolate chips to the other batch. That way everybody gets their favorite!
Tags: Bob's Red Mill Wheat Free Biscuit & Baking Mix, Desserts, osteoporosis, Recipes
Breakfast: 2 slices of Sesame Ezekiel bread with Earth Balance buttery spread, Fruity Protein Shake, supplements, water
Snack: Apple
Lunch: Tossed Salad, water
Snack: Sunflower seeds
Supper: Small hamburger made with lean beef, sliced onions, Japanese veggies seasoned with drizzle of teriyaki sauce and Frontier brand ginger stir fry seasoning, lima beans, fried rice, with Fruity Protein Shake for dessert
Bedtime: Water and supplements
Tags: Daily Diet, osteoporosis
