Guest Articles
The Herstory Of Bones
By Dr. Madeline Behrendt
It's 6:30 a.m. Eyes open to the sun painting a new canvas over the foothills.
Ears alert to
the sound of morning feet padding through the hallway, destination locked
in. The body
moves, sleep is surrendered as the commitment from horizontal to vertical
is made.
Feeling anticipation, the stomach shifts all focus towards the kitchen.
Arms extend,
fingers grasp, mouth waits... Coffee? Milk? Soda? Juice? Shake? Water?
So starts a new
day in the 'Herstory' of bones.
Bones are undercover dutiful workers, silhouettes barely visible; yet home
to ceaseless
invisible activity. They are a part of a passive subsystem, not able to
move us nor
themselves, yet our entire physical being depends on them for strength,
support and
protection. They are also home to part of our precious immune system.
Women and bones are linked in our culture, although men can also experience
changes in
bone health. During the different stages of a woman's lifecycle, Innate
changes the ratio
of (new bone being built)/(old bone being broken down) and choices made
within the
normal rhythm of the day can support or interfere with the potential Innate
offers.
In addition to daily choices, because our body is designed to achieve
peak bone density
during our 30's, timing is also a factor, and paying attention during the
early years can
influence whether or not our peak is achieved.
Nutrition. Beverages. Exercise. Elective Prescription Drugs. Hormones.
BONE CHOICES.
And choosing to remain subluxated offers potential consequences we can
never neglect.
We demand and assume our bones will last our lifetime, yet may take them
for granted or
treat them like a rental car. Care or carelessness - the results are ours
to choose.
In Womanculture as described by the Symptom/Disease/Prevention model, osteoporosis
(or the fear of) receives a lot of attention, especially in regards to
its suggested
relationship to menopause, estrogen deficiency and bone density.
Looking at the view from Inside, rather than Outside, are reports that
offer clarity: - Poor
bone health during menopause is not automatically attributed to this lifecycle
as studies
show that osteoporosis can start many years prior to menopause (early care
is
important!.)
We are told we lose estrogen (creating the image of estrogen deficiency),
but what loss?
Innate resets our hormone levels - making what is appropriate for this
lifecycle, and
protects us from the effects of having too much of a hormone, who's excess
can lead to
cancer.
Estrogen is NOT the bone builder hormone; reports indicate that progesterone
(not
progestin) is responsible for this function.
Low bone density does not define osteoporosis; they are not interchangeable
terms, LBD
is a factor that can contribute, but not guarantee OP, as additional factors
weigh in.
As hormones are involved in bone health, hormonal drugs are heavily promoted,
but their
sales are vulnerable to self-sabotage as inevitable side effects surface.
Like revolutionary
soldiers, new drugs stand poised to replace them, ready for their 15 minutes
of fame,
spinning promises and information often culled from self-funded studies
before they too
are shot down. The Public is questioning the credibility of endless cycles
of "miracle"
drugs that can deliver "miracle" side effects. Miracles? Real miracles
can come from
above, down, inside, out.
Interference in bone health can seem silent, but the effects are very loud,
as the most
common first site of fracture due to osteoporosis is the thoracic spine,
which protects
and houses our nervous system. In my practice, women speak of watching
their mom's
quality of life decline as her spine crumbled, they want to be educated
and informed as to
how to help their spine be healthy for the long run. I am committed to
helping them and
their daughters through subluxation-based care and teaching the benefits
of the
chiropractic lifestyle.
Back in the kitchen, some quick comments on what we reach for and how they
affect
bones:
COFFEE - Chemically can create a negative calcium balance. Coffee is also
one of the
crops most heavily sprayed with pesticides and questions are raised how
those hormones
can affect bone health. People actually do live without coffee, if that
sounds unbearable,
many also try organic, drink less or boost up other bone builder factors.
MILK - Innate has designed us to become lactose intolerant (3 of 4 adults),
let's listen.
Milk is NOT a preferred calcium source, in fact after 3 generations of
milk promotion,
osteoporosis has reached epidemic proportions in the West, while in countries
where it is
not consumed, it hardly exists. Calcium can be found in many user-friendly
sources, try
there.
SODA - Bubbles and bones don't mix, studies show it leeches calcium and
children
consuming soda had low blood calcium levels. Another study reported DOUBLE
the urinary
calcium loss in teens 13-19 (remember those are the years spent building
towards peak
bone density.)
JUICE - Natural is best, when calcium is artificially encouraged (as in
fortified) reports
indicate calcium can be deposited in the wrong place (cardiovascular, kidneys,
female
organs.)
SHAKE - can be a great start to the day, depending upon what is put in
it. Good stuff:
organic fruits, almond or other nut butters, rice milk. Have fun experimenting.
WATER - One of the best ways to start the day is with a glass of clean
(filtered from
chemicals/hormones) water, hot or cold, with lemon. Then on to a good breakfast.
It's 6:30 a.m. A new day is waiting. Start off A.W.E.some. And subluxation-free.
--------------------
Dr. Madeline Behrendt is the author of A Woman's Experience/A.W.E.(TM)
Reports On
Women's Health Topics and can be reached at mbdcawe@aol.com
Printed with permission from Dr. Behrendt and www.planetchiropractic.com