Osteoporosis Prevention and Treatment Strategies – some vitally important steps . . .

1. Check your vitamin D level – vitamin D deficiency is the leading cause of osteoporosis, in my practice I encounter many vitamin D deficient women despite the fact that they are taking calcium with a multivitamin, and drugs such as Fosomax.
2. Do not take vitamin A in a supplement or multivitamin – even low doses of vitamin A can lead to calcium loss in the urine and subsequent bone loss.
3. Do not consume more that 1500 mg of sodium daily - as salt contributes to calcium loss in the urine as well as strokes
4. Do back exercises at least twice daily – bone strength is directly proportional to muscle strength, back exercises will help protect the spine from bone loss. Wearing a weighted vest is a proven, safe method to fight osteoporosis.

Hawaiian Pineapple Cake

This delicious taste-of-Hawaii pineapple cake is so easy to make that anyone could do it. Why not surprise mom by making it for her on Mother's Day?! This recipe has been adapted from a recipe using unbleached flour and refined sugar, replacing them with whole wheat pastry flour and date sugar. With the variety of food items in the stores today there's a healthy substitute for pretty much any unhealthy ingredient.

Being a patient of Dr. Fuhrman for 5 years has changed her lifestyle of eating, using the Eat to Live plan. Now, being a mother, she has the knowledge to follow the Disease Proof Your Child program for health of her new born child.

Vitamin D

Don’t be fooled by deceptive labeling! Dairy products are not the answer for maintaining strong bones.
Compared only by volume, milk seems to be the winner as a calcium source. However, your body absorbs calcium differently from different foods. For example only about 32 percent of the calcium in milk is absorbed, while 54 percent of the calcium in bok choy is absorbed. So more accurately, to compare by absorption, and calorie-for-calorie, leafy greens like kale, bok choy, and broccoli are far better sources of calcium than skim milk.

Don’t be fooled, however, by the dairy industry’s false promises and age–old tales of lots of calcium for strong bones and teeth. The critical player here is really vitamin D! Although, calcium is necessary it is useless if our bodies do not have adequate supplies of vitamin D to promote calcium absorption. This vitamin is one of the few that does not come from the food we eat. It is synthesized by our bodies after exposure to the sun. Because many of us do not get adequate exposure to the sun and use sunscreens that block the UV rays that produce vitamin D, most people need supplemental vitamin D. The majority of American women have inadequate levels of vitamin D which is a major cause of disability and disease.

Learn more about building strong bones and the role of vitamin D in Dr. Fuhrman’s Healthy Times Newsletters: Issue No. 8, July 2000; Issue No. 18, March 2005; and Issue No. 21, September 2005. Healthy Times Newsletter Issues.

Clearing the Haze

Celebrity doctor Joseph Mercola,D.O. is a prolific writer with a large following. Recently, Dr. Fuhrman was asked on DiseaseProof.com blog to assess some of Dr. Mercola's more outlandish claims.

Here's what Dr. Fuhrman had to say about the 'miraculous' properties of coconut oil: 'I(Dr. Fuhrman) just went to www.nal.usda.gov our government's web analysis tool and analyzed plain coconut oil for you guys and added up the numbers including the fractions so it would be exact. 100 grams of coconut oil contains 86.5 grams of saturated fat. It contains 14.1 grams of 6-10 chain (medium chain) saturated fats and 5.8 grams of monounsaturated fat. So it is most accurate to call it (coconut oil) about 14% of those less harmfull ('miraculous') MCT saturated fats (a relatively small amount). . . [additionally] the extracted oil contains less than one tenth of nature's valuable nutrients than the same amount of calories obtained from the whole food (coconut).'

Other interesting topics on DiseaseProof.com include:

• Osteoporosis Prevention and Treatment Strategies.
• The Best Foods For Bones: Fruits and Vegetables.
• Cow's Milk and Kids Aren't Made for Each Other.