Health: Food for Bone Growth. Be Your Own Advocate

All scripture is from the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible.

 

By H. Janet Stephens Sacarello, BA, MA

In a previous Blog I mentioned a freak accident where I had an encounter with a calf and ended up with a broken wrist, which is now healed. During my first couple of visits with my orthopedic, he mentioned he was concerned because he did not see bone growth in my X-rays. He related it to my osteoporosis. I started thinking about this, and as I was removing something from the fridge, on the door I sawan article "Foods for Stronger Bones" by Julie Goldenberg. I clipped this article from an AARP magazine at some point in the past, put it on my "Remember This" fridge door then forgot it. Of course I'm sure none of you do that. Listed in the article were kale salad with blue cheese, sweet potatoes, prunes (dried plums), and tart cherry juice which works with dried plums to prevent bone loss. Checking further with my friend Google, I found a variety of other foods that also aid in bone growth: fish, fruits, raisins, spinach and other green leafy vegetables, red and green peppers and more.  (Check Google for details.)

I started eating these bone growth foods regularly over the next month and when I went in for my final ortho visit, my bones appeared solid in the X-ray, no more pain and I was dismissed.  Healed.  As a plus, I realized that my blood pressure, which I take and record regularly, started being consistently normal.  Along with the food I also need to give credit to prayer which includes us doing our best (eating bone growth food) and letting God do the rest, which He did.

My point is this: Why don’t doctors, specialists, radiologists, etc. tell you what you can do at home to assist in healing in everyday life?  Bone density tests every two years, going from negative to osteopenia to finally osteoporosis may have been prevented if someone said, “Eating sweet potatoes, prunes and kale salad with blue cheese along with drinking tart cherry juice may prevent you getting osteopenia and osteoporosis.”

Advice doctors do contribute is walk, exercise, lift weights and stay hydrated.  Why can’t foods that assist in healing be added to the list?  It appears to me that the health profession focuses on what we should “not” do to stay healthy more so than what we “should” do to stay healthy – limit alcohol and wine, don’t get fat, don’t smoke, don’t do drugs.  Don’t get me wrong, this is great advice if you want to stay healthy and prevent strokes, heart attacks and other illnesses.  But, remember, you are your own advocate where health is concerned.  Do your own research.  Read your AARP Magazine and cut out articles that apply to you before you throw it in the trash.  Start a HEALTH folder and refer to it often.  Post articles on your fridge door so you won’t forget good advice and look at them when you open the door.

(My Opinion, Take It or Leave It.)

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 6:20 -- “For ye are bought with a price: therefore, glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.”