How Summertime Helps Your Bones

Vivian Goldschmidt, MA Lifestyle

Evidence-Based
5 min Read

It’s possibly one of the busiest places on earth. Picture around two million tiny pumps – hard at work all day and night – and you'll understand why. Controlled by one central thermostat and connected to millions of surface sensors, these minute marvels are your sweat glands.

They regulate your body’s temperature by excreting water through your skin to insure that it stays within a desirable range of around 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit. But that’s not all: sweat glands help you stay alkaline by filtering out acid and toxins circulating in your blood.

With the first day of summer only a few days away, there’s no better time to take advantage of this wonderful process to help you build your bones by increasing your alkalinity. So on those hot and steamy days, look at the bright side and remember the benefits of sweating.

Don't Be a Couch Potato

The unwanted acids and toxins carried by the blood travel in very thin vessels or capillaries, so you need good circulation to efficiently build up a good sweat and get rid of those unwanted “guests”.

The most efficient way to encourage good subcutaneous circulation is to exercise. The muscle contractions caused by physical activity stimulate blood circulation. Plus aerobic activity not only strengthens your bones, it also forces you to breathe deeply, which accelerates acid drainage via the lungs.

Heat dilates the capillaries, so it helps improve the blood flow volume. And that is why hot baths and saunas also detoxify your body, especially right after exercising.

Some Rules to Remember

If you wish to take a hot bath, make sure you increase the temperature gradually while you are in the bathtub. That’s because your pores close up to defend themselves from the heat, and this defeats the whole purpose.

Start at at comfortable temperature and raise it gradually until you reach your comfort level. You might notice that with time, you might tolerate higher temperatures. But don’t rush to increase the temperature because it can accelerate the circulatory load of toxins and you might overwhelm your detox systems.

Since you should drink plenty of fluids while you’re enjoying your hot bath, this is a great opportunity to try some delicious sweat-stimulating herbal teas. Elder berry, linden flower, burdock root, and wild pansy teas are my favorites.

After the bath, wrap yourself in a towel and rest for at least 15 minutes to allow your body temperature to normalize.

Foods that Improve Your Circulation

If you’re following the Osteoporosis Reversal Program, chances are you’re already eating Foundation Foods that improve circulation in addition to building your bones:

Vitamin C-rich foods: In the Osteoporosis Reversal Program you’ll find a long list of Foundation Foods that contain Vitamin C, such as oranges, tangerines, pineapple, cantaloupe, and broccoli. These are all alkalizing. With Vitamin C, I recommend you go the extra mile and also take a supplement. Besides all of its bone-building benefits, studies have shown that taking 500 mg a day of Vitamin C – which is the recommended daily dose in the Osteoporosis Reversal Program – improves vasodilation.1

Nuts and Seeds: Rich in Vitamin E, which is a natural and effective blood thinner and powerful antioxidant, the following nuts and seeds are alkalizing Foundation Foods: almonds, sunflower seeds, and pumpkin seeds. On the acidifying spectrum, try walnuts, eggs, organ meats, and olives.

Bulbs: Onions are an outstanding source of bone-healthy polyphenols and its sulfur compounds also work as an anti-clotting agent. They are a Foundation Food thanks to their boron content, and they are a source of Vitamin C. And garlic is rich in sulfur compounds and well-known for its excellent anti-clotting properties.

Lycopene-Rich Foods: As I write in the Osteoporosis Reversal Program, this potent antioxidant found in red foods such as watermelons, tomatoes and pink grapefruits plays an important role in bone health mainly because it protects bone cells from damage. Studies have shown that it is also improves circulation, so here’s one more reason to load up on these delicious foods.

Herbs and Spices: Both cayenne and turmeric improve blood circulation, so always keep a supply handy and try to use in as many dishes as possible.

The Circle of Health

Who would have thought that you can restore your bone health and increase your alkalinity by simple actions such as building up a sweat and eating delicious foods? This is further proof that when you’re doing what’s right for one aspect of your health, you’re also helping other important body processes.

Drugs don’t do that. In fact, more often than not they end up hurting other biological processes – those pesky side effects – which is a telltale sign that they don’t belong in your body.
As you can see, the Osteoporosis Reversal Program truly passes the “litmus test”, both metaphorically and literally. So don't sweat about your bone health… start sweating FOR your bone health.

Till next time,

Reference

1 Gokce N, Keaney JF, Jr., Frei B, et al. Long-term ascorbic acid administration reverses endothelial vasomotor dysfunction in patients with coronary artery disease. Circulation. 1999;99(25):3234-3240