Wintertime can be very hard on your skin and hair. When indoor heating systems warm the dry winter air, you’re surrounded by “thirsty” air that draws moisture out of your skin, hair, and nails.
That kind of environment can dehydrate and shrivel your skin like a prune, exaggerating the effects of aging and making life pretty uncomfortable. Lotions and creams can only provide temporary relief on the surface, and many of them contain toxic chemicals.
While you’ve probably heard about drinking water to hydrate your body, you may not have considered how certain foods can also hydrate and beautify skin and hair.
Today I’m happy to share with you six Foundation Foods that are effective “hydrators” and they nourish and build your bones.
And I also give you a delicious pH balanced recipe from Calcilicious, one of the bonuses included with the Bone Appétit cookbook.
So let’s get started!
Beauty-Enhancing, Bone-Building Foundation Foods
Foundation Foods are the backbone of the Osteoporosis Reversal Program, because what you eat has an enormous impact on your bone health. That’s why the Program contains a comprehensive list of alkalizing and acidifying foods, along with Bone Appétit, the brand-new companion recipe book to the Program.
These six foods – three acidifying, three alkalizing – provide lots of bone-healthy nutrients and also give your skin the hydration it craves. Remember, acidifying foods are not off-limits; they can easily be incorporated into the 80% alkaline, 20% acidic diet recommended in the Osteoporosis Reversal Program.
3 Acidifying Hydrating Foundation Foods
Salmon
Rich in Omega-3 fish oils, salmon is an excellent food for winter. It’s one of the rare food sources of Vitamin D. And it contains the antioxidant CoQ10 (ubiquinone or Coenzyme Q10), which as explained in the Osteoporosis Reversal Program, gets depleted by bisphosphonates. Salmon also has selenium, which is one of the keys to its role in skin health: selenium is a trace mineral that helps eliminate toxins. In addition, low levels of selenium have been associated with an increased risk of developing osteoporosis.1 So it makes sense to increase your selenium levels.
Eggs
Eggs are another food source of Vitamin D, the “sunlight vitamin” that can be hard to get during the winter. They also contain B vitamins, specifically vitamins B6 (pyridoxine), B9 (folate), and B12 (cobalamin). These three key vitamins work together to decrease levels of homocysteine, an amino acid associated with increased hip fracture risk.
Walnuts
Walnuts are a rich source of bone-healthy copper and boron, and are an excellent source of Omega-3 fatty acids. These healthful oils boost your skin’s ability to retain moisture, and they also increase calcium absorption and promote collagen synthesis.2 Copper is a key player in an enzymatic process that develops and maintains bones and joints. Boron works with Vitamin D in bone metabolism and decreases calcium and magnesium excretion.
3 Alkalizing Hydrating Foundation Foods
Flax seeds
These tiny, crunchy little seeds are a rich source of bone-building calcium. They may not seem very hydrating, but they are chock-full of healthful Omega-3 oils that are anti-inflammatory, help keep cell membranes intact, and promote moisture retention in the skin.
Celery
This flavorful bone-strengthener is loaded with pure water and minerals such as boron, silica, and calcium. Celery contains Vitamin K as well, a vitamin essential to the absorption of calcium. In addition, celery has the distinction of being one of the most alkalizing vegetables in existence.
Cucumber
Cucumber is another water-rich vegetable, containing high amounts of silica, a mineral that combats dry skin, hair, and nails and tends to decline as we age. Silica helps build connective tissue (collagen), plays a role in the assimilation of calcium, and affects the mineralization of bone.
If, for whatever reason, you can’t or don’t eat some of these foods, don’t despair – there are lots of other healthy, bone-nourishing foods in the Program and in Bone Appétit!
Now you may be wondering how best to prepare and eat these delicious foods.
Below is a yummy recipe from Calcilicious, a bonus that’s included with the Bone Appétit cookbook. Calcilicious contains more than 20 recipes for dishes that are particularly calcium-rich, so you can boost your intake of this vital mineral any time you feel like a snack or a meal.
Calcilicious is not the only bonus included with Bone Appétit; you also get the 30 Day Meal Planner to help you organize your bone-healthy meals, and Blender Magic, which contains over 30 smoothie recipes that build your bones.
Here is a recipe from Calcilicious for Rice N’ Nuts Crunch, a nutty, pH-balanced mixture that builds your bones and hydrates your system with every spoonful.
Rice N' Nuts Crunch (Fits the 80/20 criteria)
Yields 6 Servings
121 mg of calcium per serving
Ingredients
- 2 cups quinoa, cooked
- 1 cup wild rice, cooked
- 2 large tomatoes, diced
- ¾ cup parsley, chopped
- ½ cup green onions, chopped
- 1 cup dried figs, coarsely chopped
- ½ cup slivered or chopped almonds, preferably toasted
- 1⁄3 cup walnuts, chopped
Directions
- In a large bowl, combine the first six ingredients.
- To prepare the dressing, use a small bowl to mix the lemon juice, oil, garlic, salt and coriander. Pour into large bowl with quinoa mixture and toss. Refrigerate until cold.
- Sprinkle with almonds and walnuts before serving.
Dressing Ingredients
- ½ cup lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon coriander, ground
To find out more about Bone Appétit and the 3 bonuses (Calcilicious, Blender Magic, and the 30 Day Meal Planner) included with your order, I invite you to click here.
Till next time,
References
1 Ebert, Regina and Jakob, Franz. “Selenium deficiency as a putative risk factor for osteoporosis.” Orthopedic Department of the University of Wuerzburg (Orthopedic Center for Musculoskeletal Research, Wuerzburg, Germany, March 2007)
2 Griel A., Kris-Etherton P. et al. “An increase in dietary n-3 fatty acids decreases a marker of bone resorption in humans.” Nutrition Journal. January 2007.
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Hi,
Could you please define lima beans? I cook green lima beans frozen and eat white butter beans, dried. which I have read are not acidic or at least low in acid. Please expound on this. I also would like to know if green or english peas (frozen) are acid or good to eat on a low acid diet.
Thanks, -
We have a water distiller and I drink a lot of water.you said distilled water is acidifying ,do I stop drinking it ,then what do I do?Is adding lemon going to help that much?
Thanks for all the info,
Cathy -
Vivian, thank you so much for all your helpful articles. I have gastritis problem should I consume cooked or raw celery. Also eating cucumber with skin or without.
I drink almond milk everyday instead of cow milk. Should I need to switch to other kind ò milks. Thank you very much.Nicole
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Please Vivian, I will like if you can send me again the articles where you talk about the salt we are suppose to use. I wanted to save it and i clic something else and I lost it.
Thanks for what ever you can do for me. -
I love almonds and I often make almond milk for my smoothies.
I’m an Aussie and most of the raw almonds in this country are imported from America. I read some time ago on Dr Mercola’s site that the raw almonds in America are pasteurized and pasteurization destroys the nutrients.
So why bother buying them.
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Can I use flex oil instead of flex seeds. I have never eat quinoa, where I can find it?
Is it in the nut store? Thank you.-
Hi Nu Ly,
Interestingly, flax oil is acidifying while flax seeds are alkalizing! So they both have a place in a balanced diet, but they are not interchangeable. You should be able to find quinoa in the same section of your grocery story or health food store where you find brown rice and other whole grains. 🙂
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Dear Vivian,
Please consider the following in making your dietary recommendations:- Some of the saveourbones community may be vegans, such as my husband and I.We have followed that lifestyle for 40 years, successfully, with more than half that time as ayurvedic vegans. For ourselves, and other vegans, it would be appropriate, we feel, if you could find some way, within your recommendations, of acknowledging the validity of living totally without animal sourced foods, as the compassionate and perfectly possible and practical alternative which it is. There are more and more restaurants which serve vegan alternatives, whilst also providing animal foods for those who haven’t yet made the vegan leap of faith.
You are generally doing good and laudable work, however a recognition of the vegan betterments in society, blended into your thinking, could be a valuable improvement in the way you share your knowledge, we think.
Thank you for what we have learned from your publications,
Sincerely,
Sarasvati R. Johnson and Brahma B. Johnson-
Hi,
I’m wondering what you eat for protein? I’ve given up all beef and pork products, but not chicken and wild caught fish. They’re my only source of protein.-
Hello Vivian, thank you so much for giving us a natural treatment for osteoporosis. I am 39 years old and have developed spine osteoporosis and hip osteopenia due to the long use of Depo Provera and am considering using your program, but as some people on the previous comments, I also do not eat red meat, or others, only fish and seafood. Is the program suitable for a person like me and would I rebuild my bones with your program even if I have this restrictions?
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I was researching some things to help with acid reflux and I read articles about drinking water that has a higher PH of 8.8 and over. Then I read that is a fallacy that a water with a higher PH would be any better than regular spring water. Any thoughts on that? Thank you…
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Hi Vivian, Your recipe looks yummy. However I don’t see how it can be 80/20. Isn’t quinoa and wild rice acid.?
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Vivian, thank you so much for all you do. I love getting your emails and of course I buy your stuff because it’s great stuff and you deserve the support. Rice ‘n Nuts Crunch looks great. I don’t like fruit and veggies together, so what can I substitute for the figs? I’m too lazy right now to get out your book. Are figs acid or alkaline? How about a can of sardines? I think sardines are acidic. I buy wild-caught no-salt in water from Trader Joe. Love them in anything except fruit.
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I just started a month ago grinding flax seeds to add to my smoothies. I’ve be reading about all the health benefits of flax for years and I decided its time to give them a try.
I had no idea they were bone healthy too. Added bonus.
I’ve been throwing in some fresh ginger in my rice dishes. What a nice tasty zest it gives to a rice recipe. Thanks Vivian for the good ideas.
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Vivian, I’m always grateful for the delicious recipes you share with your followers! Please keep them coming.
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Looks like a tasty recipe. Any advice for me about prolia? I’m taking anastrazole for breast cancer, and have osteoporosis, so my oncologist wants to give me prolia. I don’t want to take it, and am following a bone healthy diet with regular exercise.
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Thanks so much for the continued, valuable information! Wonderful recipe today. I would submit however, that pecans also have similar health benefits with great taste. I will substitute pecans for the walnuts (I do that a lot.) and/or add them to the recipe. Wonder why pecans are overlooked by so many?? Thanks again!
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Pecans would be great in this recipe, Marlene! Like walnuts, they are acidifying, but pecans are a great source of bone-healthy copper and manganese. 🙂
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This sounds wonderful!! I sometimes forget that there are good ways to use the acid foods. I always seem to be balancing against the over the counter vit. and supplements. But I love walnuts and will include them more, especially in salads. Thanks again for keeping me up to date and on track!!
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You are welcome, Terry! And it’s not unusual for “Savers” to overlook the importance of acidifying foods in achieving balance. 🙂
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I am no longer receiving your emails? I do not understand why unless you are not sending all the brilliant, helpful information! or is there another way to receive them?
I have rebuilt my bone density using all your diet info in the ‘Build your Bones’ book & was given 3 years grace by my Osteoporosis Doctor to see how much more I could improve my spine, she was so impressed I had built my hip ratio so much with diet alone, she had only seen this with Patients on medication which she had been trying to persuade me to use, agreeing to my request to see how much more I could improve over a 3 year period, this will be in 2020 for my next scan.
Hope to hear from you in as to why I am not receiving your mail updates, thank you