Vivian Answers Day #15: Juicing, Wrist Fractures, Xenobiotics, Ancestral Osteoporosis, Sweeteners, Osteopenia Myths, Organic Foods, And Much More!

Question & Answer #1

A new juice bar just opened down the street from me, so I wanted to know if you recommend juicing to build my bones. Also, are there any special ingredients I should pay special attention to? Thanks for all you do!

-Betty

Dear Betty,

Fruit and vegetable juices are a great way to increase your alkalinity so you can build your bones, especially if you have a very busy lifestyle and can't always manage the 80/20 balance. Make sure you pick fruits or veggies that are rich in alkalizing minerals, so you can super-charge your bone health.

Many juice bars offer it now, and I hope the one near you will too.

Stay healthy and alkaline!

Question & Answer #2

I broke my wrist 5 weeks ago, today I removed my cast,the wrist healed, I’m in terrible pain, a physical therapist showed me some exercises, but I’m discouraged. My doctor insists I should take Fosamax. I know the drug, and all the side effects. He told me that since I broke my wrist, there is a good chance that I’ll brake my hip also. What do you think?

-Cecile

Dear Cecile,

I hope that your wrist has healed and that you are feeling well. First of all, it seems that your doctor is using the typical scare tactics to get you to take the drug. You can read my blog post titled “Osteoporosis Scare Tactics: Has a Doctor Ever Done This to You?”.

But what's even worse if that he is obviously not up-to-date with the latest news on Fosamax and the rest of the bisphosphonate gang. Could he have missed the now confirmed link of bisphosphonates to unusual femur fractures? This information was reported all over the mainstream media!

And here's something else I have to tell you: by saying that if you've broken a wrist you are more likely to also break a hip, your doctor is implying that you are stuck with the bones you have. But bones are very active tissue. Unfortunately, the medical establishment wants us to believe that only with drugs will your bones improve, and turn their heads the other way ignoring the truth.

So don't fall for the scare tactics and misinformation.

To your newly found natural bone health!

Question & Answer #3

Are there any osteoporosis drugs you can recommend that do not have disturbing side-effects? Thanks!

-Hart

Dear Hart,

In my opinion – and I'm sure that most in the Save Our Bones community will agree – drugs without disturbing side-effects is an oxymoron. Did you know that scientists refer to drugs as xenobiotics? ‘Xeno' means foreign in Greek, and ‘biotic' means life. In other words, drugs or xenobiotics, are foreign to our biology. Thus the unlikely chance that a drug should have no side effects – whether disturbing or not.

And think about this, Hart. Why would a foreign substance work better at correcting a biochemical imbalance than a nutritional, lifestyle and exercise program that works with your body instead of against it?

Try to think outside of the narrow boundaries mainstream medicine has laid out, and open the doors to the wonderful world of natural cures. You won't regret it, I promise you!

Live, love, and learn,

Question & Answer #4

I have been diagnosed with severe osteoporosis. Is it possible to not only improve the condition of bones, but actually “cure” osteoporosis with the proper diet?

-Pat

Dear Pat,

First of all, I'd like to rephrase your question. That's because if you use the word ‘cure', you are referring to a disease… and as I write in the Osteoporosis Reversal Program, osteoporosis is not a disease. So the question is: can you rebuild your bones with the proper diet? And the answer is a resounding ‘Yes!'.

Nutritional balancing is a very important part of increasing your bone density and maintaining a natural bone metabolism. That is why I've designed the Program with a simple and easy to follow nutritional plan and bone-healthy exercises.

Stay inquisitive, always,

Question & Answer #5

I recently wrote a book about my ancestors, going back several generations. My great-grandmothers, grandmother and mother did not take bisphosphonates. Amazingly, several lived to age 90 and beyond and none suffered bone fractures!

Gee, how can that be? How come the powers that be didn’t invent the “disease” of osteoporosis until my lifetime? And, what is it about our current environment, food chain or lifestyle which seems to foster bone deterioration? Or, exactly, what is going on here with ‘osteoporosis’ being so widespread?

-Kate

Dear Kate,

Great observation! In fact, until 1994 in order to get an osteoporosis ‘diagnosis', someone had to actually suffer a fracture with minimal impact. But once the bone density guidelines were established by the World Health Organization, osteoporosis was turned into an instant epidemic.

Be curious and analytical,

Question & Answer #6

Hi Vivian,

Could you please let me know if it is advisable to do the Heel Lift and Jump exercise on a carpeted surface by people having osteopania problem. And is brisk walking advisable?

Thanks.

-Maria

Dear Maria,

It's a great idea to do the Heel Lift and Jump exercise on a carpet or softer surface than a bare floor. If you notice, I show the exercise in my backyard, on soft grass with a blanket over it. And brisk walking is excellent to build your density because it is a weight-bearing exercise that fits Wolff's Law of Bone Formation to a T.

If you have the Osteoporosis Reversal Program, you already know that Julius Wolff was a German anatomist whose now proven theory from centuries ago was that bone is created as a reaction to the force of muscular tension and the pressure of gravity imposed on it.

So keep exercising… and asking questions,

Question & Answer #7

Does a diagnosis of osteopenia always become one of osteoporosis?

-JB

Dear JB,

Osteopenia is a very curious ‘condition', because it is cataloged as a precursor of osteoporosis. As bone health expert Steve Cummings, MD, a professor at the San Francisco School of Medicine (University of California), comments, there was neither real medical basis for developing a unique term such as “osteopenia” nor to choosing the arbitrary T-score number for its diagnosis.

Quoting Dr. Cummings

“Osteopenia is not a disease, does not indicate a high risk of fracture in the next five to ten years, and is really almost a variant of normal. What I tell women in their 50s is that having Osteopenia means their bones are different than those of a 25-year-old and I note that there are probably many things about them that differ from when they were 25”.

You can read a lot more about osteopenia in my blog post titled “The Truth About Your Osteopenia Treatment”.

To your bone health!

Question & Answer #8

What are best ways for seniors on a very low fixed income? Natural, organic foods are so expensive, so I’m interested in ways to help my bones within the scope of my financial restrictions.

-Evelyn

Dear Evelyn,

Your question is excellent, because unfortunately, organic foods are more expensive than conventional foods. At the same time, we want to avoid consuming toxic – and acidifying – pesticides.

But don't worry, you don't have to go “all out” organic. The Environmental Working Group has created an up-to-date list of fruits and veggies that guide you with your shopping. For example, onions, avocados, mangoes, and asparagus are among the lowest in pesticide residue. While celery, strawberries, and spinach are a few of the EWG's ‘Dirty Dozen'. You can download the complete list in a convenient wallet-sized card by clicking on this link:

https://www.foodnews.org/walletguide.php

And here's a budget tip: whenever you can, buy frozen organic fruits, such as different varieties of berries. They are just as delicious and rich in vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals.

Enjoy!

Question & Answer #9

Why do we shrink as we get older? Is it natural or can it be prevented and if so how?

-Joyce

Dear Joyce,

Losing height is not an inevitable part of aging. Remember the late Jack Lalanne? He is the perfect example of how if we do the right things we can stay fit and with good posture. But when it comes to your bone health, exercising is not enough. That is why I've designed the Osteoporosis Reversal Program as a complete package, which also includes nutritional and lifestyle suggestions.

Stand tall,

Question & Answer #10

What do you think of using xylitol as a sweetener? Is it alkalizing?

-Nicole

Dear Nicole,

Xylitol, an acidifying sugar alcohol, was discovered towards the end of the 19th century. Although it is marketed as a naturally occurring sweetener, xylitol and other sugar alcohols are created through a manufacturing process. Because the body does not require insulin to metabolize xylitol, it is mainly used as a sweetener for diabetic patients.

So stick to bone-healthy alkalizing stevia and honey.

Remember, life is sweet!