Nutrition Chart

Note: The above nutrients are for building better bones and are above the RDA: Recommended Dietary Intakes(Allowances), now called RDI(1997) National Academy of Sciences at http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/dga/rda.html.

Seek professional help:  Your physician can investigate the possibility of a medical problem in digestion and diet.  A nutritionis can help you figure out a diet to fit your physical needs.

Drink hot water and hot herb teas:  Hot water is an excellent way to detoxify the body and build digestive strength.  Simmering a few slices of ginger root in boiling water makes a ginger root tea that stimulates digestion  Ginger in food has the same effect, as does candied ginger root taken after meals.
 

Avoid overeating:  Excessive intake of food greatly burdens the entire digestive system.  Ancient Ayurveda medicine recommends consuming the amount of food that will fit into two cupped hands at any meal.  Practice moving away from the table while you are still a bit hungry.

Exercise: Better Bones Better Bodies (Keats 2000) suggests "use it of lose it" for muscles and bones.  Bone grows in strength according to the strain put upon it.  Those who just walk for exercise have a lower incidence of hip fractures than those who do not regularly walk.  For those who can't walk, even simple exercises done from a wheel chair have been to help build bone mass.  One-half hour of walking daily will help halt bone loss, however, more rigorous weight-bearing exercise is required to begin rebuilding bone density. 

Alkaline Balance: Our body's internal environment remains alkaline with a pH just above 7.0, so alkaline balance is very important for bone health.  For an acid alkaline food chart, go to http://www.betterbone.com/alkaline/index.htm.  The National Institutes of Health website on osteoporosis and related bones diseases-National Resource Center is: http://www.osteo.org.