How do you look after your bones if you are dairy free?

We all know our bones need calcium and normally we get this from diary.  But more and more people are going dairy free for a variety of reasons including following specific diets.

The UK’s National Osteoporosis Society surveyed 2,000 adults found that one in five of those aged between 18 – 25 had cut diary from their diets.  As a result they could be putting their bone health at risk and could end up with osteoporosis in older age, the society has warned.

But diary isn’t necessary for achieving bone health, says Viva the animal rights group.  Instead,

  • weight bearing exercise such as walking
  • climbing stairs
  • dancing

is the best way followed by these foods:

  • dark green leafy vegatables
    • broccoli
    • kale
    • spring greens
    • cabbage
    • pak choi
  • dried fruits
  • nuts
  • seeds
  • pulses

It is also important to remember that vitamin D, the sunshine vitamin, helps us abosb calcium better.

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    1. Start on your hands and knees with your wrists directly under your shoulders, and your knees directly under your hips. Point your fingertips to the top of your mat. Place your shins and knees hip-width apart. Center your head in a neutral position and soften your gaze downward.
    2. Begin by moving into Cow Pose: Inhale as you drop your belly towards the mat. Lift your chin and chest, and gaze up toward the ceiling. Broaden across your shoulder blades and draw your shoulders away from your ears.
    3. Next, move into Cat Pose: As you exhale, draw your belly to your spine and round your back toward the ceiling. The pose should look like a cat stretching its back.
    4. Release the crown of your head toward the floor, but don't force your chin to your chest.
    5. Inhale, coming back into Cow Pose, and then exhale as you return to Cat Pose.
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    • Place your forearms on a bolster or stack of firm blankets to lift your torso more upright. This variation is especially useful for women who are pregnant.
    • If your knee caps hurt, fold your mat or place a firm blanket under your knees.
    • You can practice this pose throughout your day and while traveling. Sit in a chair (or airplane/bus seat) with your feet flat on the floor. Press your hands against a table, desk, or wall in front of you and perform the same spinal movements as in the regular pose.
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    • In Cat, let your head drop, releasing the back of your neck. Do not force your chin to your chest.
    • Also in Cat, you can increase the abdominal massage and strengthening effects by drawing your belly button firmly in toward your spine
    • In Cow, let the movement start from the tailbone. Allow your neck and head to be the very last part of the movement.
    • Keep your shoulder blades broad and draw your shoulders away from your ears. This helps to protect your neck during the movements.
    • Be aware of your breath and its coordination with your movements. Imagine your breath traveling up and down your spine as you inhale and exhale, like an ocean wave flowing onto the beach and retreating.
    Find The Flow Bringing movement and flexibility to your spine helps your body to become more coordinated. Try a few slow rounds of Cat-Cow when you wake in the morning, or after sitting for a long period to increase the flexibility of your spine.

  • How to Prevent Running Injuries – Part 1

    What we see in clinic all the time, is people coming in with running or training injuries that have blindsided them, they have no idea how it happened.  Its like the injury came out of nowhere. Injuries don't come out of nowhere.  Most running injuries produce signals

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    • soreness
    • persistent pain
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  • What can help period pain? – Part 2

    In part 1, I introduced the topic of period pain.  In this blog post, I want to explore the topic from the perspective of functional medicine practitioners who believe that period pains are caused by certain nutritional deficiencies particularly vitamin B, magnesium and essential fatty acids. There is evidence that magnesium can reduce the sensitivity to pain.  In one study 21 out of 25 women treated with magnesium for six months saw a reduction in the period pain. In one scientific study over 500 women aged between 12 to 21 with moderate to severe period pain took vitamin B1.  87% were completely cured after 3 months.  Just 5% saw no effect at all, while 8% saw their pain reduced.  There is also scientific evidence that vitamin B6 may be useful too. Finally, there is scientific evidence that Acupuncture can be a safe and effective treatment for period pain. References Magnesium reference see >> https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27978803,  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11687013, Vitamin B reference see >> https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8935744, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1459624/ Acupuncture references see >> https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29879061 and https://www.hindawi.com/journals/ecam/2017/1791258/abs/