Building Stronger Bones
Through Better Nutrition: The Alkaline Diet
As discussed throughout my web site, your body’s
acid/alkaline balance
is critical to your overall health. And that’s particularly true
for your bones. For if your body is overly acidic, it will try to
buffer the extra acid by drawing alkaline minerals from your bones.
To protect your bones and reduce mineral loss,
you should follow The Alkaline
Power Diet. Among the strategies included in this diet are avoiding
the following acidic or acid-producing foods:
 |
Red meat |
|
Sodas and other carbonated drinks |
|
All caffeine products, including chocolate |
|
Alcohol |
|
Table salt |
|
Refined sugars |
Sodium Bicarbonate
Sodium bicarbonate, or a sodium-potassium bicarbonate mixture, plays
a critical role in maintain the right degree of acidity or alkalinity
in cells, fluids, organs, and systems throughout your body. So make
it part of your daily routine. What is it? Plain baking soda.
Take ½ to 1 teaspoon of sodium bicarbonate
mixed with spring water twice a day in the morning when you wake
up and before bed. Not only will this prevent your body from stealing
alkaline minerals from your bones to balance its pH, but it will
also help with general digestion and your ability to withstand respiratory
illnesses. If possible, mix four to eight parts baking soda to one
part potassium bicarbonate, because the extra potassium helps assure
an adequate supply of this mineral to your bones. You can find potassium
bicarbonate in health food stores in a premixed product called Alka-Aid,
or ask your pharmacist to prepare it for you.
If you’re pregnant, following a low sodium diet,
or taking certain heart medications, however, check with your physician
first. Also, if you experience tingling in your arms, legs, or lips,
become anxious or panicky, or feel bloated or gassy, cut back on
the amount you take and how often you take it.
For more on bone health, go to:
The Role of Our Bones
Women with Great Bones
Symptoms of Osteoporosis
Nutrients for Stronger Bones