Simple tips for healthy bones & joints
Calcium is important for strong bones, easy to get from plant foods (leafy green veggies are good, but check medication due to interaction with vitamin K). Learn to cook a few plant-based recipes!
Weight-bearing exercise is good. Use your own body weight using simple videos from trainer Lucy Wyndham-Read. Or find classes (with resistance bands) at Move It Or Lose It! (with wheelchair workout options).
Losing weight is good, as obesity puts more straight on bones and joints. But being underweight can lead to brittle bones (again exercise builds muscle).
Eat enough plant-based protein. A good balance of beans, peas and lentils (tempeh is also good) will see you right. Eat some beans on toast!
Cut down on salt and fizzy drinks. Both can make your body lose calcium (nothing wrong with a little sea salt on pasta, unless there’s a medical reason to avoid). Most salt is ‘hidden’ in processed foods.
Give up smoking and limit alcohol. Both can lead to weak thinner bones. NHS guidelines for booze are one glass or wine OR one pint of beer OR 2 spirit measures (no more than 6 times a week). Of course no alcohol for driving and pregnancy/nursing – or alcohol issues.
Ask your GP for a medication review. Some medications can weaken bones, so ask for a yearly review to ensure you are only taking what you need. Never stop any medicine without advice.
Good GPs will recommend lifestyle changes anyway before medication. And should also offer bone density tests.
Dr. Vegan Osteofriend supplement
Dr.Vegan OsteoFriend is a quality supplement, the first order is sold in a refillable metal tin. You then just order refills in eco-friendly pouches after that, to save on waste and save money. Subscribe online for big savings, once you have the first order with the tin.
Designed to help bone density, muscles and connective tissues, it contains 19 active ingredients including high-strength calcium, magnesium, vitamins D3 and K2, curcumin, MSM and L-Lysine.
Always check with your GP before taking supplements if on medication (also for women if pregnant or nursing). Keep them away from children and pets, and recycle unused supplements and medicines at pharmacies (never flush them down the loo).
Take 1 teaspoon per day, morning or evening. Mix or whisk into smoothies, cold drinks or plant-based yoghurts. Do not exceed recommended dose.
When to expect improvements
- 1 week (nutrient deficiencies start to improve)
- 2 weeks (increased absorption of bone-supporting nutrients)
- 3 weeks (osteoblasts start working for stronger bones)
- 1 month (better mobility, bone strength & joint health)
Join the transparent label campaign
The Transparent Label Campaign is a worldwide movement set up by US supplement company Terraseed, to demand that supplement companies list full ingredients, so people can avoid ones with gelatine, fish, collagen, creatine and magnesium stearate (mostly in vitamin D and omega 3 supplements – which cause the death of 24 billion creatures each year).
Also boycott krill supplements (you can easily get omega 3 fatty acids from nuts, seeds or algae supplements). Krill is an important food for whales, seals, penguins and fish, and removal causes by-catch of other creatures.
Rehab Science (overcome pain, heal from injury)
Rehab Science is a super book to help people heal from injury and recover mobility after injury or other medical conditions. This book is written by a highly-qualified professional. It’s expensive but that’s because it’s really for professionals (so a great investment not just for physiotherapists but also for GP surgeries, injury and sports clinics, or hospitals and even nursing homes).
Although sometimes medicine and surgery is needed, in many cases these exercises will cure faster than just popping a pill. The book was discovered after miraculous results from a 6-minute YouTube video by the author (more on that below).
This book offers a foundational explanation of how to treat both acute and chronic pain conditions, and how to identify injuries and use simple methods to increase strength and tissue, and improve movement and reduce pain.
There are 30 programs to cover the most common pain and injuries in every body region, including:
- Low back pain
- Sprains and strains (ankle, wrist, hamstring, whiplash)
- Nerve pain (sciatica, carpal tunnel, herniated discs, lumbar stenosis)
- Tendinopathies (tennis and golfer’s elbow, hip flexor, gluteal and patellar)
- Ligament and tendon tears (Achilles, rotator cuff, hamstring, groin)
- Shoulder and hip impingements
- Dislocations and labral tears
- Meniscus tears
- Plantar fasciitis
- Shin splits
- Arthritis (neck, knee, hip)
Dr Tom Walters is a board-certified orthopaedic physical therapist, who specialises in treating pain and movement disorders. He runs a free YouTube channel, where you can do simple exercises alongside him, to treat many painful conditions.
If you have chronic pain or a complicated condition, you can join Tom’s membership plan, where you can upload symptoms and get a personalised custom plan (which costs less than the private cost of visiting a physiotherapist in the UK – good but likely too expensive for some if you can’t get results on the NHS).
Alas as you don’t live in the USA, you won’t be able to use health insurance to pay for it (you might, ask!) But most users feel better after six weeks. So try the free exercises first, then consider this option if no joy.
