Your diet can quite literally "make or break" your bones. Wife is a holistic biological dentist of over twenty years... she prescribes our Beef Liver, Living Bone, and Pure Marrow (or our
Bone and Marrow), right alongside sensible sunshine for Vitamin D (or Fish Eggs), fermented veggies like kimchi (rich in vitamin K2) and magnesium oil for virtually every patient. Yes, this makes a world of difference in tooth remineralization... it also makes a world of difference in bone remineralization and remodeling too.
Calcium, Vitamin D, K2, and magnesium work synergistically together to promote strong, healthy bones. An imbalance between these four nutrients (calcium, vitamins D and K2, and magnesium) is why calcium supplements have become associated with an increased risk of heart attack and stroke. One of the best ways to ensure you're getting enough of all of them is to get regular sun exposure to optimize your vitamin D levels, and to consume a like-supports-like nutrition ancestral diet rich in these essential nutrients. Living this way, your body will have the raw materials it needs, to do what it was designed to do. Here are some suggestions for ancestral foods that provide these bone-building nutrients.
Magnesium: Although I own a supplement company, I do not believe in supplements. Technically, our products are just... food. That said, magnesium is one instance where supplementation is crucial. Modern farming practices have massively depleted our soils of vital minerals like magnesium, as such you won’t find much in foods touted to be high in magnesium.
Magnesium directly interacts with calcium and vice versa, thus they must be kept in the proper ratio for the body to function properly. Too much of one mineral over the other will cause a mineral deficiency to occur. Almost everyone is deficient in magnesium. Magnesium is critical for proper bone development and, much like calcium, is also needed for enzyme, nervous, and muscular system functions. Magnesium is also needed for carbohydrate metabolism. (The ratio of Calcium to Magnesium is generally recommended to be kept at 2:1.)
The tribe and I use a topical magnesium oil from a company called Ancient Minerals. The problem with an advanced magnesium deficiency is that the stomach lining loses some of its capacity to absorb magnesium. In this instance, oral supplementation can be ineffective. Transdermal magnesium supplementation is an effective way to deliver magnesium directly through the skin. You can find them here... on Amazon. Try it! I genuinely think you will find it helpful. Just a couple of sprays on the tops of the feet before bed and you are good to go!
Vitamin K2: Price discovered that Activator X (now known as K2), seemed to be responsible for normal bone formation, overall skeletal health, cognitive function, healthy cavity-free teeth, reproductive capabilities, and protection against arterial calcification. K2 is one of the fat-soluble activators, a super nutrient that enables our bodies to absorb and utilize all of the minerals from the foods we eat.
"It is possible to starve for minerals that are abundant in the foods eaten because they cannot be utilized without an adequate quantity of the fat-soluble activators.” - Weston A. Price. There are two major forms of Vitamin K2 — MK-4 and MK-7. MK-4 is derived from animal sources, such as bone marrow fish eggs, pastured chicken eggs, Grass Fed dairy (butterfats), meat, and in particular organ meat, such as liver. MK-7 is derived from fermented foods like sauerkraut, hard cheeses, and kefir.
Vitamin K2 is a particularly critical component here, because the biological role of vitamin K2 is to help move calcium into the proper areas in your body, such as your bones and teeth. It also helps remove calcium from areas where it shouldn't be, such as in your arteries and soft tissues. It can even help with decalcifying your pineal gland. K2 deconstructs calcium phosphate deposits of the pineal gland and ushers the released calcium back into the bones, where it belongs.
Bone marrow, organ meats, and wild-caught fish eggs are all abundant in vitamin K2 (the MK-4 variety). While smashing bones and sucking out marrowfat was the hard way our ancestors obtained vitamin K, it's not that difficult to obtain marrow bones and either oven roast 3" pieces or slow cook them to make them extra delicious/nutritious... or consider getting our Pure Marrow and Fish Eggs on board!
Vitamin D: Vitamin D builds your bone density by helping your body absorb calcium and is crucial for calcium synthesis. The best way to get your vitamin D is to get regular midday sun exposure. I schedule my workouts at high noon so I can get sun while I’m moving my body. Try it, or at least take a walk in the sun during your lunch hour!
You can get some Vitamin D from foods too, like raw dairy, our
Tallow,
Pure Marrow, and
Fish Eggs.
According to the Weston A. Price Foundation, a single tablespoon of fish roe contains approximately 17,000 IU of Vitamin D! This means that one tablespoon of fish eggs supplies even more Vitamin D than a midday dose of daily sunshine! This is the Vitamin D boost that the Inuit and traditional mountain-dwelling tribes of South America used when sunlight was not a readily available option.
Get your daily dose of midday sunshine and enjoy vitamin D rich foods like Wild Caught Fish Eggs with pastured animal fats and raw Grass Fed dairy.
Protein: Eat your meat! Perhaps one of the most important considerations in bone health is muscle mass. More muscle is associated with stronger bones and a decreased risk of osteoporosis. (5) Protein is critically important to maintaining muscle especially as we age.
“If you don't eat your meat, you can't have any pudding! How can you have any pudding if you don't eat your meat!”― Pink Floyd Research shows the positive effect of dietary protein on bone mineral density and further suggests that low protein is detrimental to bone health. (6) A low protein diet can reduce the absorption of calcium in the intestines. High protein intake is positively associated with bone mineral density. So, if you want strong bones, don’t skimp on the meat! Get enough protein to support your lean muscle mass and bone health.