You Don't Need Drugs to Have Strong Bones

By Al Sears, MD

Before you reach for pills to help protect your bones, here's something you should know. An FDA-approved drug used to treat osteoporosis has potentially deadly side effects.

Two research reports published in the New England Journal of Medicine indicate that there's a link between the drugs Fosamax and Reclast and irregular heartbeats in women who take them. This condition, called "atrial fibrillation," may be lethal for people already at risk of stroke.

Here's something else your doctor may not tell you: There are perfectly safe, natural ways to boost your bone density. Here's a simple two-step process to reverse the effects of osteoporosis:

1. Exercise.

When you exercise, your muscles pull on your bones. This pressure creates a challenge that your body responds to by increasing bone density.

The best way to increase bone density and reduce fractures is with body-weight exercises (like calisthenics) and resistance training. Do these exercises two or three times a week. But even low-intensity exercise, like walking, can strengthen your bones. Thirty minutes of walking per day will lower your risk of fracture by 30 percent.

2. Take a vitamin D supplement.

I recommend 400 IU per day. Vitamin D helps your body absorb calcium and maintain bone density. Without vitamin D, all your calcium supplements are worthless! The best source of vitamin D is the sun - 10 to 15 minutes of exposure a day should be enough. When winter rolls around, take cod liver oil. It's by far the best supplemental source of vitamin D.

[Ed. Note: Dr. Sears is a practicing physician and leading expert in heart health.]
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Worth Quoting: Stephen Covey on Striving for Moral Authority

"I'm in favor of achievements - degrees and wealth and that sort of thing. Still, those achievements convey formal authority but not always moral authority. The only way to acquire moral authority is through your character and contribution, to live in such a way as to merit the confidence and the trust of other people.

"Moral authority is especially important to business. This is because in order to reduce costs, increase production, and nurture a culture of innovation - all of which are important criteria in today's global economy - you've got to have high trust among your workers and partners. Why? Because everyone involved needs to sacrifice. If you don't have high trust, none of those things will happen. You can't fake high trust."

(Source: Business 2.0)
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It's Good to Know: About Multi-Tasking

If you've ever been accused of being a workaholic, take heart: You may not be nearly as bad as you could be.

According to a Staples survey of 300 small-business owners and executives, work has wormed its way into almost every aspect of life outside the office - sometimes making good use of otherwise wasted time, sometimes interfering with personal life. Consider these statistics...

. 18 percent of those surveyed admit to reading work-related material in the bathroom.

. 21 percent work four to five times a week while eating dinner.

. 49 percent check e-mail and make work-related calls while driving.

. 51 percent work on holidays.

. 66 percent work after hours and at night.

. 68 percent make work-related calls and e-mails and do other work on their days off.
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Word to the Wise: Sop

A "sop" - Old English for "bread soaked in liquid" - is a bribe, a concession given to mollify or placate.

Example (as used by David Kamp in The New York Times): "But if we're stuck with the children's menu, there's no reason it can't be improved upon and made less of a sop to cosseted little fried-food addicts."

Michael Masterson
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These articles appear courtesy of Early to Rise [Issue #2075, 06-22-07], the Internet's most popular health, wealth, and success e-zine. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com/.