Welcome to "Healthy Living!"
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I'm your host Margot Marshall.
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As we get older, is it
inevitable to get osteoporosis,
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porous, fragile
bones that break easily?
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Or can we make them stronger?
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Stay tuned for the answer.
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With me in the studio
today, I have Dr. John Clark,
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and Jenifer Skues who
is a health psychologist.
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Welcome Jenifer (thank you),
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and welcome John
(thank you), to the program.
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We're looking forward to
what you can tell us about
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this disease which is something
we really don't want to get,
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and if you can tell
us how that happens,
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that would be really good!
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And John, you have a
story about someone who did have
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really bad osteoporosis and was
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able to turn
that disease around.
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We're very keen to
hear how she did that.
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Yes, and osteoporosis
is a serious problem...
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You might think... "Hmm,
well I've got thin bones."
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But one-third of patients who
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break a hip, die
during the following year.
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That's a high
death rate for breaking
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a hip from osteoporosis.
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You wouldn't imagine that,
would you, from a broken bone?
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No, just from a broken bone and
it's sort of like the bones are
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a barometer for the
health of the whole body. Ohh.
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If your bones are poor,
maybe your other health is poor,
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and you break a bone and you
lay in bed - and laying in bed
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is not good!
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You start having things like
heart disease, heart attacks,
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congestive heart failure,
lung disease, blood clots.
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All kinds of things can happen
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if you're laying in
bed from a broken bone.
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So I was out on tour
in the United States;
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I used to tour in the United
States doing lectures on health,
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how people could
recover from these diseases,
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and a lady came to my
osteoporosis lecture who was
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limping and I said,
"Well why are you limping?"
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She said, "Well 4 weeks
ago I was in a bad accident,
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and I broke my hip."
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And then she told me all
about her bones which was
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fascinating to me.
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When she was 25, she was
working for the sheriff's
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department - that's like
a police department. Um hm.
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And it was a very active job,
but she was having bone pain
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at night.
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So she went to her
primary doctor and he checked
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her over and then he
scanned her bones and discovered
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she had eggshell-thin bones.
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That's sounds really
advanced osteoporosis.
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The total foundation
was structurally not sound.
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She was about to
fall apart! Laughing...
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Why do we laugh?
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But we laugh because we know
there's a fix here coming up,
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and she was wondering
why she had this bone pain.
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Well her bones were
so thin that they were
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probably
microfracturing. Ohh. Wow.
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Just hurting!
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And so the doctor
offered to give her some drugs
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that he felt would be
the answer to her thin bones,
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and she thought, "You
know, here I am only 25,
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most older people are on drugs,
but most younger people aren't,
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and I'm not really
ready to start taking drugs,
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and so I'd like to go
home and just, you know,
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take care of this myself."
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And so she turned
down the drug, went home,
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but she sort of had
an inkling in her mind
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what she should do. Okay.
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You know, a lot of people
realize there is a better way,
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and most people know
that there's a healthier way
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than what they're involved in.
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Isn't that interesting? Yes.
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It's almost like
inherently we know that there's
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better ways of doing things.
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We have insight, we
just don't always act on it.
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Yeah, why is that?
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Part of it is, I think
the way we're conditioned,
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habitual, we don't
trust ourselves, so we don't
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really listen to
ourselves and we discount things
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even though we know
what the reality is.
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And maybe our tastes
drive us to other theories?
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Aww, do you really
think so? Laughter.
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Do you think that
might sometimes play a role?
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Aww yes, I think
you might be right.
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We develop an
appetite for something that
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may not be on
the healthiest list.
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Well, she went home and she
was a Christian, she prayed.
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She said, "Lord, I
know You said in the Bible,
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in Exodus 15:26, that "If
thou will diligently hearken
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unto the voice of the Lord
thy God and do that which is
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right in His sight, that He
will put none of these diseases
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upon you which He has
brought upon the Egyptians,
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but that He is your
God and He will heal you."
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And it's interesting that the
Egyptians did have osteoporosis.
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Really? Among
other things, yeah.
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And so she said, "Lord,
I'm going to switch to a total
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plant-based vegetarian
diet like what You put Adam on."
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We're talking fresh
fruits, fresh vegetables,
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nuts and seeds and she promised
to do that if the Lord would
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fulfill His promise
to heal her disease.
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And so, she said,
within two weeks the bone pain
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she had had was totally gone!
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Goodness, just two weeks!
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How long had she
had it, do you think?
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Did she say how long
she had the bone pain?
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She didn't really say but...
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Must have been bad or she...
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Oh, this was serious. Painful.
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Bone pain and you might wonder,
"Okay is that really possible,
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would the studies show that?"
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And in fact, medical studies
looking at bone structure
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and seeing somebody
who switched from an
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animal-protein-based diet to
vegetable-protein-based diet,
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can document new bone
growth within 6 weeks!
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Six weeks? Six weeks!
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And that's the documented thing?
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Under the microscope.
Oh, under the microscope!
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So that's very
convincing isn't it?
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So her pain going
away in two weeks is
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very realistic to what was
actually happening in writing.
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It shows that that's why
it's good to have that research.
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Yes, very good to
know why this is happening
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and what's going on.
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And so here she was,
I'm seeing her in her 50s,
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and she came to my meeting,
she says she has been in
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an accident and
she had a broken hip.
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And she went to surgery
for this hip, they "pinned it,"
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put some bolts and screws
in it and she said when the
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surgeon came out of surgery
and came and talked to her,
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that he said, "Wow, you had
the hardest, strongest bones
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I've worked on in a long time!"
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Isn't that interesting! Amazing.
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From fragile, paper-thin
to rock solid literally.
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Literally rock solid!
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And this hip didn't break
just from a very minor thing,
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it was actually a traffic
accident which would have
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broken... Took
a lot to brake it.
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Big accident, big
trauma and she broke the hip.
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And if she still had the
thin bones, she would have had
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more than just the
hip fracture. Oh yes!
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She would have
had major bone damage!
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So it just showed
how bones need to be
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solid for that protection. Yes!
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Isn't that encouraging to
think that something like that
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can actually be reversed.
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It would be interesting to
know how long it actually took
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to fully reverse it.
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And Jeni, are there
things besides a bad diet
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and so on that contribute?
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A huge factor is stress
related and when we have stress,
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it actually can leach
calcium from the bones.
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So other than like meat proteins
and that, you add the stress
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in and then you're not digesting
properly, so you're not
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absorbing the nutrients.
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So that means her
bones keep getting depleted.
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And a major factor with
stress is the loss of magnesium,
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and magnesium -
every cell needs it.
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It helps put
calcium in the bones;
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it relaxes the
nerves and the muscles.
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If you don't' have enough,
you get a lot of cramping.
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It also helps to pick
up the brain function,
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and neurotransmitters,
particularly your serotonin
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factor, so it
improves mood; it helps people
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stay not depressed.
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And interestingly, they have
found in research that people
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who have
osteoporosis get depressed. Oh.
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And then they're more
likely to have a fall, you see,
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so this is where, when you have
a look at the stress factor,
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so a lot of what I do
as a health psychologist is
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teach people how
to manage their life.
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And it is individual because her
situation was individual. Sure.
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And I've also looked
at nutritional medicine
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for mental health, so this is
where, with John, I use a lot of
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looking at nutrients
and one of the best ones
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I've found for
magnesium comes from the sea.
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If someone is that depleted and
they're not absorbing it from
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a food that if they
use, it's called "magnesium
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chloride oil," and there's
a lot of brilliant research
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now that sings its praises
and says it's the best way
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to get it, but you
put it on the skin! Okay.
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So it goes straight into
the cells and 100% is absorbed.
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If you take it in tablet form,
only about 30% is absorbed,
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and that's what,
again, research is showing us.
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That's very
helpful... Absolutely!
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And you can put it directly
on the affected bone areas,
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you see; also if you
don't have enough magnesium
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and the calcium isn't
going into the bones, you've got
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calcium in your system, it
can crystallize and go to the
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joints and cause arthritis. Ohh.
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Yes, so you can see how
one major player in our system
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that, (1) She's not
having the nutrition to get the
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magnesium and then stress
leaches it is a huge factor
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because it helps
with calcium. Yes.
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So you can see how
correcting one thing.
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So she would have, by changing
her diet and doing that,
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she would have got a lot
more magnesium in her system,
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probably calcium and it was
going where it needed to go.
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So an optimum diet can
correct it but a lot of people
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don't do the
dietary change. Yeah.
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John, you mentioned
about her going on to a totally
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plant-based diet - were
there any specifics within
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that diet that she
perhaps made sure she included?
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Yeah, her word she used
to describe her new diet was
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"vegan," which means she totally
avoided any animal products.
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Prior to this, she had
been eating cheeseburgers and
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drinking sodas, French fries and
the like, the regular junk food
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that we think of.
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And so her changes were
to totally get off of any
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dairy products.
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Now that's a very curious
one and I can just imagine
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that people tuning into
this program will be thinking,
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"Oh come on, this just
doesn't make a lot of sense
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because we're given to
understand that milk is,
00:11:01.16\00:11:04.26
you know, being the
highest calcium source is going
00:11:04.29\00:11:07.60
to be the thing that
will build strong bones."
00:11:07.63\00:11:10.03
So it didn't do it for her
and now you're saying when she
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went on to a total plant
diet, her bones increased
00:11:14.44\00:11:19.61
to a remarkable degree.
00:11:19.64\00:11:21.24
So how does that work? Yes.
00:11:21.28\00:11:24.78
Yeah, you know when I went
to switch to a similar diet
00:11:24.81\00:11:28.22
of becoming a total
plant-based vegetarian or vegan,
00:11:28.25\00:11:32.25
my grandmother who had
run a dairy was just sure that
00:11:32.29\00:11:35.49
my teeth were going
to go bad and my bones
00:11:35.52\00:11:37.56
were going to go bad,
yeah, she was shocked!
00:11:37.59\00:11:39.63
Which was interesting because
a lot of this is sort of like
00:11:40.73\00:11:45.17
tradition - people
believed this for generations!
00:11:45.20\00:11:49.20
And I met a young lady
who had been raised on a total
00:11:49.24\00:11:53.21
vegetarian diet, a vegan diet.
00:11:53.24\00:11:56.71
And when she was in
college, the college was doing a
00:11:56.75\00:11:59.91
research project on bone
strength and they scanned
00:11:59.95\00:12:03.75
everybody's bones and
when they checked her bones,
00:12:03.79\00:12:06.12
she had the
strongest, hardest bones of
00:12:06.15\00:12:08.22
anybody in the
college. Interesting!
00:12:08.26\00:12:10.93
And it was pretty
fascinating for sure.
00:12:10.96\00:12:13.60
Well it's a great testimony
to the value of what you eat
00:12:13.63\00:12:16.40
and what you put in your system.
00:12:16.43\00:12:18.13
And I've found when
you eat properly because
00:12:18.17\00:12:20.67
I had osteoporosis diagnosed
and I did lots of things,
00:12:20.70\00:12:25.34
but stress was
my biggest factor.
00:12:25.37\00:12:26.98
So I've managed my
stress level now - this was
00:12:27.01\00:12:28.91
quite a few years ago
but I did improve my diet,
00:12:28.94\00:12:31.61
more exercise like weight
bearing exercise and I know
00:12:31.65\00:12:35.15
I don't have that now,
but that's been treated.
00:12:35.18\00:12:38.19
But it's a huge component to
have that diet, it's crucial.
00:12:38.22\00:12:42.39
Yeah, and it's amazing how
much difference it makes just by
00:12:42.42\00:12:45.63
shifting the focus
of the food you eat.
00:12:45.66\00:12:48.06
Jeni, you're saying that
you had a really good healthy
00:12:48.10\00:12:51.87
diet like John, just by being...
00:12:51.90\00:12:53.97
Well I improved my diet. Yes.
00:12:54.00\00:12:56.20
Yeah, I mean I was having
a reasonable diet but when I
00:12:56.24\00:12:58.74
started to explore what
treats osteoporosis and found
00:12:58.77\00:13:02.68
like dairy products - well,
get rid of the dairy products!
00:13:02.71\00:13:05.61
There were things I was having
that I considered healthy,
00:13:05.65\00:13:08.45
and I was eating a lot
healthier than more people. Yes.
00:13:08.48\00:13:11.05
And then, like you
said, get on to a vegan diet,
00:13:11.09\00:13:13.79
so in my research, I
found the same thing.
00:13:13.82\00:13:16.22
That was quite a
while ago. Interesting.
00:13:16.26\00:13:17.99
So you both researched
this out and you separately
00:13:18.03\00:13:20.63
came to the same conclusion.
00:13:20.66\00:13:22.43
But you believe that stress
was probably the biggest...
00:13:22.46\00:13:25.03
Stress was my biggest problem.
00:13:25.07\00:13:26.43
Yeah and that was with
more events in my life,
00:13:26.47\00:13:29.20
work environment,
there are lots of stressors
00:13:29.24\00:13:31.61
which are common
to a lot of people.
00:13:31.64\00:13:32.97
That's right, I don't...
00:13:33.01\00:13:34.34
I think they say, "If you
haven't got any stressors,
00:13:34.38\00:13:37.75
it's because you're
in a box." Laughter.
00:13:37.78\00:13:39.15
In a coffin. You
know, in the coffin.
00:13:39.18\00:13:40.52
And so we do all have to
have some amount of stress.
00:13:40.55\00:13:42.88
It's getting the good
stress, not the bad stress.
00:13:42.92\00:13:45.25
So a lot of what I do is
train people to recognize
00:13:45.29\00:13:48.86
their stress
levels because this is
00:13:48.89\00:13:50.33
that mind-body connection.
00:13:50.36\00:13:51.69
And how do you do that Jeni?
00:13:51.73\00:13:53.06
How do you get them
to recognize this...
00:13:53.09\00:13:55.46
Well I'm working with
the way the brain thinks,
00:13:55.50\00:13:57.27
their beliefs and
their attitudes create a
00:13:57.30\00:13:59.13
lot of stress and that's
what you were saying like her
00:13:59.17\00:14:01.10
belief around certain
things once it was challenged
00:14:01.14\00:14:03.77
When she realized it was
a wrong belief around eating
00:14:03.81\00:14:05.81
certain foods,
then she changed it.
00:14:05.84\00:14:08.01
So people, if they have
not told what their belief
00:14:08.04\00:14:10.21
system is doing or if
it's incorrect, then you know,
00:14:10.25\00:14:12.71
they won't do it and someone
who has a very black and white
00:14:12.75\00:14:15.38
belief system, it's either this
or that, it's going to have a
00:14:15.42\00:14:17.79
lot more stress than
someone who can step back and
00:14:17.82\00:14:20.52
observe and go, "That's okay,
we can manage this," you see.
00:14:20.56\00:14:23.79
So you're saying that you
explain to them - like we've
00:14:24.23\00:14:28.76
just had an
explanation that this works.
00:14:28.80\00:14:31.60
But what about
the motivation part?
00:14:31.63\00:14:34.24
Well, I help people
get motivated because
00:14:34.27\00:14:37.87
when you have
something like osteoporosis,
00:14:37.91\00:14:40.11
as I said, you get depressed.
00:14:40.14\00:14:41.48
When you're
depressed, you're not motivated;
00:14:41.51\00:14:43.81
you don't want to do anything.
00:14:43.85\00:14:45.18
So it's not about feeling
00:14:45.21\00:14:46.72
motivated because
you'll never do it.
00:14:46.75\00:14:48.42
So what I get people to do
is to pick a small simple goal
00:14:48.45\00:14:51.89
that they can action because
action creates motivation.
00:14:51.92\00:14:55.32
But this is where helping
them psychologically to not
00:14:55.36\00:14:58.59
overstep the mark
and see one small step
00:14:58.63\00:15:01.43
is better than no steps. Right.
00:15:01.46\00:15:03.47
Because once they do
that one, they get momentum,
00:15:03.50\00:15:05.57
then we add on and we
build the program. Alright.
00:15:05.60\00:15:08.14
But also is the
huge component with the
00:15:08.17\00:15:09.94
physiology with
stress, you see and so I help
00:15:09.97\00:15:13.17
people to recognize
their stress markers and what
00:15:13.21\00:15:16.24
are they doing... like
the sweaty palms or the heart.
00:15:16.28\00:15:18.95
Well now you can't
even talk about that one.
00:15:18.98\00:15:21.05
The heart rate up and
doing all of that because
00:15:21.08\00:15:24.09
once they realize and
they start to see the subtler
00:15:24.12\00:15:26.72
signs of stress, they
manage it earlier. Alright.
00:15:26.76\00:15:29.29
We might just come back to that.
00:15:29.32\00:15:31.73
But one thing I don't
want to miss including John,
00:15:31.76\00:15:35.43
did this lady have much support?
00:15:35.46\00:15:38.87
I mean she made some
significant changes, you know,
00:15:38.90\00:15:42.34
and we haven't even
talked about them or we've
00:15:42.37\00:15:43.71
talked about, to some extent,
the diet and I think there's
00:15:43.74\00:15:46.78
some exercise that
comes in there too.
00:15:46.81\00:15:48.58
But let's just talk about
- did she have some support
00:15:48.61\00:15:51.45
to make
significant changes to actually
00:15:51.48\00:15:53.78
achieve what she achieved?
00:15:53.82\00:15:55.65
No, in fact her husband was sort
of like... "Where's the beef?"
00:15:55.68\00:15:59.35
"You know, I don't
want to quit eating meat."
00:15:59.39\00:16:01.79
And he sort of gave her a hard
00:16:01.82\00:16:03.86
time about her
new dietary changes.
00:16:03.89\00:16:06.73
That's often a conflict I
come across with clients. Yes.
00:16:06.76\00:16:09.50
One wants to make a
positive change like that,
00:16:09.53\00:16:11.70
but the family doesn't;
therefore, they give up.
00:16:11.73\00:16:13.74
And I think it's important
that we sort of talk about
00:16:13.77\00:16:17.01
this because I'm sure that
people tuning in would find
00:16:17.04\00:16:21.64
themselves in the situation
that this young woman did
00:16:21.68\00:16:24.65
where she had to pretty much
00:16:24.68\00:16:26.61
be strong enough
to do it on her own.
00:16:26.65\00:16:28.62
And so, it's encouraging
to think that it can be done
00:16:28.68\00:16:31.72
certainly a whole lot better
if you've got some support.
00:16:31.75\00:16:35.99
It's a huge marker for long-term
success but she did it.
00:16:36.02\00:16:40.33
She did it - still
having her husband there wanting
00:16:40.36\00:16:44.67
to eat differently and
to know that having to do
00:16:44.70\00:16:47.14
two different
things and that's hard!
00:16:47.17\00:16:49.24
And you know that the smell
in your nostrils of foods that
00:16:49.27\00:16:51.34
you've eaten and enjoyed,
and yet she was able to do that.
00:16:51.37\00:16:55.01
So it can be
done, you need to have a
00:16:55.04\00:16:57.65
few more things going for you.
00:16:57.68\00:16:59.01
What else actually did
you... or what did she do?
00:16:59.05\00:17:02.58
Which she actually initiated
this all by herself, didn't she?
00:17:02.62\00:17:05.42
Just from
information that she knew. Yeah.
00:17:05.45\00:17:07.49
So she changed her
diet and what else?
00:17:07.52\00:17:10.06
She sure did and we might
explore the diet a little more.
00:17:10.09\00:17:13.50
People wonder why are
animal products a problem
00:17:13.53\00:17:16.16
versus vegetable protein.
00:17:16.20\00:17:18.20
And you see here's the
thing, when people eat foods
00:17:18.23\00:17:21.47
that create more acid in
the body, it takes calcium from
00:17:21.50\00:17:26.81
the bones to
counteract that acid.
00:17:26.84\00:17:29.68
It's like taking a
"Tums" which is a calcium pill.
00:17:29.71\00:17:32.91
It's very popular
for an acid stomach.
00:17:32.95\00:17:36.02
Well, if they eat food that
turns to acid in their blood,
00:17:36.05\00:17:39.89
then it's going to take calcium
from the bones to make that
00:17:39.92\00:17:43.76
so it doesn't get too
acid for your blood...
00:17:43.79\00:17:45.69
And so dairy products and
animal protein, like from beef,
00:17:45.73\00:17:49.56
are going to cause lots of acid.
00:17:49.60\00:17:51.27
The other thing she
quit using was brown sodas,
00:17:51.30\00:17:55.34
the sodas with caffeine. Okay.
00:17:55.37\00:17:57.67
Which usually have
phosphoric acid in them.
00:17:57.71\00:18:00.74
And the phosphoric acid,
in studies when people start
00:18:00.78\00:18:04.21
drinking phosphoric acid
pop, (I won't name the brands),
00:18:04.25\00:18:07.28
but the brown sodas, they start
peeing out calcium right away.
00:18:07.32\00:18:13.42
And then the other thing
she definitely did was she did
00:18:14.46\00:18:17.03
take up an exercise program.
00:18:17.06\00:18:18.83
If you load the bones,
they develop stronger and they
00:18:18.86\00:18:23.30
actually make electricity
and attract the calcium to them.
00:18:23.33\00:18:26.63
Ohh, excellent!
00:18:26.67\00:18:29.04
So she got into an
exercise program and she did
00:18:29.07\00:18:31.31
all of these - she just
initiated it and carried it out.
00:18:31.34\00:18:34.18
And what did she have in place
of the sodas, the soft drinks?
00:18:34.21\00:18:39.38
Well I'm sure she drank a lot of
water - I didn't really ask her.
00:18:39.41\00:18:42.62
Didn't even ask her
that, yes, that's good.
00:18:42.65\00:18:44.42
Come back to the stress factor
because you're talking about
00:18:44.45\00:18:46.96
acid in the system and
stress produces a lot of acid
00:18:46.99\00:18:50.79
in the stomach - the moment
we get stress, the stomach
00:18:50.83\00:18:53.86
excretes a lot
more hydrochloric acid.
00:18:53.90\00:18:55.93
And this becomes a
problem because everything
00:18:55.96\00:18:57.77
you put in your stomach, at
that point, is going to become
00:18:57.80\00:19:00.10
totally acidic and
you don't absorb nutrients
00:19:00.14\00:19:02.34
and it won't digest.
00:19:02.37\00:19:03.71
So we're getting an
acidic problem with the foods
00:19:03.74\00:19:07.84
and the stress
factor is another one. Yeah.
00:19:07.88\00:19:10.65
And that means acid foods,
acid stomach - you can see
00:19:10.68\00:19:14.92
why illness can
just take over. Yes.
00:19:14.95\00:19:17.82
It's just interesting and
this might really come as a
00:19:17.85\00:19:21.42
big surprise to
some people tuning in,
00:19:21.46\00:19:23.89
but "The Australian Guide to
Healthy Eating," which is put
00:19:23.93\00:19:26.90
out by the government for
this country, at first glance
00:19:26.93\00:19:30.27
you would not think this,
but actually it's user-friendly
00:19:30.30\00:19:34.47
for people on a
totally plant-based diet.
00:19:34.50\00:19:37.47
And when you look
at it at first glance,
00:19:37.51\00:19:38.87
it wouldn't strike you
that way but when you look at it
00:19:38.91\00:19:40.84
more closely, more than
half of it is exclusively
00:19:40.88\00:19:45.11
plant foods -
that's the grain products,
00:19:45.15\00:19:47.22
the fruits and the vegetables.
00:19:47.25\00:19:48.58
That covers more than
half of the plate model.
00:19:48.62\00:19:51.05
Then you come to the
part where you've got meats
00:19:51.09\00:19:53.05
and fish and chicken and
eggs and things like that,
00:19:53.09\00:19:55.82
but there's nuts and there's
legumes in there as options,
00:19:55.86\00:19:59.23
and then you come to the dairy
section and there's soy milks
00:19:59.26\00:20:03.43
and things that are included
in there and they would be
00:20:03.47\00:20:05.83
fortified with calcium.
00:20:05.87\00:20:07.20
So it's user friendly and
just in case anyone out there
00:20:07.24\00:20:09.97
is thinking, "Oh,
what you're talking about
00:20:10.01\00:20:12.84
it's just diametrically opposed
to what we've been taught."
00:20:12.97\00:20:17.45
No actually it's
made provision for.
00:20:17.48\00:20:19.58
And even the "World Health
Organization," I was looking
00:20:19.61\00:20:22.42
up there just a night or so
ago and they're talking about
00:20:22.45\00:20:26.22
tips for an option on diet
and they said, "More fruits,
00:20:26.25\00:20:29.32
vegetables,
legumes, grains and nuts."
00:20:29.36\00:20:35.46
And that's what they
want us to be having more of.
00:20:35.50\00:20:39.07
So just thought I'd
mention that and you've probably
00:20:39.10\00:20:42.44
come across
studies that have affirmed
00:20:42.47\00:20:44.41
what you're
talking about here John.
00:20:44.44\00:20:46.27
Oh absolutely and the
studies show that if you go on
00:20:46.31\00:20:49.41
a more vegetarian diet, then
you end up with better bones.
00:20:49.44\00:20:52.25
In fact, like we said, it
can happen within 6 weeks.
00:20:52.95\00:20:56.12
And they can show a difference.
00:20:56.15\00:20:57.69
That's very encouraging,
that's not a long time, is it...
00:20:57.72\00:21:01.02
to actually start to
turn around a problem.
00:21:01.06\00:21:03.86
This happens the
moment you change, your whole
00:21:03.89\00:21:05.73
cellular structure.
00:21:05.76\00:21:07.40
And then if you work on
the stress levels again,
00:21:07.43\00:21:09.96
and one of the things that
helps stress is exercise which
00:21:10.00\00:21:12.13
you mentioned because when
you exercise, and walking is
00:21:12.17\00:21:15.64
one of the best exercises.
00:21:15.67\00:21:17.34
It actually helps to dissipate
the adrenalin and cortisol
00:21:17.37\00:21:20.51
buildup in the system and get
the body to eliminate it. Yes.
00:21:20.54\00:21:24.11
Because stress produces too
much cortisol and adrenalin,
00:21:24.15\00:21:27.15
it's an inflammatory factor
and it causes toxins and acids
00:21:27.18\00:21:31.35
particularly it
inflames the brain.
00:21:31.39\00:21:32.82
Oh, it affects everything
doesn't it? Oh it does!
00:21:32.85\00:21:35.22
But every cell of our
body, I think they say
00:21:35.26\00:21:38.06
"Exercise is the
law of our being."
00:21:38.09\00:21:40.43
We're a total package.
00:21:40.46\00:21:41.80
It's not just the
brain or our body.
00:21:41.83\00:21:44.23
Now you mentioned
that this young woman was
00:21:44.27\00:21:47.14
a Christian and I'm imaging -
I guess they can only imagine,
00:21:47.17\00:21:51.41
but she really prayed
about what she was going to do,
00:21:51.44\00:21:54.91
and no doubt she drew
on her spiritual resources
00:21:54.94\00:21:57.88
to be able to see her through.
00:21:57.91\00:22:00.32
What wouldn't ought to
have been a short program,
00:22:00.35\00:22:02.98
and I guess that was
one that she, you know,
00:22:03.02\00:22:04.72
implemented and maintained,
so that would be a huge help.
00:22:04.75\00:22:09.69
That's right and so it actually
brought her back to church,
00:22:09.72\00:22:13.96
this was a very difficult
problem and her church group
00:22:14.00\00:22:16.46
was very supportive
of her dietary changes.
00:22:16.50\00:22:19.03
So she did have... yes.
00:22:19.07\00:22:20.40
And that's something I'd just
like to say to people tuning in.
00:22:20.44\00:22:23.07
If you don't have already
a support network, seek one
00:22:23.10\00:22:28.01
because they're there and
it would be hugely beneficial.
00:22:28.04\00:22:32.61
Professional people can
become part of that support,
00:22:32.65\00:22:35.28
that's what I do. Yes.
00:22:35.32\00:22:36.79
We get to know the
client and you work with them,
00:22:36.82\00:22:39.12
and they feel very supported
and that's a huge component,
00:22:39.15\00:22:42.79
like the same with your work.
00:22:42.82\00:22:44.16
People would feel very
supported by what you're doing,
00:22:44.19\00:22:46.23
so that's part of
the support system.
00:22:46.26\00:22:48.63
This exercise, John, that would
be outdoors, I would take it.
00:22:48.66\00:22:55.60
Outdoors is best,
out in the sunlight
00:22:55.64\00:22:57.97
because you want to
get your vitamin D. Yes!
00:22:58.01\00:23:00.88
Helps bones! What's that?
00:23:00.91\00:23:02.51
Vitamin D helps bones.
00:23:02.54\00:23:05.05
Bones and it
helps mental health.
00:23:05.08\00:23:09.22
And you want to have
weight bearing exercises
00:23:09.25\00:23:13.49
which means that your
bones are getting loaded.
00:23:13.52\00:23:16.56
This is very interesting
when they send somebody up
00:23:16.59\00:23:18.86
into outer space - within
a few days they start losing
00:23:18.89\00:23:23.10
calcium from their bones from no
00:23:23.13\00:23:24.63
activity and no weight bearing.
00:23:24.67\00:23:26.13
That's incredible,
say it again. How long?
00:23:26.17\00:23:28.34
Within a few days. A few days!
00:23:28.37\00:23:30.61
They'll start losing bone mass.
00:23:30.64\00:23:32.14
And they've developed
programs to get them to exercise
00:23:32.17\00:23:34.41
in when they are outer space.
00:23:34.44\00:23:36.18
To stress their bones
and keep the calcium in
00:23:36.21\00:23:38.48
their bones, that's correct.
00:23:38.51\00:23:39.91
I'm intrigued
actually that this young woman
00:23:39.95\00:23:43.39
had osteoporosis in her
mid 20s and had it so badly.
00:23:43.42\00:23:48.06
That's scary really, I
would not have expected that
00:23:48.09\00:23:52.36
that would happen - you kind of
associate it with being older,
00:23:52.39\00:23:55.53
but not necessarily so.
00:23:55.56\00:23:57.87
Yes and it was
definitely her diet.
00:23:57.90\00:24:00.04
I mean, you look at
cheeseburgers - the cheese
00:24:00.07\00:24:02.17
itself is the
most acid-forming food
00:24:02.20\00:24:04.51
you can put in your
mouth. Is that right?
00:24:04.54\00:24:06.37
And it will make huge
amounts of acid so your body
00:24:06.41\00:24:09.44
has to buffer it with calcium.
00:24:09.48\00:24:11.71
And then, of course, there's
the refined grains and the
00:24:11.75\00:24:15.38
white buns that go
with these hamburgers.
00:24:15.42\00:24:17.62
Refined grains make acid.
00:24:17.65\00:24:19.75
The things that don't
make acid actually make alkali
00:24:19.79\00:24:22.92
are fresh fruits, fresh
vegetables, nuts and seeds
00:24:22.96\00:24:27.06
and beans.
00:24:27.10\00:24:28.43
And some very good sources
of calcium - what would you
00:24:28.46\00:24:31.23
be suggesting there?
00:24:31.27\00:24:33.27
Yeah, where are you going
to get your calcium if you
00:24:33.30\00:24:34.70
don't drink milk? Laughter...
00:24:34.74\00:24:36.37
Could be a
question my grandmother
00:24:36.40\00:24:37.74
might have asked me. Well yes.
00:24:37.77\00:24:39.17
Some of the highest things
are your green leafy vegetables.
00:24:39.21\00:24:41.78
That's what cows have, isn't it?
00:24:41.81\00:24:43.45
Green leafy?
Well low and behold,
00:24:43.48\00:24:45.88
you know, where do
the cows get calcium?
00:24:45.91\00:24:47.55
See a lot of the foods we
talk about, like nuts and seeds,
00:24:47.58\00:24:50.45
and that have
high magnesium levels.
00:24:50.49\00:24:52.05
So when you eat the right
diet, you're not just getting
00:24:52.09\00:24:54.72
calcium, you're getting
the magnesium to transport
00:24:54.76\00:24:57.06
the calcium into the
bones because that's what
00:24:57.09\00:24:58.76
magnesium does. That's right.
00:24:58.79\00:25:00.30
And there's a whole range
of nutrients that make us well
00:25:00.33\00:25:03.77
and including in the
bones, it's not just...
00:25:03.80\00:25:06.47
And I think this is
where we need to get away from
00:25:06.50\00:25:08.94
a single nutrient and
just think whole foods
00:25:08.97\00:25:12.34
because they're
packaged in a remarkable way
00:25:12.37\00:25:15.34
and when we interfere with that,
00:25:15.38\00:25:17.05
it's a little bit like
having maybe a football team
00:25:17.08\00:25:20.58
sending part of the team on
to the field and pulling them
00:25:20.62\00:25:23.99
off and then the
others have to...
00:25:24.02\00:25:25.35
It's just not going to
happen, it is a team effort.
00:25:25.39\00:25:27.79
It is but we have to see the
body as that team. That's right!
00:25:27.82\00:25:30.96
And work with the team
and do everything we can to
00:25:31.86\00:25:34.23
get it working together.
00:25:34.26\00:25:35.70
Put foods as a whole food and
our bodies as a whole people;
00:25:35.73\00:25:40.90
mental, physical, spiritual,
social - because they all
00:25:40.94\00:25:43.77
blend in together.
00:25:43.81\00:25:45.14
They all connect and
they all support each other.
00:25:45.17\00:25:46.51
And impact on each
other for better or for worse.
00:25:46.54\00:25:48.98
It's like you were saying,
what's going on in your mind
00:25:49.01\00:25:51.71
with stress is affecting
every cell of your body
00:25:51.75\00:25:54.55
and the other way around.
00:25:54.58\00:25:56.38
I read somewhere once,
someone said, "We don't just
00:25:56.42\00:25:58.75
have a mind, we ARE a mind!"
00:25:58.79\00:26:01.22
Because whatever is
going on in the body is going
00:26:01.26\00:26:03.19
to affect the mind which,
in turn, dictates to the body
00:26:03.22\00:26:06.06
because it's our master.
00:26:06.09\00:26:07.43
This is why we need a
healthy nervous system which is
00:26:07.46\00:26:09.50
the telegraph system
for the brain to the body,
00:26:09.53\00:26:11.40
and the body to the brain. Yes.
00:26:11.43\00:26:13.13
And again, if you have
like magnesium and calcium,
00:26:13.17\00:26:15.74
that fortifies
the nervous system
00:26:15.77\00:26:17.34
so you can see how
important it is. Yes.
00:26:17.37\00:26:20.78
And I just think it's,
something you said there
00:26:20.81\00:26:25.61
I just figured a thought
then and it's just escaped me.
00:26:25.65\00:26:28.05
Laughter... no jokes
about senior's moments.
00:26:28.08\00:26:32.25
Well the calcium thing, you
know, we're thinking about it
00:26:34.66\00:26:36.86
as a supplement -
actually people taking calcium
00:26:36.89\00:26:39.69
supplements end up with
more heart disease cause the
00:26:39.73\00:26:42.43
calcium goes to plaque in
the heart. It's dangerous.
00:26:42.46\00:26:45.10
You're much better off eating
a food with everything balanced
00:26:45.13\00:26:48.17
with the magnesium and
the calcium and the zinc,
00:26:48.20\00:26:50.31
and the copper and so
forth, so that the body can
00:26:50.34\00:26:52.71
sort out how much
it needs of each one
00:26:52.74\00:26:55.04
and can put it
in the right place.
00:26:55.08\00:26:56.41
Yes, as long as we stop
messing around with food
00:26:56.44\00:26:58.78
and pulling out this
and that, we don't really,
00:26:58.81\00:27:01.55
really know what we're doing.
00:27:01.58\00:27:02.92
I think of it's only
maybe 3 or 4 decades ago
00:27:02.95\00:27:05.72
they even found out about
phytochemicals that are in
00:27:05.75\00:27:08.52
plant foods exclusively.
00:27:08.56\00:27:10.09
"Phyto" means plants
and they work together,
00:27:10.13\00:27:13.83
and we still don't even
know how many there are,
00:27:13.86\00:27:15.93
there's thousands and we don't
know how they work together.
00:27:15.96\00:27:19.00
We just know eat them, eat food.
00:27:19.03\00:27:21.74
We are created in
an amazing way. We are.
00:27:21.77\00:27:24.01
And when you have a look
at it, it's just incredible,
00:27:24.04\00:27:25.91
and there's so much we don't
know about our system. Yes.
00:27:25.94\00:27:28.61
So it is, it's just
been a wonderful thing.
00:27:28.64\00:27:30.95
Well thank you for all of that,
it's just been a really good
00:27:30.98\00:27:34.02
exploration of this
disease which can be fatal
00:27:34.05\00:27:38.02
or can cause us to die
early and can just impact on the
00:27:38.05\00:27:44.83
quality of our lives
and such simple solutions!
00:27:44.86\00:27:47.86
Eating very simple
lovely plant foods and they are
00:27:47.90\00:27:52.90
really enjoyable too.
00:27:52.93\00:27:54.27
And so that's all we
really have time for today,
00:27:54.30\00:27:59.07
but you probably
have questions about this.
00:27:59.11\00:28:01.71
Maybe you've got
questions about other things,
00:28:01.74\00:28:04.18
other health concerns
that you have and if so,
00:28:04.21\00:28:07.02
you can contact John
or Jenifer by emailing:
00:28:07.05\00:28:10.65
healthyliving@3abnaustralia.org
.au
00:28:10.69\00:28:15.79
So you can watch our
programs on demand or download
00:28:15.82\00:28:19.39
our factsheets and
to do that, you visit:
00:28:19.43\00:28:21.56
3abnaustralia.org.au
00:28:21.60\00:28:23.90
Click on the watch
button and remember
00:28:23.93\00:28:26.33
"Today is the first day
of the rest of your life."
00:28:26.37\00:28:29.74
God bless you.
00:28:29.77\00:28:31.37