6 Foods to Build Bones and Hydrate Skin
Six Foundation Foods That Build Your Bones And Hydrate Your Ski n from Vivian Goldschmidt at www.saveourbones.com Wintertime can be very hard on your skin and hair. When indoor heating systems warm the dry winter air, you’re surrounded by “thirsty” air that draws moisture out of your skin, hair, and nails. That kind of environment can dehydrate and shrivel your skin like a prune, exaggerating the effects of aging and making life pretty uncomfortable. Lotions and creams can only provide temporary relief on the surface, and many of them contain toxic chemicals. While you’ve probably heard about drinking water to hydrate your body, you may not have considered how certain foods can also hydrate and beautify skin and hair.
Today I’m happy to share with you six Foundation Foods that are effective “hydrators” and they nourish and build your bones. And I also give you a delicious pH balanced recipe from Calcilicious, one of the bonuses included with the Bone Appétit cookbook.
So let’s get started!
Beauty-Enhancing, Bone-Building Foundation Foods
Foundation Foods are the backbone of the Save Our Bones Program , because what you eat has an enormous impact on your bone health. That’s why the Program contains a comprehensive list of alkalizing and acidifying foods, along with Bone Appétit , the brand-new companion recipe book to the Program.
These six foods — three acidifying, three alkalizing — provide lots of bone-healthy nutrients and also give your skin the hydration it craves. Remember, acidifying foods are not off-limits; they can easily be incorporated into the 80% alkaline, 20% acidic diet recommended in the Save Our Bones Program .
3 Acidifying Hydrating Foundation Foods Salmon
Rich in Omega-3 fish oils, salmon is an excellent food for winter. It’s one of the rare food sources of Vitamin D. And it contains the antioxidant CoQ10 (ubiquinone or Coenzyme Q10), which as explained in the Save Our Bones Program , gets depleted by bisphosphonates. Salmon also has selenium, which is one of the keys to its role in skin health: selenium is a trace mineral that helps eliminate toxins. In addition, low levels of selenium have been associated with an increased risk of developing osteoporosis.1 So it makes sense to increase your selenium levels.
Eggs
Eggs are another food source of Vitamin D, the “sunlight vitamin” that can be hard to get during the winter. They also contain B vitamins, specifically vitamins B6 (pyridoxine), B9 (folate), and B12 (cobalamin). These three key vitamins work together to decrease levels of homocysteine, an amino acid associated with increased hip fracture risk.
Walnuts
Walnuts are a rich source of bone-healthy copper and boron, and are an excellent source of Omega-3 fatty acids. These healthful oils boost your skin’s ability to retain moisture, and they also increase calcium absorption and promote collagen synthesis.2 Copper is a key player in an enzymatic process that develops and maintains bones and joints. Boron works with Vitamin D in bone metabolism and decreases calcium and magnesium excretion.
3 Alkalizing Hydrating Foundation Foods Flax seeds
These tiny, crunchy little seeds are a rich source of bone-building calcium. They may not seem very hydrating, but they are chock-full of healthful Omega-3 oils that are anti-inflammatory, help keep cell membranes intact, and promote moisture retention in the skin.
Celery
This flavorful bone-strengthener is loaded with pure water and minerals such as boron, silica, and calcium. Celery contains Vitamin K as well, a vitamin essential to the absorption of calcium. In addition, celery has the distinction of being one of the most alkalizing vegetables in existence.
Cucumber
Cucumber is another water-rich vegetable, containing high amounts of silica, a mineral that combats dry skin, hair, and nails and tends to decline as we age. Silica helps build connective tissue (collagen), plays a role in the assimilation of calcium, and affects the mineralization of bone.
If, for whatever reason, you can’t or don’t eat some of these foods, don’t despair — there are lots of other healthy, bone-nourishing foods in the Program and in Bone Appétit !