My tips to avoid fractures in children

Long ago, before I'd learned anything formal about kids health or the gut, a two year old in my community broke his femur playing on a little plastic slide.

It seemed so weird to me, and I couldn't forget about it.

I had it in my head that little kids bounce - like they're kind of made of rubber (or at least mostly cartilage) for a while.

Well, current research reinforces that there is definitely something amiss when children break bones while playing and get stress fractures without a major traumatic impact.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) explains our bones like a bank account - if you make regular consistent deposits when you're young, you'll have plenty saved up for the necessary withdrawals when you get older.

I love this analogy, because while our bones are constantly building and breaking down - in youth we naturally build stronger bones more quickly, and in older age our bone building becomes slower.  As our aging digestion and nutrient absorption slows down (there are ways to improve this, mama!) we also tend to steal more nutrients from our bones, speeding the breakdown process.

So by setting bone-healthy habits in your child's daily "norm" you're giving them freedom from unnecessary fractures NOW plus setting them up for many more active years in the future!

YES!!!

 - You already know nutrition is important - kids need lots of minerals, plenty of sunlight & food-sourced vitamin D, and protein to build strong bones.  

 - Foods that steal minerals steal from bones (sugar steals magnesium, dairy steals zinc), so begin some stealthy shifts to low/no sugar, dairy free treats.  

 - Stress also steals minerals (magnesium and zinc), so explore calm-supportive habits like outdoor play, deep breathing, and EFT tapping in your routines with your child.  

 - If you're considering nutritional supplements, get support from a functional nutritionist/doctor/provider.  While calcium helps build strong bones, it needs magnesium and Vitamin D for absorption.  With additional vitamin D, you also need vitamin K to direct the calcium to the bones and not the heart (K2 in particular prevents calcification in arteries).

The beauty of simply eating a wide variety of colorful vegetables with clean, wild proteins and plenty of safe fats is that these foods are naturally balanced in vitamins and minerals, and even have synergistic superpowers that make them even more nutritious, from the colors to the flavors to the fibers and water.  It's pretty miraculous!  

It can take time to unravel the source of a picky eating issue and to shift your household habits.  SO...

Here's something you can start today:

Get your bookworm/videogamer/social media star outside and moving.  Pay them?  Bribe them?  Do it with them!  Do whatever it takes to begin this habit NOW.  Here's why: 

-  Regular impact is necessary to build bone, but bone breakdown is constant.  

-  Our children's bodies expect lots of jumping, running, even colliding in play.  Bone breakdown is naturally calibrated to natural rates of bone-building, based on the active, out-door, all-day-play that's been normal for human children over the past hundreds of thousands of years.  It's good for their:

  • bones

  • muscles

  • metabolism

  • vision

  • coordination

  • problem-solving

  • spatial intelligence

  • socialization

  • creativity

  • calm

  • sleep

  • and (yes!) their GUT MICROBES!

  • along with a lot of other stuff

I know that simple is NOT always easy.  

Start small.

Customize these tips to fit your life and your amazing kid!  (your child can help you figure it out)

Reach out to me for help. Lets Talk!

Elissa Arnheim