Dr. Vonda Wright

You know what? I'm so glad you came back to that because we think of bones as just like the strong, silent type hanging out. Yeah. Holding up our muscles.

Don't pay attention to our bones. But the fact of the matter is that without bones, muscle, which we're all enamored with right now, it's just a quivering pile of metabolic tissue. The structure of you. The fact that people recognize you, it's because your bones are holding up your soft tissue, right? And I love to, bear with me, I like to think about the importance of bones as even culturally.

Don't pay attention to our bones. But the fact of the matter is that without bones, muscle, which we're all enamored with right now, it's just a quivering pile of metabolic tissue. The structure of you. The fact that people recognize you, it's because your bones are holding up your soft tissue, right? And I love to, bear with me, I like to think about the importance of bones as even culturally.

I mean, Halloween in this country, you view bones as this scary death object, but bones are living. They replace every 10 years. They are the source of all the minerals that your body needs. They are the housing of our internal organs. They are where our immune system is made. Our hematopoietic system is made in our bones.

I mean, Halloween in this country, you view bones as this scary death object, but bones are living. They replace every 10 years. They are the source of all the minerals that your body needs. They are the housing of our internal organs. They are where our immune system is made. Our hematopoietic system is made in our bones.

Our bones are master communicators releasing many proteins, including one called osteocalcin. Osteocalcin from the bones can go to the brain. and cause release of brain neurotrophic factor which builds neurons. It can go to the pancreas and the muscles and help you with sugar levels. And for men, it goes to the testicles and helps produce testosterone.

Our bones are master communicators releasing many proteins, including one called osteocalcin. Osteocalcin from the bones can go to the brain. and cause release of brain neurotrophic factor which builds neurons. It can go to the pancreas and the muscles and help you with sugar levels. And for men, it goes to the testicles and helps produce testosterone.

So just when we think bones are kind of boring, bones are amazing. But even culturally, many cultures Judaism, Christianity, Buddhism, many Eastern cultures talk about the reanimation of bones. Bones are thought to house the soul in some cultures. And so it's only here that we're like, oh, skeletons. And you know what? When we die, everything goes away except the bones.

So just when we think bones are kind of boring, bones are amazing. But even culturally, many cultures Judaism, Christianity, Buddhism, many Eastern cultures talk about the reanimation of bones. Bones are thought to house the soul in some cultures. And so it's only here that we're like, oh, skeletons. And you know what? When we die, everything goes away except the bones.

It's the last record of ourselves, right? Mm-hmm. So how do we build better bones? And that's why we need better bones, right? Yeah, that just clicked for me. All those reasons are why, but how? How we build better bones. Let's talk nutritionally. Bones are 50% protein. It goes back to the same principles. We're not adding on more principles.

It's the last record of ourselves, right? Mm-hmm. So how do we build better bones? And that's why we need better bones, right? Yeah, that just clicked for me. All those reasons are why, but how? How we build better bones. Let's talk nutritionally. Bones are 50% protein. It goes back to the same principles. We're not adding on more principles.

We're just, can we please pay attention to eating protein? Can we eat a non-inflammatory diet so we're not eating seed oils and fried foods and those things that make us hot red fire inside? Can we please make sure we're getting enough vitamin D? Even in sunny places, we slather ourselves, we stay inside, we need vitamin D, we need magnesium.

We're just, can we please pay attention to eating protein? Can we eat a non-inflammatory diet so we're not eating seed oils and fried foods and those things that make us hot red fire inside? Can we please make sure we're getting enough vitamin D? Even in sunny places, we slather ourselves, we stay inside, we need vitamin D, we need magnesium.

A lot of trace minerals like selenium and boron and zinc. We get those in our food. If you really want to be conscientious, you eat six prunes a day. But nutritionally, that's how we take care of our bones. Our bones must have impact. One of the early studies I did on active aging asked the question, can we maintain our bone density? And if we can, what does it take?

A lot of trace minerals like selenium and boron and zinc. We get those in our food. If you really want to be conscientious, you eat six prunes a day. But nutritionally, that's how we take care of our bones. Our bones must have impact. One of the early studies I did on active aging asked the question, can we maintain our bone density? And if we can, what does it take?

And I studied master's athletes, 40 and over, and I found that number one, yes, we can maintain our bone density into our 80s. How do we do it? Impact exercise. So I add to every regimen that I've already told you most of it, right? The lifting, the aerobic, the nutrition.

And I studied master's athletes, 40 and over, and I found that number one, yes, we can maintain our bone density into our 80s. How do we do it? Impact exercise. So I add to every regimen that I've already told you most of it, right? The lifting, the aerobic, the nutrition.

I add to every regimen a jumping practice, whether it's box jumping for impact, whether it's jumping up and down 20 times a day, whether it's 10 minutes three times a week where we're jumping over little hurdles or in a plastic hexagon. It is the impact exercise. Because this is how bones work.

I add to every regimen a jumping practice, whether it's box jumping for impact, whether it's jumping up and down 20 times a day, whether it's 10 minutes three times a week where we're jumping over little hurdles or in a plastic hexagon. It is the impact exercise. Because this is how bones work.

There's a law called Wolf's Law that just summarizes that the mechanical stimulation, biomechanical stimulation, is translated by our little bone cells, osteocytes, into biochemical messages. Biomechanical stimuli, like jumping up and down, is translated into biochemical stimulus that tells the bone building cells, which are the osteoblasts, to build more bone.