Susan Brady - Nurtured Bones

The Power of Purification

by Susan Brady | Sep 9, 2020 | Digestion

Labor Day traditionally marks the end of summer. Vacation mode is over and it is time to get back into a healthier groove. Although this wasn’t the typical summer of socializing, back yard barbeques, and relaxing vacations, I suspect that, like me, many of you found it difficult to stay on track with healthy eating and a solid fitness routine. I know with the passing of Labor Day this year, our routines will still not be back to “normal,” but nevertheless it is an ideal time to find our way back to healthier habits. For me, this means getting my diet cleaned up and my body cleaned out.

I have found that the quickest and easiest way to cleanse and rebuild my body is through purification. A purification helps to remove toxins in the body that can build up over time and gets you back on track with a healthy eating program.

On a daily basis, we are exposed to thousands of toxins. There are toxins in the air we breathe, the food we eat, the water we drink, the self-care products we use, and the materials that surround us. Additionally, our bodies make toxins as part of their normal metabolic process. The body can only handle so much and when toxins build up they can cause a variety of symptoms.

Signs and symptoms of toxic build-up can include:

Headaches
Stuffy head
Fatigue
Brain fog
Indigestion
Constipation
Low energy or fatigue
Physical aches and pains
Weight gain
Low libido
Increased sensitivity to foods or chemicals

Not only can toxins make you feel miserable, but an accumulation of certain toxins can cause inflammation in the body, can interfere with the body’s endocrine and immune systems, and possibly contribute to cancers and neurodegenerative conditions such as Parkinson’s disease. Toxins can also damage our bones by altering normal bone turnover. The chronic inflammation often created by toxins stimulates osteoclasts, the cells that break down bone, resulting in bone loss.

When the body is functioning optimally and is not overloaded, it is able to prevent a build-up of toxins. Our liver is our primary organ of detoxification. It is responsible for breaking down the toxins so that they can be easily eliminated by the kidneys or intestines through urine and feces. However, if the body is overburdened with toxins or if any one of these organs are not working optimally, elimination is hampered and toxins begin to accumulate.

Interestingly, when overburdened our bodies store toxins in fatty tissue. Storing the toxins in fat protects the organs from their damaging effects. However, it also might make losing fat more difficult because the body doesn’t want to release the toxins and have them circulate throughout the body. Additionally, when released, the toxins can interfere with your metabolism, making it even harder to lose weight. A purification program that slowly allows your body to eliminate toxins may help you better achieve your weight loss goals.

The purification program I recommend is from a nutraceutical company called Standard Process. The Standard Processes Purification Program is not a super restrictive, harsh detoxification but instead supports your body’s natural detoxification process through food and nutrients. It focuses on providing your liver, kidneys, and intestines with the essential raw materials needed to assist in the natural process of toxin elimination. Our organs of detoxification thrive on the fiber, phytonutrients, vitamins, and minerals provided by the foods and supplements in this purification program. By supporting and boosting the function of these organs naturally, you can also prevent the metabolic dysfunction associated with toxin release.

Patients who have done the 21 Day Standard Process Purification Program routinely lose weight, and report having a surge in energy, mental sharpness, improved sleep, decreased cravings, and abundant vitality!

Ready to put your summer indulgences behind you and revitalize your health this fall?

Join me in a 21-day purification! Yes, I will be doing the purification alongside you and giving you support and guidance every step of the way.

Send me an email to let me know you are interested. I want to keep the group small so I can extend personalized attention…so space will be limited.

Not sure if you need a purification? Take the following Toxicity Questionnaire to see how you score.

https://www.standardprocess.com/Standard-Process/Purification-Program/Toxicity

September is the perfect time to cleanse your body and reset your eating habits to keep you healthy through the fall and for the long hall!

Let me know by Friday at noon if you would like to join the purification party!

Susan Brady
is a Physical Therapist,
Nutrition Consultant and
Doctor of Integrative Medicine.
She has been treating women with osteoporosis for over 30 years and is dedicated to helping people achieve
lasting good health and vitality.

Want to learn more about how you can improve your bone health? Contact me for a free 15 minute phone consult to learn more about the BONES Method™ and how it can help you achieve strong, healthy bones for life!

Strengthen Your Glutes for Stronger Bones: Why Your Butt Matters for Bone Health

by Susan Brady | Sep 2, 2020 | Exercise, Healthy aging

If you’re like many people, you’ve been sitting more than ever over the past few months. But did you know that long hours of sitting can increase your risk for cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and even certain cancers?

Even more surprising—it can lead to a condition called “Dead Butt Syndrome” (Gluteal Amnesia). No joke!

Sitting all day shuts down your glute muscles, causing them to weaken and forget their function—which includes:

Generating powerful movement
Providing stability
Maintaining proper body alignment

Humans weren’t designed to sit all day—and when we do, our glutes become inactive, leading to:

Poor movement patterns
Joint and lower back pain
Balance instability, increasing the risk of falls and fractures

Dead Butt Syndrome Can Lead to Pain & Injury

Your gluteal muscles are the largest and strongest muscle group in your body, consisting of:

Gluteus Maximus – The largest and most powerful muscle, responsible for hip extension and force generation.
Gluteus Medius & Gluteus Minimus – Smaller but essential muscles for hip stability, movement, and balance.

When your glutes are weak or inactive, other muscles compensate—like your hamstrings, quadriceps, and hip flexors—causing:

Muscle imbalances

Increased strain on the lower back and joints
Pain in the hips, knees, ankles, and even feet
Tight hip flexors and sciatica
Poor balance putting you at higher risk for falls and fractures

A weak gluteus medius is often the primary cause of Dead Butt Syndrome, leading to chronic pain and movement issues.

Test Yourself: Do You Have Dead Butt Syndrome?

A simple way to check for weak glutes is the Trendelenburg Test:

Stand in front of a mirror with feet hip-width apart and hands on your hips.
Lift one foot off the ground so you’re standing on one leg.
Watch your hips:
- Do they stay level? Good glute strength!
- Does one side drop or shift? Signs of weak glutes!

If your hips shift or drop, your glutes may be weak or inactive, increasing your risk for injury, pain, and mobility issues.

Positive Trendelenberg
Sign of Weak Gluteal Muscles

Negative Trendelenberg
Sign of Adequate Gluteal Muscles

Overcoming Dead Butt Syndrome

Since weak glutes may not automatically activate during movement, it’s important to consciously engage them when strengthening:

Think: Focus on your glutes during each exercise.
See: Watch in a mirror to ensure proper movement patterns.
Feel: Physically contract your glutes to enhance activation.

Once your glutes are “turned on” again, they will automatically engage whenever needed, improving stability, balance, and movement efficiency.

Simple Habit to Keep Your Glutes Activated

A quick way to prevent Dead Butt Syndrome is to set a timer on your phone as a reminder to:

Squeeze your glutes 20 times every hour.
Get up and walk around.
Climb a flight of stairs.
Perform chair squats.

The Bottom Line: Sitting Too Much Hurts Your Health

Prolonged sitting negatively affects your muscles, bones, circulation, and overall health. The best solution? Get up and move!

If you have joint pain, a recent injury, poor balance, or don’t know where to start, I can help.

Contact me today to create a personalized exercise plan that safely and effectively strengthens your glutes, improves stability, and reduces pain. Let’s get you moving the right way!

Susan Brady
is a Physical Therapist,
Nutrition Consultant and
Doctor of Integrative Medicine.
She has been treating women with osteoporosis for over 30 years and is dedicated to helping people achieve
lasting good health and vitality.

Want to learn more about how you can improve your bone health? Contact me for a free 15 minute phone consult to learn more about the BONES Method™ and how it can help you achieve strong, healthy bones for life!

Catch of the Day: Be sure the fish you’re eating is healthy

by Susan Brady | Aug 26, 2020 | Nutrition

Fish is one of the healthiest foods we can eat. It is an excellent source of protein, it is packed with the anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids, and chocked full of many important vitamins and minerals needed to build a healthy body and stronger bones. However, there are some concerns about eating fish. The rising levels of contaminants such as mercury and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in our waterways end up in our fish and can have adverse effects on our health when eaten. The advent of fish farming led to fish being raised in unhealthy environments and fed an unnatural diet that affects the nutrient quality of fish. There is also growing concern about the environmental sustainability of how seafood is caught and produced. That’s why it is important to know where your fish is coming from, which fish provide the healthiest and safest sources of nutrients and which fish to avoid.

Tying all the pieces together, when choosing what fish to dine on select fish that is:

High in omega-3 fatty acids
Low in mercury and other contaminants
Sustainably sourced

With all that in mind, here are my top choices:

Salmon. Salmon is a fish favorite for many. It is not only high in omega-3 fatty acids, but is also an excellent source of vitamin B12, vitamin D, and selenium. Additionally, it has been found to contain beneficial bioactive peptides. These peptides are protein fragments that can protect joint cartilage, improve insulin sensitivity, and help control inflammation. Most of the salmon consumed in this country is farm-raised. The controversy about eating farmed versus wild salmon is too complex for me to address here. However, the quality of farming of salmon is improving and farmed fish are being fed healthier diets in an effort to improve their nutritional profiles. When choosing salmon, wild salmon should always be your first choice with farmed salmon as a good alternative. When purchasing farm fish, look for the Aquaculture Stewardship Council Certified label which ensures that the fish farms adhere to specific requirements for feed and the clean sea bed. Canned salmon is also a very affordable way to get more salmon into your diet and one of the best sources of non-dairy calcium.
Atlantic Mackerel. Right up there with the health benefits of salmon is Atlantic mackerel, another fish rich in omega 3 fatty acids, B vitamins, selenium, and vitamin D. Mackerel is also a good source of magnesium, potassium, and zinc. However, don’t confuse Atlantic Mackerel with King Mackerel or Spanish Mackerel which is high in mercury and should be avoided. I often enjoy smoked mackerel on toast with a creamy nut spread as a quick lunch.
Skipjack Tuna. Most tuna is high in mercury, however, Skipjack tuna tends to be lower in mercury, while still providing many nutritional benefits. Besides being a great source of protein and B vitamins, tuna also has a novel selenium-containing compound called selenoneine. Selenoneine acts as an anti-oxidant and may actually protect against mercury toxicity. Wild Planet offers the first sustainably caught skipjack tuna on the market, perfect for adding a punch of protein and nutrients to your salad.
Rainbow trout. Rainbow trout is another excellent fish option due to its high omega 3 fatty acid content and low levels of mercury. It is also a rich source of potassium and phosphorus, both important to bone health, as well as several B vitamins and selenium. Rainbow trout are mostly farmed in this country, but using methods that have a minimal environmental impact and the industry follows best practices to minimize disease.
Sardines. Sardines may not be your first choice of fish, but they provide an abundance of nutrition. They are rich in protein and omega 3 fatty acids, lots of essential vitamins and minerals and are a great source of calcium. I enjoy making a sardine salad, just like you would make a tuna salad, and add it to my lunchtime salad.

Fish to avoid due to the highest levels of contaminants and overfishing

King Mackerel
Marlin
Orange Roughy
Shark
Swordfish
Tilefish
Big Eye Tuna
Bluefin Tuna
Atlantic Cod
Chilean Seabass
Flounder
Grouper

Honorable mention: Tilapia is one of the most commonly consumed types of fish in the United States. However, Tilapia’s skewed omega fat profile and reports around questionable farming practices is raising concerns. Unlike the fish listed above that are high in omega 3 fatty acids, Tilapia’s fat profile contains more omega 6 fatty acids and fewer omega 3s. Excess omega-6 fatty acids in our diet can trigger inflammation, as opposed to omega-3 fatty acids which can reduce inflammation. Another problematic issue with tilapia is how it is produced. Reports from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have revealed some concerning details about tilapia farming practices, especially tilapia farmed in China resulting in the presence of antibiotics and high levels of contaminants. For this reason, if you are considering purchasing tilapia, the best sources include fish from the United States, Canada, the Netherlands, Ecuador, and Peru.

When shopping keep an eye out for the following labels:

When purchasing farm fish, look for the Aquaculture Stewardship Council Certified label which ensures that the fish farms adhere to specific requirements for feed and for clean sea bed:

When purchasing fish, look for The Marine Stewardship Council blue sticker which certifies the fish was caught using sustainable fishing practices.

You can also use the handy seafood guide from Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch to find more sustainable choices.

No food is perfect. All food contains varying amounts of contaminants, pesticides, herbicides as well as varying amounts of nutrients. That is why it is best to eat a varied diet to ensure you are not only getting a wide variety of nutrients but also to ensure an excess of any potential contaminants.

Susan Brady
is a Physical Therapist,
Nutrition Consultant and
Doctor of Integrative Medicine.
She has been treating women with osteoporosis for over 30 years and is dedicated to helping people achieve
lasting good health and vitality.

Want to learn more about how you can improve your bone health? Contact me for a free 15 minute phone consult to learn more about the BONES Method™ and how it can help you achieve strong, healthy bones for life!

Intermittent Fasting: Is it right for you?

by Susan Brady | Aug 19, 2020 | Nutrition

Two weeks ago, in my Breakfast Makeover blog, I suggested that it was not “when” you broke your overnight fast that was important but “how.” Several wrote to me asking about my “take” on Intermittent Fasting. So, I am going to give you some insight on intermittent fasting, its potential health benefits, whether or not its right for you and how to get started.

Intermittent fasting is a pattern of eating which includes cycles of fasting and feeding.

It differs from what you typically think of as fasting where you go numerous days refraining from food. In intermittent fasting, there are certain hours during the day when you eat and certain hours when you refrain from consuming any food, or fasting.

For example, many will stop eating immediately after dinner and then won’t eat again until late the next morning, fasting for 14-16 hours.

How does intermittent fasting work?

At its very core, intermittent fasting gives your body a break from digesting and absorbing food and allows the body ample time to repair and rejuvenate. This happens through a process called autophagy. Autophagy literally means the consumption of the body’s own tissue. It is the body’s way of cleaning out old, damaged cells so it can rejuvenate itself with newer, healthier cells.

I like to use the analogy of changing your engine oil in your car. If you don’t change your car’s motor oil on a regular basis, over time the oil breaks down and accumulates contaminants, leaving your car’s engine at risk of overheating and failing.

Autophagy is one of the most important bodily functions for rejuvenating our cells and promoting health and longevity. However, when we are eating every 2-3 hours, our body is constantly putting time and energy into digesting food instead of cleaning our body. So, giving our body a break from digestion and allowing it to undergo autophagy is crucial for our health.

Intermittent fasting is one of the most effective ways of achieving autophagy. During your period of fasting, the body takes a break from digestion and goes into starvation mode. I understand that the word “starvation” has a negative connotation, representing a bad feeling that needs to be immediately fixed because we fear being hungry. However, to achieve true autophagy, you need to reach starvation mode. Once you achieve starvation mode, your body can stop being consumed with digestion and focus on replenishing and rejuvenating your body. In a society with an abundance of food, a healthy period of starvation is nothing to fear.

The Benefits of Intermittent Fasting

Here are several reported health benefits of achieving autophagy through intermittent fasting:

Aids in weight loss because it gives your body the opportunity to burn stored fat
Can help to lower cholesterol and blood pressure and improve blood sugar control
Improves the efficiency of the immune system by cleaning out toxins and enhancing the cells ability to protect against incoming microbes
Helps to reduce the risk of neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease
May help to prevent cancer by slowing tumor growth
Improves body composition by reducing fat and increasing muscle mass

All of these benefits undoubtedly will also contribute to healthy aging and longevity.

Different Methods of Intermittent Fasting

There are a couple of different protocols for implementing an intermittent fast:

Daily intermittent fasting where you follow the Leangains method, also known as the 16/8 intermittent fasting protocol. This method has you fasting for 16 hours and eating all your meals during an 8-hour window. When following this protocol, most people choose to fast from 7-8 pm in the evening after consuming dinner until 11-12 the next day.
Alternate day fasting where you alternate “fast” days and “eating” days. With this protocol, you can choose to completely abstain from eating food on the fasting days or consume a single low-calorie meal once a day.
Fasting 2 days a week is another option. On fasting days you eat 500-600 calories and the other 5 days you eat a normal diet.

Is Intermittent Fasting right for you?

Intermittent fasting appears to be safe and effective for most people. However, if you are underweight, have unstable blood sugars (hyper or hypoglycemia), low blood pressure, are prone to eating disorders, or have recently undergone surgery, intermittent fasting might not be appropriate for you. Fasting does stress the body, so it also may not be beneficial for those who are already dealing with significant stressors, such as an illness. Although intermittent fasting can be beneficial for diabetics, please find a qualified health care practitioner that can guide you through the process. I also do not recommend intermittent fasting for women with osteoporosis who are underweight.

How to get started

First and foremost, if you decide to try intermittent fasting, keep in mind that maintaining a good diet is crucial. You can’t binge on junk food during the eating periods and expect to gain the benefits of fasting and/or boost your health.

I generally recommend you start with the daily fasting method. I find this is the easiest way for most people to faze into fasting and follows our body’s natural daily circadian rhythm. Start by finishing up your dinner by 7 or 8 pm and then not consuming anything but water until 7-8 the next morning. This means once you have finished dinner, the “kitchen is closed” until the next day. No bedtime snacks or nightcaps. From there you can gradually extend your fasting period until later in the morning. Lengthening your fasting intervals over a week or more will help you to adjust and accept the feelings of hunger and make intermittent fasting more sustainable. You should expect to feel hungry, and that is OK! Remember the goal is to go into a brief period of starvation.

Consuming non-caloric beverages throughout the morning can help stop the pangs of hunger. However, adding sugar or cream to your morning hot beverage will cause you to break your fast. If you are thinking no way can I go without consuming my morning Latte or Cappuccino, believe it or not, intermittent fasting will help you curb cravings for these beverages and other nutrient-poor foods and reduce hunger over time.

I am also not a fan of using artificial sweeteners. Even though they have no calories and won’t break your fast, they are linked to a variety of health issues. If you need to sweeten your morning beverage you can use a naturally occurring non-caloric sweetener like stevia or Monkfruit.

Exercising in the morning during the fasting period can also help to curb hunger and can actually increase your body’s rate of fat burning.

Once you get accustomed to fasting, you can experiment with the other types of intermittent fasting to see if they are better suited to your lifestyle.

Signs that intermittent fasting isn’t for you

Intermittent fasting isn’t right for everyone. If while following an intermittent eating protocol you find that you aren’t sleeping well, have fatigue or low endurance, feel more stressed and anxious, or experiencing hair loss, then intermittent fasting isn’t benefiting you. Everyone needs to listen to their bodies and find an eating approach that works and is sustainable for them.

Lastly, whenever you are looking to make changes to your dietary or exercise routine, it is best to seek guidance from a qualified healthcare professional.

Susan Brady
is a Physical Therapist,
Nutrition Consultant and
Doctor of Integrative Medicine.
She has been treating women with osteoporosis for over 30 years and is dedicated to helping people achieve
lasting good health and vitality.

Want to learn more about how you can improve your bone health? Contact me for a free 15 minute phone consult to learn more about the BONES Method™ and how it can help you achieve strong, healthy bones for life!

Astronauts and Aging: What do they have in common?

by Susan Brady | Aug 12, 2020 | Healthy aging

In a historic mission, SpaceX has safely sent NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley to the International Space Station (ISS) and safely returned them home again. This is the first time since 2011 that the US has sent astronauts into space on an American rocket. We are all aware of the perils of space travel, sending men and women to space and returning them safely is no easy feat. However, keeping them healthy and fit during an extended space mission can also be tricky. As many of us know, just staying fit and healthy here on earth, especially as we advance in age, is a challenge.

In the absence of gravity, astronauts lose bone and muscle mass at an accelerated rate. It is likely that the two Space Dads, Bob and Doug, lost 3% of their bone density and 20% or more of their muscle mass during their 3 months on the ISS. Here on earth, a similar thing happens as we age, but at a much slower pace. After age 30, you begin to lose as much as 3%-5% of muscle per decade. That can add up to 20% loss in muscle mass by the time you are 70 years old. This same rate of loss can occur in our bones as well, leaving them weak and fragile and susceptible to fractures.

Maintaining and optimizing muscle mass in our astronauts and ourselves as we age impacts health far beyond mobility. Muscle is metabolically active tissue, meaning that it produces proteins and chemicals that interact and influence other cells in our body. Besides moving our limbs, lean muscle mass is critical for maintaining proper weight, controlling blood sugars, managing cholesterol and lipid levels, regulating inflammation, helping to recover from illness, and preventing so many of our age-related diseases. In fact, low muscle mass is associated with an increase in all causes of mortality. Simply put, the more muscle you have, the less risk you will have from dying of chronic disease, the healthier you will be and, potentially, the longer you will live.

Fortunately for Bob and Doug and the rest of us, there is a thing called exercise!

Exercise, particularly restive exercise, is critical to maintaining muscle and bone mass both in space and here on earth. Bob and Doug spent 2 ½ hours a day, 6 days a week, exercising while on the ISS. To help mitigate the effects of gravity on muscle, they use a specialized machine called an Advanced Resistive Exercise Device (ARED). The ARED has the capability to exercise all of the major muscle groups, focusing on squats, deadlifts, and bench presses to help the astronauts maintain their strength. They also have a modified treadmill which generates a force on the legs to get the impact loading that is so important for bone health. Since the addition of this equipment to the space station, our astronauts are coming back healthier than ever!

Upon return, the conditioning doesn’t stop. Bob and Doug will spend two hours every day for roughly the next 45 days with strength and conditioning specialists. Their program consists of stretching, aerobic exercise, strength training, and agility drills to get them back to the physical condition they had pre-flight.

You can see that NASA takes exercise very seriously and to optimize our health we should too. Although you don’t need to carve out 2 hours a day to exercise, you do need to spend a couple of hours a week prioritizing exercises that will boost your muscle mass. Walking, biking, and other “cardio” exercises are important, but to build and maintain muscle mass, you need to directly challenge your muscles. Resistive training, whether through weight lifting, bodyweight exercises, or use of resistance bands, is a critical component of any exercise program.

Most of us begrudgingly do our daily exercise with the focus of losing fat. But the truth is that we should actually be exercising to optimize muscle. How much muscle you have is much more important when it comes to enhancing health, vitality, and longevity.

To learn more about Click Here to Learn about 5 Reasons Why Muscle Mass Benefits Health Aging.

Susan Brady
is a Physical Therapist,
Nutrition Consultant and
Doctor of Integrative Medicine.
She has been treating women with osteoporosis for over 30 years and is dedicated to helping people achieve
lasting good health and vitality.

Want to learn more about how you can improve your bone health? Contact me for a free 15 minute phone consult to learn more about the BONES Method™ and how it can help you achieve strong, healthy bones for life!