Hi decoders,
We had an event in the company where we invited massage therapist to massage the employees. When it was my turn, the therapist grabbed my hand and rotated my arm with a 90-degree angle from my elbow to my shoulder. To my surprise, the therapist said you lack calcium in your bones; your joints are not well lubricated. I asked the basis for his accusations, he rotated it again; it made a faint sound like a snapping of a wooden stick. He said, “Did you hear that?” I said, “Yes”. He said “So that answers your question”.
First, I asked if it is bad. He said, “of course it is”. My next question was “Will I live?” He nodded. I asked again “will I live long?”. He said, “it depends, it’s not for me to tell whether you live or die, I just know its not fatal”. Contented with his answer I smiled and popped another question “Will I live comfortably?”
He said, to be honest, it’s like running a machine that isn’t well oiled. I was so surprised to know that I still lack calcium even though I drink almost half a litter of yogurt daily, I even eat yogurt during snack time.
I did an initial research about the benefits of eating yogurt. Besides the live microorganisms that helps the digestive system and protects the body from bad bacteria, yogurt is a good source of calcium without the lactose that causes diarrhea to people who are lactose intolerant. Ergo, it’s a good source of calcium without the side effects that milk gives. Could it be that yogurt has betrayed me? So does it also mean that the live microorganism theory is also not true? I must get to the bottom of this. By cause and effect, more calcium in-take means more calcium inside the body, right? The funny thing is it doesn’t work that way. I forgot about calcium absorption. Non absorption means it becomes waste material flushed out of the body.
So as a logical person, my first step was to stop, think, and Google.
Of course, the all-knowing Google always has something to say. According to Google’s results there are various factors that contribute to calcium absorption. It’s one thing having the raw materials, it’s another to turn it into a building. So in order to build the calcium building, my sources (Actually it just Google) tells me that I need to follow this equation
Calcium Absorption = Vitamin D (the SUN) – Whole grains – Sugar – Sodium – Coffee + exercise + fruits (for minerals) + magnesium – Smoke – Eggs.
I have no problems with the smoking, since I really don’t smoke. But all the other stuffs require extra discipline. Well, actually I’m just confused because in the process of being calcium sufficient I might become protein insufficient. Balancing everything seems so complicated, so I guess I’ll just eat more natural unprocessed food since those are our natural food as human beings.
~ Nobody
Hello Nobody (what a good irony)! I was really amused by your entry. The middle part caught up and disturbed me. It’s not that I take in yogurt like vitamins and would be really at a loss learning it doesn’t work. Oh by the way, there’s a recent study suggesting that vitamin supplements don’t really impact the body as claimed. Hmmmm, I’d like to Google up an answer to that.
It’s just that it would be quite a disappointment if one of the more established if not “factual” institutions in healthy living crumbled. Say for example if someone were to say and prove that exercise didn’t really work (and that would be a crushing crumble). But thank God exercise works and as you pointed out, if we flank it with other substances and good ol discipline, we might manage to make our time spent on Earth a bit longer and more productive. =)
On a last note, I will like to explain why I was amused more than educated or informed by your entry. You make a good narrator Nobody (a good irony) and I enjoyed reading your story. In fact, I think I will go get some massage but not have to pursue a conversation next time. The idea that they can actually detect something’s wrong with you creeps to memory. They’re good….
hi absolute searcher,
Thanks for the reply. Every now and then there are recent developments and retractions from the medical field. Years ago, we thought that margarine is better than butter, but just recently they say that margarine is similar to plastic and that we shouldn’t eat it. Last march 2007; Reader’s digest published an article about the dangers of anti-oxidants. I don’t know really if the stories are true. Even the ratio of the protein (in grams) over your weight (in pounds) continuously changes. We know that over dose of protein in the body causes both fatal and non-fatal problems, so if the ratio keeps on changing how do we know if we are over doing it? New developments are always risky since they don’t have 100 years of data to prove that it is indeed safe and has no side effects. The best foods for me are the natural ones since it has been the normal human diet since the very first human being. I’d always go for fruits and veggies =)
exactly the point. going green has never sounded so appealing.
oh and some say that not having enough protein (and carbs no less) can just ruin everything especially if one is in a weight-loss program. so your question is valid, how do we know when we have enough? i guess let’s not try to overcompensate too much and keep a balance as long as we can. that way, we enjoy few amounts of what we thought we had to give up and enjoy new ones.