As you know, I've traveled the world in search of the finest joint-supporting nutrients in their most potent natural forms. But it's important to remember that supplements are not the total picture when it comes to joint health. You need a complete program of exercise, diet and lifestyle changes that will help ensure the health of your joints for many years to come.

Eat Your Way to Better Joint Health

I’ve often thought our joints should come with an owner’s manual. Like the moving parts on a car, they need care and maintenance—and one of the biggest ways we can help our joints is with what we eat.

In fact, I’m convinced that many of the dramatic changes in our diet in the last century have contributed to our joint mobility problems. So here are some “old fashioned” recipes that can help bring back joint health.

Simmer Up a Joint-Boosting Broth

In earlier days, our diets routinely contained bone broths. I don’t think I had a Thanksgiving as a child where Mom didn’t boil the left-over carcass of the turkey to make soup.

Place the bones and eggshells with water in a pot—and add a couple of tablespoons of one of the following per quart of water: apple cider vinegar, red or white wine vinegar, or lemon juice. Gently stir and then let it sit for about 30 minutes to let the acid go to work.

After 30 minutes, bring the pot to a boil, then cover and simmer for 4 to 6 hours for fish, 6 to 8 hours for poultry, and 12 to 18 hours for beef, lamb, or pork. Keep a lid on the pot, and add water when necessary. Once it’s done, you can strain it immediately and sip it as a soup (but don’t reheat the broth in a microwave—certain amino acids may become toxic if microwaved).

Juice Your Joints

“Live” juices help rebuild the body and the joints—and all you need is a juicer to make them. I suggest alternating between these two combinations: carrot & celery juice one day (8 oz of each), followed the next day by 10 oz carrot and 6 oz spinach juice. Make them fresh every day and consume immediately.

Carrot juice is loaded with zinc, vitamin E, copper, and beta carotene. Celery provides potassium and sodium, and it has an alkalinizing effect on the body. An alkaline diet supports joint healing.

Hydrate Your Joints with Pure H₂O

To stay fully functional, joint cartilage has to be fully hydrated. As children, our cartilage was made up of almost 85 percent water, but as we get older that usually drops to 75 percent—and even lower if we don’t drink enough water. Lots of water translates into more resilient joints.

I recommend drinking at least eight, 8-ounce glasses of pure, clean water. And avoid sodas and other carbonated beverages that can leach minerals from your bones.

Move Your Way to Healthier, More Flexible Joints

Many people have the mistaken notion that they’re going to “save” their joints by not moving them.  But the truth is healthy joints need movement.  In fact, they thrive on it! 

To understand why, think of your joints as movable “hinges” where your bones connect.  Inside your joints is cartilage, which you can think of as a sponge.  The cartilage is surrounded by a liquid, called the synovial fluid.  Every time you move, you’re drawing nutrients into your joints—and releasing waste.  Both of which are critical to healthy joints.

Joint health is a clear case of “use it or lose it”—and here are some easy ways to get moving.

Give Shoulder Pain the Shrug Off

One of the more common areas for joint problems is the shoulder. As people become more sedentary, they often don’t perform the motions that require raising the hands and arms above the head. This lack of movement means that these joints won’t get the opportunity to receive needed nutrients, and release waste, like they should.

Then, I continue down into the shoulders, pushing them as far back as possible, then as far forward, and then rotating them in circles. I also stretch my arms up above my head—as far as I can without discomfort.  These exercises help to keep your shoulder joints flexible and healthy.

Avoid Weak Knees

Knees are often our "weak links" when it comes to joints because they carry much of the weight and do so much of the work! "Knee strengthening" is really quadriceps strengthening—that's the large muscle group that runs down the front of your thigh. Remember, your joints are no stronger than the muscles and ligaments that support them.

Here’s how to strengthen your knees:

• Sit in a chair with your back straight and butt tucked into the back of the chair. Place a towel under your knees for support, and slowly lift one leg to a horizontal position. Pause, holding the position for a count of three, then slowly lower your leg to the starting position. Then, repeat with your other leg.  Work up to eight to 10 knee extensions per leg.
  
  
• Sit on a high table or workbench, with your legs dangling. Suspend weights from your ankles, using a small bucket, purse or any pouch with a strap (start with two to five pounds). Lift the weight up while extending your knee as far as you can and hold steady for a few seconds. Then slowly lower the leg until your knee is again at a 90-degree angle. Repeat 10–15 times, progressively increasing both the weight and number of reps.

Harness the Healing Power of Water

When it comes to your joints, don’t underestimate the power of water.  I usually start my stretching exercises during my morning shower.  Joints and muscles tend to wake up stiff, and the warmth of the shower helps to make your whole body easier to move.

Going to the pool—better yet, the indoor heated pool—is also an excellent way to exercise your joints.  The buoyancy of the water takes pressure off your joints.  If you don’t like swimming try water walking, and don’t forget to move your arms too.

If pain is keeping you from getting moving, or if you find your joints hurting from overexertion, you might want to try a pain relief cream for quick, on-the-spot relief.  You want to look for one that contains an all-natural pain reliever like capsaicin or menthol.

There’s no question that exercise is critical to healthy joints.  Move them now, so you can keep moving them for years to come.

Nutrients for Strong, Healthy Joints

Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs)

In simple terms, GAGs are the sugar molecules used by your body to build up the cartilage in your joints. I’m convinced that there are three joint-building GAGs that are the most powerful and effective.

• Glucosamine is probably the most researched and talked about nutrient for healthy joints. It plays a critical role in helping to build cartilage and maintain normal, comfortable joint space. I recommend 1,500 mg daily, the full research dosage.

• Natural Eggshell Membrane (NEM) is a new discovery for joints. This rare find contains glucosamine, chondroitin sulfate, hyaluronic acid, and collagen. These are all known components of healthy cartilage.  NEM is also being researched for what it does to help everyday joint pain. In fact, several pilot studies suggest that 500 mg daily of NEM helps relieve discomfort and stiffness.

• Bovine Cartilage is one of my long-standing recommendations for healthy joints. In its most natural state, this substance is made up of collagen and hundreds of sulfates, which are critical components of healthy cartilage. I recommend 100 mg daily of high-quality bovine cartilage for healthy joints.

Bromelain

Traditional herbalists use this natural pineapple enzyme to relieve everyday aches and pains. Bromelain also helps digestion, which in turn helps nutrients such as glucosamine and bovine cartilage penetrate deep into the joints of your elbows, knees, and shoulders. One study took a look at bromelain for managing everyday knee pain and saw promising results—improved function and reduced stiffness. Take 400 mg daily.

Boswellia Extract

A recent trial suggests that 400 mg of boswellic acids help relieve everyday joint pain and discomfort. The acids are what make boswellia effective, so you need 615 mg of the extract itself to get the research dosage of 400 mg of boswellic acid.

Australian Herbs

The Australian herbs wild rosella, lemon myrtle, aniseed myrtle, and mountain pepper are not only popular in the Aboriginal diet, but are also used medicinally. As I learned years ago, these indigenous herbs may be part of the reason the Aborigines maintain their agility well into old age.

European Herbs

The traditional healing of the European herbs devil’s claw, white willow, yucca, feverfew, celery seed, and papaya can be traced back to sixteenth century England. All provide free-radical fighting power for your entire body.

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