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Innocent Choga Fitness
When we think of fitness we tend to think of the flesh and the organs first; but it is paramount to consider the skeletal structure first, considering its role as the foundation of the body and protector of the organs.

Diseases like arthritis and bone abnormalities are causes of poor postural alignment. Poor postural alignment can affect not only the spine but organs such as the eyes, heart, kidneys and lungs. It also hinders body movements and use of energy.

We have discussed the importance of maintaining a good posture for body alignment, the importance of balancing the strength of the muscles from all angles around the spine, the importance of balancing the strength of the upper body and lower body .

We also talked of how obesity misaligns the body by weighing down and increasing the wear and tear of the skeletal structure. Apparently bad diets also speed up the degeneration process of the skeletal structure, thereby causing misalignments.

This week I consulted Mac Mucadam of Health and All, an expert in nutrition, herbal, health and fitness issues to discuss the importance of nutrition in body alignment. He advised that nutrition is the most important aspect to be considered in the health and fitness of the skeletal lumber or in simple language the spine .

In the development of a foetus after conception the first thing to develop is the skeleton; the head and the spine. The first gynaecological reference, after the clot, is known as the pole (the spine and the bones) .

At that stage it is crucial that the mother has adequate calcium. In today’s world we do not eat foods with adequate calcium and magnesium for bone development. Traditionally women were encouraged to eat mawuyu for skeletal development because of its calcium content.

We also eat foods that are toxic and cause a buildup of uric acid which causes the drying up of synovial fluid, the fluid that lubricates the joints. This causes bone narrowing meaning that the space in between each vertebra, which is usually occupied by fluid is becoming narrower because of less fluid .

The Uric acid also erodes the cartilage bones. When the fluid is being depleted the joints become closer. Eventually the bones will touch resulting in friction .This happens not only in the spine but in all the joints, in the wrists, knees, the ankles and in the foot.

The synovial fluid is needed to maintain sufficient fluid and lubrication in the joints. It is made up of omega fats which we get from fish, nuts, pumpkin seeds and mazondo. For a person with misalignment or narrowing of the bones the Orthopaedics would probably suggest a metal plate with screws to maintain the space in between the parts of the spine.

Mawuyu has been proven over and over again to be the best known scientifically proven source of what is known as bio-available calcium and vitamin C. This means most of it properly absorbed and metabolised by the human body and not just passing through the digestive system. Proof of this is that no animal suffers from arthritis .Animals are superior when it comes to nutrition and looking after themselves. Ever seen an elephant with hip problems?

The lumber section of the skeletal structure houses the complexity of the nervous system; the spinal cord and its collection of nerves that resemble the thousands of internet fibre optic cables. The function of the nerves, however, is more advanced than that of the fibre optic cables.

Therefore the nutritional requirement of the nervous system is complex and is of paramount importance. It consists of is the omega fats fish oils and plant oils together with vitamin B complex.

Many of us are familiar with doctors’ prescriptions of B vitamins, B 6 or B12 injection for various ailments and this is proof that from early childhood we eat diets that leave us deficient in B vitamins. By the time we reach 20, 30 years old we are deficient in B vitamins but that deficiency is not something that suddenly appears. It comes as a result of bad diets from babyhood and childhood. Having a B 12 injection in not going to meet our entire B vitamin requirement. The B vitamins are a huge family of vitamins such as B1, B2, B3, B6, B12, niacin, nicotinamide and many others .

These vitamins are interdependent ; in order for one to work the others have to be present and our nervous system is highly dependent on them. So should a person have some type of spine problem misalignment or narrowing of the joints the bones can’t be looked at in isolation. There must be looked at as an entity that incorporates the nervous system so nutrition for the bones is needed as much as nutrition for the nervous system is needed.

It is my opinion that there is need to be holistic, that is, looking at the whole person and the entire history. When a person has a back problem now at the age of 30, 40 or 50 the diet from childhood, his occupation and activities need to be looked at .

The cause could be nutritional deficiencies that may have accumulated over the last 30 year .That back ache that he/she is feeling on that occasion could be merely a manifestation of many years of nutritional deficiency.

A pain-killer will make you quiet for a period until you take the next dose. Dosages of pressed plant or fish oil may save one from hip replacement or knee replacement.

Once again apart from individuals affected by birth defects and trauma, the choice is up to an individual to go for the metal disks or choose good nutrition and exercise to maintain bone density and skeletal alignment.

 Innocent Choga is a six time National Bodybuilding Champion with international experience. He is studying for a science degree in Physical Education and Sport