You & Your Bones: Preventing Osteoporosis With Diabetes

Kevin Ellis

Dr. Beverly, thank you so much for the introduction. I’m glad to be here, and I’m looking forward to this.

Beverly Yates, ND

Would you please give our audience a thumbnail background overview of yourself and your expertise because you have such a personal relationship with all of this?

Kevin Ellis

My background with osteoporosis all started with my issues, with my health, and with bone loss at a much younger age. I had high stress, poor sleep, chronic digestive issues diagnosed with celiac disease, and malabsorbing nutrients for many years. The malabsorbing nutrients eventually led to bone loss. that bone loss led to osteoporosis and a diagnosis right around 30 years old. I was scared. I was worried. I had no idea what I needed to do. I just lost my father at a young age, and I didn’t want to put my kids in that same position. I did a lot of research and reading, got the right plan in place, built stronger bones, and improved my health. Then I decided I wanted to help a lot of other people with their health. Like a lot of us in the health space, we see a need and decide we want to help other people. That’s the path I went down. At this point today, we have a couple hundred thousand people in our community, thousands of people who have come through our Stronger Bones programs. We’ve got credentialed team members on our team who help people build stronger bones. It’s just been an amazing journey. I love helping people and spreading the message about the importance of bone health. There is a connection between bone health and Type 2 diabetes.

Beverly Yates, ND

Thank you so much for sharing your background with us in that personal part of your journey. It’s so interesting to learn about what attracts us to health and why we care about it. We have it as our career in service of others. what they need. Let’s dive in here. How do Type 2 diabetes issues with prediabetes and blood sugar control impact bone health and potentially contribute to osteoporosis and osteopenia?

Kevin Ellis

There are a few ways. If we’re talking about Type 2 diabetes, that itself can have a direct impact on bone metabolism. But then there could also be certain medications that people are taking to help address Type 2 diabetes. Then it could just be other complications, maybe from falls or things like that. Let’s start with some of the specific impacts of having high levels of blood glucose on an ongoing basis and what that does and can do to your bones. One of the most important things is that it can damage the kidneys. When it damages the kidneys, you can have a much harder time. absorbing calcium. Calcium is the primary mineral constituent of your bones. That’s one of the important ones. High blood sugar also increases inflammation. That’s not going to be good for our bones either, especially in the long term. That can lead to bone loss. It can stimulate the activity level of those cells that break down and reduce our bones. One of the biggest issues with blood sugar is that the sugars can eventually bind to proteins and form what are called AGEs, Advanced Glycation End Products. These deformed proteins are not working like normal proteins. One of the most important things to understand is that your bones are 50% protein by volume. We have to have good-quality protein, and these deformed AGEs proteins can replace that healthy collagen protein in our bone development. That just over time, even if you have what would look like good bone density, you could have poor bone quality, which is the structural integrity of that bone. That’s why it’s not a surprise that we see. We’ve got a meta-analysis showing Type 2 diabetes increases the risk of hip fractures by up to 210% and other fractures by up to 120%. What I was saying there is that it can be misleading because people with Type 2 diabetes can see an increase in their bone density on that DEXA scan. But the DEXA is not showing that bone quality, which could be compromised by what I just talked about above. Those are some of the main connections right there between the two.

Beverly Yates, ND

Thank you for leading off with that. Let’s unpack that some because there are areas where there will be some confusion or people will be like, Wait, what? I thought the DEXA scan was the gold standard for this. It’s almost like it’s a quality versus quantity issue. Think of some other topics, like sleep, etc. We’re talking about bone health. How does someone assess bone quality? Then the next thing I will ask you is, how do they advocate for themselves to be sure they are assessed correctly?

Kevin Ellis

This is an important thing because when most people are told they have issues with their bones or they have osteoporosis, the only piece of information they have at that time is their bone density scan. Now, this is a painless test. It has very low levels of radiation, but when you lay down on a machine, it scans your body and tells you your bone mineral density—the actual mineral content of your bone, so, quantity. What it doesn’t usually tell you is the quality, the structural integrity, the microarchitecture, and how that bone is organized. Those two things combine to create your bone scan. Oftentimes, you only have part of the picture. Now, the way you find out if you have good bone quality or what your bone quality is is to ask for a test called the TBS Trabecular Bone Score. Call the facility ahead of time. Ask them if their bone density scan has this TBS capability and trabecular bone score. It’s an add-on software to DEXA, and it can give you that quality part of the picture. That way, you get quantity and quality at the same time. Another tool that is more prevalent in Europe right now, which is not surprising, but is having a lot harder time here in the U.S. getting a foothold, is called REMS technology, Radiofrequency Echographic Multi Spectrometry technology. This is found in a tool called echolight. The reason they’re having a challenge getting this in the U.S. is they can’t get a code for it, which means if you don’t have a code, the reimbursements are challenged or the doctors aren’t going to be using them in their offices. That’s the biggest challenge right now. The code will probably come, and we may see in a couple of years that this technology is more out there, out there, and more in the U.S. But the reason I like this is that it gives you an ultrasound that tells you your bone density, and your bone quality, and gives you a fragility score that predicts fractures for about five years. It can be a helpful tool that’s noninvasive. Keep your eye out in the next couple of years, because that could be another one that comes out that we see more of.

Beverly Yates, ND

That’s so important. Thank you for sharing that. Here at the summit, we’re giving people a look ahead. We’re also looking at the present moment, like, What can we do right now, wherever you might be around the world? Since this is an international audience, in some places, people will already have access to this REMS technology and other places might be looking for it. If we advocate for it, maybe that will speed up getting the ICD-10 or ICD-9 billing codes for insurance, at least here in the U.S., because without the codes, as you said, if doctors can’t bill for it, they’re not going to do it. That’s just the reality of it. Good to know as we look ahead. While we’re here and we’re trying to assess these things, what is it in particular that patients can do that might help advocate for getting access to this technology if it’s available? If they go to a place locally for them, maybe it’s a medical school or research center, is that a possibility? Would that make sense?

Kevin Ellis

In the U.S. right now, there are only maybe five or six, maybe a handful of places that have this technology. But I just met with some of the people on their team recently. I was listening to the challenges they’re having, and the patients need to be going to their doctors to ask about this. That’s one way that we can get to see more of it here in the U.S. But if you can’t get access to it, you can still get a bone density scan. It still gives you part of the picture. You can still ask for TBS technology. Not all facilities have it, but you can still get that part of the picture if possible. then the other part of the picture would be good. This is a diagnostic test that just about anybody should be able to get from their doctor. It is called the CTX test, or serum CTX. That’s a bone turnover marker test that looks at the activity level of cells that are breaking down bone. If you have Type 2 diabetes and you’re trying to figure out what’s going on with your bones, you can ask your doctor for this test, and you can see that the activity level of your cells that are breaking down bone is high or elevated. If it is, that can be an indicator of active bone loss. We need to go about addressing the underlying issues, which is why you’re here on this summit with Dr. Beverly.

Beverly Yates, ND

Thank you for that. It’s just always helpful for people to understand that they have more options and that the one thing they’ve been told is that a DEXA scan maybe isn’t enough, whether they have a family history of it, are already experiencing the signs and symptoms, or just want to be proactive because one of the things I enjoy about your messaging and the work that you do is that you consistently talk about having an active future. A lot of times, if people are worried about fractures of the bones and things like that, they get less and less active, which is the opposite of what you want to keep your bones healthy.

Kevin Ellis

A lot of times, when people are told they have osteoporosis, the same message they get from their doctor is that they should just do some walking, eliminate all the weights that they’re carrying, only do light things, or don’t even put a backpack over their shoulders. This is what people tell me just about every day. I feel like that is just not the best advice to give in these situations. Your muscles and your bones. They need a stimulus to become stronger. Unless you’re at high risk for fracture, eliminating those weightlifting activities or resistance training is not what you want to do. Your muscles and your bones need different types of stimuli to become stronger. Your bones specifically need muscle to pull on bone so you’ve got this mechanical signal that sends a chemical signal to tell the bones to become stronger. Then you need impact as well. How do you get these forms of exercise where you would do weight-bearing exercise, and that is where your body and your bones work against gravity to keep you upright? There are things you do on your feet. Should you be walking every day? Yes. Should you be walking after your meals? Yes. That’s a great thing to be doing, especially to lower the impact of blood sugar after the meal. But then, you’ll also need that for your bones. This would be hiking, jogging, running, walking, or planting with the kids or the grandkids out in the yard. Could be gardening. It doesn’t necessarily have to be formal exercise, but it could also be yoga, Pilates, tai chi, qigong, or something like that. Another form of exercise is called non-weight-bearing exercise. This is where you’re not providing the stimulus that your bones need to become stronger. This would be like swimming and cycling, maybe swimming more so than cycling. But that’s not to say swimming is bad and you should never do it if you enjoy it; if it makes you happy, keep doing it. But don’t count that as your only form of exercise because you’re not working against gravity. You’re not providing any stimulus there. You need to incorporate this last form of exercise, which is called resistance training and muscle strengthening exercise. That’s where we bring in, maybe it’s barbells or dumbbells, or I like variable resistance bands. Their variable resistance bands or it could be the machines that you use in the gym. Maybe that’s for your comfort level. Using those tools, getting to where you’re doing proper form in a five- to 10-repetition range can be great. Then some of the exercises that I like for muscle and bone are great squats and deadlifts, which are another one. Those sound terrifying. but they don’t have to be. If you go to a personal trainer, you get your body mechanics right. Those can be a great addition. then overhead presses can be another fantastic one as well.

Beverly Yates, ND

That’s so, so great to know. Thank you for figuring that out. When it about this conversation and what will best serve our audience, let’s continue to go down this path. When we think about these management strategies, for both the intersection of osteoporosis and Type 2 diabetes in particular, some things could positively or negatively affect osteoporosis or maybe have a neutral effect. When you talk about things like squats and lifting and all, we know that they’re going to help your blood sugar because active working muscles are blood sugar sponges. This makes sense. It’s also building your bones. This is a powerful combination. You’re getting two beautiful things done at once. The third thing you could add there would be the mental health aspects of things that uplift our mood and make it more likely that we will care for ourselves. I’m wondering if other management strategies can either positively or negatively affect osteoporosis and diabetes concerns.

Kevin Ellis

There are two big ones from a lifestyle perspective, and you and I are very aligned on both of these sleep and stress issues. You’re an expert in helping people improve their sleep and their stress. We both know this plays such an important role. your blood sugar and your bones, too. Sleep is important because that’s the time when your body, your bones, your cells, and your tissues are repairing. You have to be getting good-quality sleep. There’s good documentation that shows that if you don’t get good quality sleep, that will reduce your bone quality. That’s a great starting point. How can you create an evening routine where, within an hour or two before bed, you’re not looking at screens and you’re slowly winding down the day? Maybe you didn’t have a big, big meal.  within a couple of hours of going to bed. Those kinds of things can all help to make sure that you get good quality rest and sleep throughout the night. Another thing is that, and I’ll give you a personal one that I do every night. I use something called Intake, or some people use no strips or breathing strips to breathe through their nose. At night, I use something called Intake, which has no affiliation; I just like this thing. You put these tiny little magnets on the side of your nose, and it opens your nostrils up a little more to help you breathe through your nose better at night. That’s another great one. Then, from a stress perspective, stress hurts our bones as well. We already know that it impacts your blood sugar in a not-so-favorable way. It does the same thing for your bones as well. We need to manage our stress and make sure we are either cultivating a healthy gratitude practice, meditation practice, maybe doing some breath work, or something like that. All those things can help with your stress response. Those are some things that can hurt bone if we’re not doing them correctly. But if we move them in a positive direction, we can have a good impact there. Then, from a downside perspective, we can also talk about medications if you want to go that route.

Beverly Yates, ND

That was my next question for you, because there are some commonalities and some of the osteoporosis and osteopenia drugs terrify people, and they hesitate to use them because of the side effects. When it comes to Type 2 diabetes, there’s just a whole host, but there are usually broad categories of prescription pharmaceuticals that can help with blood sugar. But the bottom line is that people still need to do lifestyle stuff. This is the part where they usually don’t get the support of clarity. They’ll take it away. Talk to us about the medication side of this.

Kevin Ellis

What’s so interesting about what you just said, though? I see this all the time: a lot of times people see the shiny thing, the complementary technology, the single pill, or the superfood, and they think that’s the thing. But the thing is the plan. A lot of times, we just need to start with some of the basic lifestyle stuff or the foundational stuff that you and I talk about all the time. That’s the stuff we need to start with. then we can add in these complementary technologies and extra fancy things later on. That’s just a note—a little note there that I always like to mention. Medications. There are medications for bone health specifically, and there are different categories of these medications. There are anti-resource activities. There are anabolics. To resort to medications that are designed to slow down the activity level of cells that break down bones. Can they do that? Yes, of course they can. But there are risks, side effects, and short- and long-term implications of using these medications. Earlier, we were talking about bone quality. Within anti-resort divs, there are medications called bisphosphonates, Fosamax, Reclast, Actonel, and Boniva. The safety and efficacy of these drugs are not well known beyond five years. As we’re all going about our daily lives, doing activities around the house or doing that great muscle-building exercise that we just talked about, we’re starting to get these tiny little micro-cracks and microfractures in our arm bones. That’s a normal process that happens all the time for all of us. Then what happens is that we have cells within the bone that sense that damage and send out a signal, and these other cells come in and scoop out that damaged bone. We have cells right behind them called osteoblasts that come in and build stronger, healthier new bones. When you’re taking these medications, especially for multiple years, you can slow down that process too much to where you accumulate that old, worn, damaged, weakened bone. As we talked about quality earlier, even if your bone density scan shows it as being higher or stable, the bone may not be stronger or maybe weaker.  That’s an important note that a lot of people just don’t realize. Then, from another perspective, there would be anabolic medications, which are medications that build bone, build better-quality bone, and build it faster. A lot of times, these medicines are recommended for people who have already had a fracture. They have poor-quality bones, and they’ve already fractured, maybe multiple times. This would be Fosteum, Tymlos, and Evenity. Those medications you can only use for a certain period. Then you have to follow it with an anti-resorption medication just to not lose the bone. You just gained. The reason I’m giving you this overview of these medications is that when you’re in a 15-minute conversation, you get told you have osteoporosis in your bones. You’re not getting what I’m teaching you right now. You’re getting to take some calcium, take some vitamin D, and go for a walk. Here’s your bone medication. We’ll see you in two years for a bone density scan. That’s not enough. There’s more that you can do. You have to know that once you commit to one medication, it may not just be one medication; it may be multiple medications for many years or even a lifetime. Just keep that in mind as you’re making your decisions there. That’s on the bone health side. Those are the typical medications that are recommended on the bone health side. Now, if we’re talking about Type 2 diabetes, how do some of the medications impact bone? I’m sure your audience would be interested in things like Metformin and Sulphonylureas because they may slightly decrease fracture risk, TZDs and glitazones may increase fracture risk, and then some of the other GLP-1 medications, such as Ozempic, Wegovy, they can cause a decrease in muscle mass. They can decrease bone density, and that’s going to lead to sarcopenia. Sarcopenia is where we have that loss of muscle mass, strength, and function as we age. We just have to be aware of the impact of some of these things that we’re incorporating into our plan.

Beverly Yates, ND

Kevin, let’s continue talking about these drugs. One of the things that’s so interesting about Type 2 diabetes and pre-diabetes is that a lot of times people resist the idea, at least initially, sometimes of taking a medicine, and they want to do whatever they can on the lifestyle side, but they rarely get the full picture. They don’t know that nutrition, stress, sleep, meal timing, along exercise and strength training—those five steps of the Yates Protocol—are essential to have blood sugar control. All of those things are going to help their bones. Are there any other things they need to look out for in terms of medications—things that both can help with osteoporosis and blood sugar issues, or maybe that could be a confounding factor?

Kevin Ellis

I would say those are the ones we just talk about; those are probably the biggest ones that we would touch on. Another one I would say is that this is an individual situation, but it would be bioidentical hormone replacement therapy and its potential to be incorporated into somebody’s plans. As we talk about bone loss, there’s primary osteoporosis that’s typically related to a decrease in estrogen in postmenopausal women. Estrogen has a protective effect on bone. When that decreases, we can see an increase in the activity level of cells that break down bone. Then there is secondary osteoporosis. That is where bone loss occurs because of medications, diseases, disorders, conditions, all those kinds of things, and even lifestyle factors. All of those things are secondary causes of bone loss and contributors. We already know that Type 2 diabetes can be one of those secondary factors, but we also know that hormones play an important role in this picture too. If there are hormone imbalances or you’re right at the point of menopause or postmenopause, you just have to be aware that a decrease in estrogen is going to sometimes rapidly accelerate bone loss. I’ve seen it. It depends on the individual, too. Some people have a slow taper-off where they have, like, tapered bone loss. Other people have a very precipitous bone loss that happens within a couple of years after menopause. Talk to your physicians about bioidentical hormone replacement therapy. Estrogen can help prevent bone loss, and testosterone, progesterone, and DHEA can help with bone-building.

Beverly Yates, ND

Makes sense. When we’re in our youth, we have an abundance of these things, and we’re building them up. Since a lot of us are living longer, one of my taglines is to live long and live well. This is a way to invite people to have that health span meet the prolonged lifespan that many people are having. People are routinely living through their seventies, eighties, and nineties. If we’re going to make it so that people are happy to be alive and joyful and able to reap the rewards of all the things they did in their younger years, we’re going to have to start changing the conversation right about how all this works. They have to be better informed.

Kevin Ellis

I want to talk, if I could, about people in their younger years, too, because a lot of people are listening; they are mothers or grandmothers, or they have kids or grandkids. This is so important because it is a real passion of mine. I have young kids, too. A real passion of mine is how we can help them create good health and healthy habits from a young age. that they don’t have these conditions or issues as they grow older. Let’s help them build a solid foundation. I’m always about letting’s take care of ourselves first, but once you take care of yourself, you can then become the shepherd for other people in your life. Our kids and our grandkids, specifically when we’re talking about our bone health, are putting on 90% of the bone mass that they have by the time they turn 18. In those years, we need good, solid nutrition. We need to be making good choices. We don’t want to be getting sugary soft drinks. We don’t want to be getting a bunch of candy and stuff like that for the kids. How do we swap those things out for better alternatives? Good, clean water; maybe some kind of electrolyte mix that doesn’t have a bunch of sugars in it. If we’re talking about desserts and stuff for kids instead of giving them popsicles and candy, how about we swap that out for some nice organic berry bowls that they get to build and add a tiny little bit of honey or something like that in there for just a little bit of sweetness? You don’t have to do a lot of that stuff to help them. That’s just a starting point. That’s the easy stuff to start working on. then how do we get them active from a young age? We’re talking about right now how exercise can help with your blood sugar and bone health. That’s what applies to our kids too, and it has an even greater impact on them in their younger years. How do we get them active, doing gymnastics, playing sports, and just supporting them in those activities? Be the model for them.

Beverly Yates, ND

Take care of yourself, give yourself care, and then bring the other generations along with you. I’m totally on board, certainly with how we have raised our children. Our kids are older than yours, and I’m just familiar. I hear you as a fellow parent. What a difference this makes because you set those habits for a lifetime. It’ll just be a lot easier if they’re in place. The good news is that it’s never too late to start. anyone’s listening. If this is not necessarily what’s going on in your household or your family, I invite you to find a way to level up what you’re doing for nutrition because it is so central to so many aspects of health, and I just can’t say enough about that in today’s world where, honestly, Kevin has gotten a little crazy. Like if you say the term grass-fed beef, that phrase, doesn’t that sound weird? Because, like, if you’re telling your grandparents, your great-grandparents, they would look at you like, Well, what do cows eat?

Kevin Ellis

Know that? That’s just beef, and that was just the way that it was. But now we have to distinguish that, right? It’s good. I love now that we have, and we also see a lot more companies that are being more intentional about helping end consumers get better quality stuff. There is a need for it. I love seeing businesses like that thrive. If you have the budget and the opportunity to do so, do it not only for your health but also to support some of these businesses that are trying to help us thrive and get healthier.

Beverly Yates, ND

People’s desire to eat plant-based, which is great. Even there, that’s not simple. It seems simple, but it’s not necessarily. You still have to be aware of the compromises between wheat and soy and how these plants are raised. The herbicides and pesticides are all the toxins that go in there. Poor livers are trying to figure out what to do with all that stuff—our kidneys and intestines. It’s just gotten to be a more complex world. Honestly, that adds to people’s stress because they’re like, read labels, and they’re like, there’s no good choice in the store. It’s interesting. 

Kevin Ellis

I will say because we’re talking about stress, we’ve touched on it. There is one other thing we haven’t talked about that is important to talk about: the connection between gut health and bone health, too.

Beverly Yates, ND

Let’s do it.

Kevin Ellis

Because there is a major connection there. It’s not just a matter of, like we talked about earlier, how if we have damaged kidneys, we have a hard time with minerals like calcium and phosphorus. That can happen a lot when we have issues with blood sugar. Another issue that can impact our absorption of things like calcium and phosphorous is if we have chronic digestive issues. Now, if you have bloating, belching, burping, gas, constipation, diarrhea, IBS, or loose stools, those kinds of things can be indicators that there is some kind of digestive issue that needs to be addressed. We can mention celiac disease. That’s an autoimmune condition where, when you ingest gluten, these tiny little nutrient absorption centers inside your small intestine can become damaged and blunted to the point where they can’t do their job. For me, I was trying to take in all these nutrients, but my body wasn’t absorbing them. My body still needed the nutrients to execute its daily functions. Where was it going to get the nutrients? It was going through my bones. The largest reserve of minerals that I have in my body is one that we all have in our bodies. That’s why getting that gut health dialed in, number one, is so important. Number two is that your bones are living tissue, and they’re an endocrine organ. They’re not just these static things that carry you through life and help you move and things like that. They do that, and they do a great job of it, but they’re also living tissue, and 95% of the blood cells that are made in your body are produced within the bone marrow that’s inside the bones. If you need help with preventing bleeding or clotting, that’s where platelets are going to come in. If you need help carrying oxygen to the body’s tissues or carrying carbon dioxide away from the tissues back to the lungs, red blood cells are going to come in if you need help fighting infections, healing wounds, or anything related to the immune system. Here is the connection. That’s where white blood cells come in. The cells that break down bones are forms of white blood cells. Anything that stimulates the immune system is speaking in the same language as the cells that break down bones, where 70% of your immune system resides in your gut. It’s not just a matter of nutrient absorption. When you have digestive issues, it’s a matter of whether you stimulate the immune system, which is going to speak in that same language. The cells break down bones and start to decrease your bone mass. Get some gut health testing. Dr. Beverley, I’m sure, talks about this and walks through it. Get some good gut health testing and just figure out what’s at the root of that, and then start to address those things to get your gut better.

Beverly Yates, ND

Gut health is central to so many things around our health, including our physical health, certainly our blood sugar levels, things to do with osteoporosis and osteopenia, and making sure you’re absorbing your nutrients in the right way. Our gut health affects our mental health, our moods, and a lot of other things. It’s in the core of the body. It’s the central thing. in that, it doesn’t get enough appreciation for just how important it is. It requires that we get good sleep so that the gut can reset, just like we need our blood sugar to reset when we’re asleep. These things are all related, so I hope anyone listening is not feeling overwhelmed but feeling encouraged and inspired because making those choices will make the difference and you’re going to get multiple levels of benefit. It’s not like you have to do just one thing and then you’ve got 87 more things to do. It’s usually a few key things—two or three things—that are going to make the difference.

Kevin Ellis

I agree with that. Just by reducing your stress and improving your sleep, too, you can see improvements in your digestive health, and you can see improvements in a lot of areas, specifically with sleep. If you just focus on that one area, there are multiple areas we want to focus on, but those can be some of the biggest levers you can pull, and you’re free to improve those things.

Beverly Yates, ND

That’s so cool. I have two more questions for you before we wrap up our session here. One is, is there a distinction that is of significance at all for the management of, let’s say, Type 2 diabetes or pre-diabetes for people who have osteoporosis? Does that differ from what their recommendations would be if someone didn’t have osteoporosis? Is there a big distinction there?

Kevin Ellis

It’s not a big difference. The protocol that you walk through is just right on point with what we need to be doing to help support the health of our bones. Maybe there are some dietary adjustments or things like that you might specifically make because your blood sugar responds a certain way after you eat certain foods. Then you’re going to make adjustments based on those things. But overall, we’ve got to be sleeping better. You got to reduce your stress, you got to exercise, and you got to make good diet and nutrition choices. If you have any other root-cause issues that are taking place, we need to objectively figure out what those things are and address them. Don’t make assumptions; make objective decisions. That’s going to be the best thing for your health. Move forward.

Beverly Yates, ND

Having a clear plan and having the information to support it. I still guess we’re all about that.  Our final question is here for you, just to give guidance to our audience because we have a mixture of people here from the general public. We have people who are fellow health professionals and colleagues, and people who are probably advocates for other people’s health, trying to get them involved and get more information. What role do health care professionals specifically play in coordinating care for patients who are dealing with both conditions, i.e., both Type 2 diabetes, prediabetes, perhaps Type 1 diabetes, and Type 1.5 diabetes, and how can they optimize this? Because I feel like we have to have a partnership for people to be well who have both of these conditions.

Kevin Ellis

The first thing starts with understanding what’s taking place with their bone picture. Do they even have issues with their bone health at this time? If they don’t help guide them to whatever specific testing, whether that’s bone density, We talked about the bone-quality piece, and you can help them understand that. We also talked about the active bone loss piece, those bone turnover markers that we can look at. That’s going to help you start looking at where they are in terms of their bone health. Then you can help start making those modifiable patients from a diet and lifestyle perspective. From all the other things you’re learning at the summit and from the things we just talked about here, you can start helping move them in the right direction. One thing I always encourage the people that I work with or our coaches to do is help people understand that they should approach things with curiosity instead of expectation. When you do that, the disappointment will disappear. Because a lot of us know that when you’re on a health journey or you’re trying new things out, it can be frustrating when you put all this hope into this one thing or this thing that you put so much effort and time into and it just doesn’t work. But that happens sometimes. But if we approach it with that curious mindset versus an expectation mindset, the disappointment just disappears, and it helps them move forward and move onward and upward quickly. That’s one of them. The other thing I encourage people to do is help them focus on where they want to go. What is the why? What is the reason why they’re interested in even improving their health? Use that as the Northstar and the guiding light. I want to be there. For me, I wanted to dance with my daughter on her wedding day. That is my North Star. I moved toward that. In everything I do, I try to move toward that. You don’t need to; they don’t need to know where every step is placed. Day one. They just need to know where they want that path to lead. You need to hold that space for them. Those are the big things that I would share with any health practitioners or even just people on their journey in general.

Beverly Yates, ND

Thank you so much. I appreciate you. I appreciate you being here, for being a sponsor, and for being such a strong spokesperson for people living long, living well, and doing what they need to do so that it’s possible to have that healthy, active future. Yes. Kevin, where can people find you if they want to get in touch?

Kevin Ellis

You can always find me at bonecoach.com. We’ve got lots of resources for stronger bones that help people get on the path to improvement and stronger bones. So, bonecoach.com is the number one place to find me and our team.

Beverly Yates, ND

Thank you for being here. Friends, be sure to share this summit with anyone who cares about their health, including anyone who has diabetes. But you’re concerned, and people who work with these folks, because everyone must be well informed about their options along the way. We’re here to dispel any myth and to give you the latest news about what’s going on in today’s world. Folks have a great day.