At the special year-end Jemez Valley Community Wellness community education event “Strong Foundations: Nourishment for Skeletal Support,” guests were invited to an interactive cooking demonstration to learn about how preparing fresh produce and natural ingredients can improve skeletal system health for overall vitality. The program held on December 3rd was the last session of JVCW’s “Food as Medicine” wellness series in 2025 that took place at The Rose Center for Integrative Health.
To open the program, Dr. Juliette Sweet provided an insightful overview of how the body’s skeletal system can be affected by lifestyle choices like smoking and other chronic conditions like thyroid disorders. She shared more about the importance of bone-strengthening nutrients like Vitamin K2 in fermented foods, and how women are more susceptible to bone loss due to falling estrogen levels that naturally occurs as they age. Dr. Sweet is the Executive Director of JVCW and specializes in Naturopathic and Ayurvedic education, prevention, and treatment.
“Bones will naturally break down without estrogen,” shared Dr. Sweet. “But there are ways we can stimulate new bone growth. Try weight-bearing exercises that use your own body weight, or a regular walking routine with ankle weights or a weight vest. Any activity that stresses the bone (in a controlled way) will promote osteoblast activity to build bone. Including protein in your diet is also very important to create the structure for the minerals to be deposited and increase the absorption of calcium for bone growth.”
The twelve participants enjoyed an interactive hands-on cooking demonstration by Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Fallon Bader. The recipes emphasized the role of calcium-rich ingredients and seasonal foods with Vitamin C. Fallon showed attendees how to prepare a nutritious and flavorful meal of Thai red curry with crispy tofu, and a beef bowl with greens, roasted veggies and savory tahini sauce.
“Most of the ingredients that we chose to feature in these recipes are common enough to find at the local grocery, but we are also looking for ways to encourage people to grow their own or buy from nearby producers in their own communities,” says Fallon. “Squash, chard, and peppers are very nutritious and are generally easy to grow here in New Mexico.”
As a special feature for this session, Nancy Jo Ricca, RYT-200, coached guests in several gentle stretches and yoga moves with resistance bands. She says, “Make time to show your bones some love with easy stretching several times a week.” As a Yoga V. Osteoporosis specialist, Nancy Jo works with community elders to create a personalized exercise routine that is adapted to their own abilities and wellness goals. “I would love to see you all try an in-person class here, but we also have our online chair yoga classes that are really fun and can help you to build your bones without leaving home… The important thing is to keep moving wherever you are,” coached Nancy Jo.
The monthly “Food as Medicine” series began in June. Each of the events focused on a different body system with local ingredients and communal nourishment. Fallon’s monthly presentations featured a cooking demonstration and tasting focused on seasonal healing through food. Dr. Sweet and other invited practitioners and special guests provided informational sessions to connect natural foods to whole body health and wellness.
The in-person events of this inaugural series were held from 5-7pm at The Rose Center for Integrative Health at 8372 Highway 4, across from Jemez Valley High School. A follow-on series is planned to start on January 7th and continue through 2026 to meet popular demand. To see future event postings and to make a charitable donation to support this type of community health education, visit https://www.jvcw.org/.
