Tips on Maintaining Healthy Bones as Your Age

When you are young your bones continue to build strength until peak bone strength is reached around age 30. After that bone density has a tendency to decrease as you get older. That’s partly because as you age your body absorbs calcium less effectively.

Approximately 10 million Americans have osteoporosis. That said, there are things you can do to prevent bone loss or slow down the process. They include a combination of the food you eat and physical activity.

Support Healthy Bones With:

Plant Foods

• Leafy greens - kale, collard greens, and spinach
• Cruciferous vegetables - broccoli and brussels sprouts
• Beans/legumes - navy, great northern, and cannellini
• Nuts and seeds - poppy, sesame, and chia seeds; almonds
• Soybeans - edamame, young soybeans and Tofu, non GMO

Whole plant foods are a terrific source of calcium. You DO NOT need dairy to promote bone health. Eat plenty of fiber. It slows digestion, allowing your body to absorb more calcium. Fiber is only found in plants. Also reduce your intake of salt, caffeine, sugar and alcohol.

Vitamins and Minerals

• Calcium
• Vitamin D
• Magnesium
• Vitamin K

Get your daily intake of Vitamin D by spending at least 15 minutes outside in the sun.

Magnesium can be found in: nuts particularly almonds and cashews, seeds such as sesame, pumpkin, flax, and sunflower, whole grains, legumes, and tofu. It is also plentiful in vegetables including spinach, summer squash, turnip, broccoli, cucumbers, and celery.

Vitamin K can be found in broccoli, brussels sprouts, kale, dark green lettuce, and collard greens.

Supplements

It’s better to get calcium from the food than a supplement because it is better absorbed by your body. However, if it’s not possible to get the recommended amount of vitamins and minerals from the foods you eat consider taking supplements. Take high quality supplements with pure, natural ingredients and you don’t take too much. 

Physical Activity

Weight bearing exercises build healthy bones. Activities such as:

• Walking 

• Running

• Climbing Stairs

• Resistance Training

• Hopping and jumping 

• Dancing

If you don’t currently have an exercise routine, start one NOW! Plan when you will work out the day before, or when planning the upcoming week ahead. Include it on your schedule and keep it sacred.

I’m super conscious about bone health. A medication I take as part of my breast cancer maintenance regimen adversely affects the strength of my bones. I do all of the above to help keep my bones strong.