Why Is It Important To Look After Your Bones?

We sometimes underestimate the importance of taking care of our bones. But much like every other aspect of our bodies, they require looking after as well.

Our bones are continually undergoing an evolution of sorts from the time we are born. Beginning around the age of 30, our bone mass peaks and slowly after that, we gradually start to lose that mass. As a result, conditions like osteoporosis emerge, signaling the loss of bone mass –especially in women.

To look after your bones, it begins with the food we eat.

How To Look After Your Bones

Diet and Bone Health

Your bones rely heavily on a diet that has high nutritional value. Poor bone health is often due to neglecting proper nutrition which provides vitamins for your bones like calcium and vitamin D.

Calcium

Calcium is a vital mineral that enables our cells, muscles, and nerves to function at optimal levels. Additionally, our body needs calcium to make healthy bones. Unfortunately, our bodies only manage to absorb 15 – 20% of the calcium we consume in our diet which can make securing a healthy level of calcium difficult.

For this reason, we are often encouraged to eat foods that contain vitamin D and in some instances, take vitamin D supplements. Foods that are rich in calcium include milk, cheese, tofu, yogurt, and leafy green vegetables.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is a hormone that enables the gut to absorb more calcium. Foods that contain vitamin D include egg yolks, beef liver, fatty fish including salmon, mackerel and tuna, and cereals. Ideally, you should aim to get a minimum of 1200 milligrams per day.

What Are Bones?

It’s easy to believe bones are rigid structures in our bodies that don’t do much. But the truth is bones are living, dynamic tissues. They change and rebuild themselves to fit your body growth, causing you to get a whole new skeletal system every ten years. They also consist of mineral, proteins, connective tissues, blood vessels, nerves and the marrow.

Foods Which Can Cause Poor Bone Health

Some of your lifestyle choices and dietary selections can contribute to poor bone health. For example:

• Salty foods contain a lot of sodium which leads to loss of calcium in the body. Loss of calcium causes bone loss. To avoid this outcome, reduce the amount of salt you put into your daily meals and how much canned and processed food you eat. Try to ingest no more than 2,000 to 2,300mg of salt daily.
• Caffeine can be harmful to the bones when taken in excess. Ensure that if you drink caffeine daily that you also manage to eat foods that contain the daily recommended levels of calcium to reduce the risk of any direct impact on your bone health.
• Alcohol has some properties which aren’t suitable for the bones like silicon, polyphenols and some B vitamins.
• Protein is excellent for the body, but too much of a good thing may damage your bone health. Meals that contain too much protein daily can cause a person to lose calcium. You can tackle this side effect by eating food that provides calcium.

Looking After Your Bones

There are a few steps you can take to look after your bones, and it begins with choosing a healthy bone diet.

Fruits, Vegetables, and Nuts

Including fruits, vegetables and nuts in your diet can put you on the path towards achieving healthy bones. These foods can provide enough calcium and vitamin D to keep your bones fully functional. Not sure where to begin? Opt for green leafy vegetables.

Dairy

Dairy sometimes gets a bad wrap in the world of ketogenic and Paleo diets, but these foods do contain a lot of magnesium, calcium, and potassium. Drinking a glass of milk daily, eating eggs, cheese, and butter will help to support your bone health.

Exercise

Generally, anything that works your muscles also helps your bones. However, weight-bearing exercise is particularly good at boosting your bone health – think exercises like climbing stairs or dancing.

Free Report: 11 Foods That Look After Your Bones

You must take steps to protect your bone health, as, after the age of 30, we’re at our greatest risk of losing bone mass. You’re then at a far greater risk of suffering from conditions like osteoporosis or feeling the consequences of damaging falls and breaks as you age.

The good news is that regardless of your age and fitness level, you can take steps now to look after your bones. With simple lifestyle changes – seriously they’re simple – you can ensure your bones stay healthy well into your golden years. Download this free report  11 Foods To Eat For Healthy Bones that can help you reach your daily recommended amounts of calcium and vitamin D.