How To Keep Bones Strong As We Age

From the minute we’re born we start to age.

As pre-teens the thought of being in our 40's seemed old. When I was a preteen, turning 16 couldn’t come fast enough.

It never occurred to us how the aging process affects things we take for granted, like bones becoming fragile, and the deterioration of our muscles. Frankly, this can be rather discouraging, if we don’t know what to do. So I’m here to share some ways you can increase muscle mass and strength in your bones.

My personal goal is to age well, all while teaching others to thrive and continue to be independent as long as possible.

===> First - let’s learn about strong bones.

What can we eat to and sure the healthiest bones possible?

===> Calcium <===

99% of our bodies calcium is contained in our bones. So it shouldn’t surprise us that we need calcium to keep our bones strong. Daily calcium for most people is between 600 to 1200 mg daily. Although, teenagers need a little more to help support their growth spurt’s.Our bodies need to be able to absorb calcium.

We may be eating plenty of calcium, but our bodies need to be able to USE the calcium. We also need vitamin D to tell the calcium where to go.

Some calcium rich foods include kale, spinach, broccoli, kidney beans, sardines, cheddar cheese, yogurt, milk, Chinese cabbage, white beans, sweet potatoes, rhubarb

===> Vitamin D <===

We get vitamin D from the sun shine, it’s good for health specially are bonds. We need vitamin D in order to build our bones and absorb calcium.

Most of us should supplement with vitamin D to ensure the levels are good. Especially depending on where we live and sun exposure.

===> Protein <===

20-30% of our bone mass is made up from protein. Protein can shape growth hormones and growth factors in our body which will affect our bone health indirectly.

Having a high calcium and high-protein diet is essential for bone health. So make sure you’re looking for a variety of both plant and animal protein.

===> Phosphorus <===

This is a tricky one - too much phosphorus can cause own health, and on the other hand to little phosphorus is associated with poor bone health.

As an essential macromineral for our health we must include this in our diet. Coming in at second after calcium as the most abundant mineral nutrients in our body. It’s the main component of bones and teeth and important for our energy production.

As adults, we need about 800 mg a day this is a required mineral. Transfers can be found in foods like meat, milk, cheese, poultry

Phosphorus is a required mineral. Adults need about 800 mg daily.

Drinking soda with phosphatic acid isn’t the best idea for bone health.

===> Vitamins K, C, E <===

Are also critical for bone health.

•Vitamin K 2 - guides the calcium where needs to go. Foods like dairy, meat, poultry and traditional Japanese food are rich in vitamin K 2.

• Vitamin C- Found in vegetables and fruit, Lays down new bone.

• vitamin E - fights off free radical destruction, and is an antioxidant. Vitamin E is found in nuts, seeds, dark leafy greens and tomatoes sauces

===> vitamin A <===

This is tricky, too little or too much vitamin A could harm bone health. Quantities above 1.5 mg a day could negatively influence bones. Make sure you check your supplements.

Added vitamin A in dairy could play a role in deteriorating bone health. Make sure you check labels.

===> B vitamins <===

If your daily diet contains food to support lean mass with a variety of whole foods, then you should not need it to supplement with most B vitamins for bone health.

The only exception is B 12, which many people benefit from with supplementing. If you’re not eating a lot of animal products and/or over the age of 50, make sure you include vitamin B 12 supplement in your diet. (1000 mcg twice a week is recommended)

===> sodium <===

if we’re having more sodium then what our body needs, this can potentially increase calcium loss. So consuming potassium that comes from vegetables and fruits may result in a stronger potassium-sodium balance in our body to help preserve our bone

===> magnesium <===

Found in dark leafy greens, seeds, nuts and beans. Magnesium helps bone mass. You think we would be able to get enough magnesium from foods that are whole and nutritious. Most of us are magnesium deficit and will benefit from supplementing.

===>Food for building and strengthening bones <===

Fruits vegetables beans whole grains nuts and seeds are very helpful for our bones.

===> acid and alkaline <===

Fruits and vegetables also preserve our abdomen acid/base balance which help promote our bone health.An alkaline diet which means eating more alkaline foods will help to boost up growth hormone levels.

**Some foods to raise alkaline levels are...

Nuts and seeds, coconut, sprouted bread, alkaline water, almond milk, quinoa, Chia buckwheat, millet, grapefruit, lemon, avocado, lime, tomato, olive oil, cabbage, carrots

===> dairy <===

Which is rich in calcium, potassium and magnesium found in dairy are recommended for bone health. If you can handle dairy, then include some in your daily diet to ensure

===> fats <===

A variety of fat sources is crucial for controlling inflammation in the body. And controlling inflammation Will promote bone health.

===> caffeine <===

High amounts of caffeine is shown to be harmful for bones. 2 cups of coffee should not create a risk to someone who is eating a balanced diet.

===> medications <===

Certain medications that are used for depression, breast cancer, heartburn, all sirs, and diabetes can be harmful to our bone health. They can interfere with our hormonal signals of our bone turnover (New bone tissue is formed) since they affect our absorption and mineral use.

Another issue for bone health includes long periods of low-dose birth-control, and the use of prednisone.

===> dieting <===

Yo-yo dieters pay attention: aggressive weight loss and where your body isn’t getting enough energy from food to maintain your body mass. Loss of this energy, equals loss of mass, which includes bone mass.

Bariatric surgeries may also result in nutrient deficiencies which may results in loss of bone mass.

The good news - exercise may help to offset the negative effects and allow individuals to lose weight safely without negative affects on bone Health.

Take note - proper diet is a must!

===> size of body <===

Continuing to keep our body fat and weight within a healthy range will assist in bone health. If your body mass index is too low, this means Low bone density.

On the other hand, too much body fat increases the bone marrow which may be linked to changes with the formation of our bones, which causes a greater likelihood of a fracture.