Optimising Bone Health Through Diet And Nutrition
Bone health is so important. As we age, we need to be aware of how we can optimize the health of our bones and bodies to ensure that we continue to be able to live a full life.
As a woman who has three kids, I am always running around after them (my eldest has just started junior high and my youngest is in elementary school, to give you an idea of the ages) and working hard on my photography business as well.
Between the kids and my work, it doesn’t leave a whole lot of time to take care of myself. But I learned early on (from my mother) the importance of having a strong and healthy body, and I am glad that she taught me the value of keeping up a varied and healthy diet.
Due to a combination of health and ethical considerations, I have been vegan for twenty years now, and know that when I need to get more calcium in my diet, I take calcium supplements made from algae as part of my diet.
What Are The Risks Associated With A Decline In Bone Health?
Sadly, it’s partially down to genetics as to how your bone health is going to go, but there are a lot of other controllable factors that can contribute to poor bone health. Things like:
- Smoking;
- Drinking to excess;
- Not exercising;
- Having a low body weight or being malnourished;
- Eating a lot of animal proteins.
Although I’m not a doctor, I am well versed in what makes a healthy diet, and so I want to share with you today what I know about how to optimize your bone density and health through diet and nutrition and hope that it helps you keep the healthiest body you can as you move through life.
Optimizing Bone Health
As I moved closer to my fortieth birthday, I started to really be aware of how much calcium I was getting in my diet. I knew that bone health begins to deteriorate as we age, and I didn’t want to be reacting to a situation that had gotten out of hand; I would rather be proactively preventing poor bone health as soon as I could.
After all, how often do you think about your bones every day? Not at all – really, unless you have pain or have a broken bone. The fact is that bone health actually begins in the womb and is of huge importance in childhood. If you haven’t reached your peak bone density by the time you’re thirty years old, then you never will.
There are ways to help yourself to strengthen bone health though, and it involves plenty of Vitamin D and calcium. Other ways to optimize your bone health include:
- Weight-bearing exercises;
- Following a healthy and varied diet with plenty of leafy greens;
- Not smoking and drinking alcohol only in moderation;
- Spending enough time in the sun to optimize vitamin D intake.
Even if you have healthy bones, you still experience a four to five percent loss in bone density after you go through menopause (for women), while men will experience a loss in bone density due to a decline in testosterone.
It’s vital that you stay on top of your health and that you do as much positive and natural work as you can to improve your bone health. It’s never too late to make a difference to your body and to work at improving your bones. If you’re at risk, speak to your doctor and start changing your life for the better today.
