How often do you think about bone health? Probably not frequently, especially if you’re young. But bone health is something to pay attention to at any age. Kids need strong bones to grow and develop, and adults need strong bones to prevent osteoporosis and other harmful conditions.
How to Keep Bones Strong
Choose Calcium-Rich Foods
A balanced diet will help you build healthy bones from an early age and maintain them throughout life. Bones need the mineral calcium. The best food sources of calcium are milk, yogurt, cheese, fortified cereals, and dark leafy vegetables. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommends three servings of calcium-rich foods daily for children ages nine and older to maintain bone health.
Don’t Forget Vitamin D
Bones need vitamin D to help absorb calcium. Most people get vitamin D from sunlight, fortified milk, and a few foods. Get about 15 minutes of daylight a few times a week. One cup of fortified milk provides a quarter or more of the daily vitamin D requirement.
Move Your Bones
Weight-bearing activities like walking, running, hiking, climbing, dancing, and lifting weights help prevent fractures and maintain healthy bones—aim for thirty minutes most days a week.
Whether you’re 16 or 60, eating right and exercising can increase bone strength and minimize bone loss.
Rebecca Turner
Using print, TV, and the radio, Rebecca Turner translates the complex world of nutrition into understandable, and achievable concepts. Purchase her books Mind Over Fork and Enjoy Good Health on Amazon. On weekdays, she hosts Good Things with Rebecca Turner on SuperTalk Mississippi. Connect with her online at RebeccaTurnerNutrition.com.