Keeping Bones Strong: It’s Also What You Eat
The skeletal system, though not seen, gives the body its structure and posture. It is important to keep it healthy and strong; otherwise, bone issues such as osteoporosis can end up destroying your body’s stance.
Moderate amounts of mid-intensity exercise are a good way of strengthening the bones. It is because of this that children are encouraged to engage in physical activities.
But moving a lot isn’t the only thing that can help you achieve your goal of having strong bones. Eating the right kinds of food can also get you there. In this article, we present three foods that will help you get the right nutrients to keep your bones healthy.
Dairy
If protein is the building block of muscles, calcium is the building block of bones. It is very important to always have calcium in your diet. You can get a lot of it – about 30% of your daily needs, to be exact – from milk. Just drink eight ounces (about a glass) of it every day, pair it with the other items on this list, and you are good to go.
But if a glass of milk is not really your cup of tea, there is no need to worry because dairy derivatives are also just as potent. A cup of yogurt, especially if it’s fat-free, is going to give you the same amount of calcium. So does 1.5 ounces of cheese.
Seeds
Folks from Complete Medical Services and other health-oriented organizations will urge you to take a more holistic approach to taking care of your bone health. One way of doing this is making sure that you take in minerals that are important, but are not usually associated with bone health. One such mineral is magnesium. It is estimated that 50% of all magnesium in the body is found in bones. Hence, incorporating magnesium in your diet will do wonders for you.
Now what is an example of a good magnesium source? Seeds. Any type of seed, although pumpkin seed is said to be the one to have the highest concentration.
Hence, don’t stop yourself from throwing a handful of seeds into your salad or even snacking on them during break time. They help you not only in making you feel fuller but also in giving your bones more of the minerals they need.
Tuna, Salmon, and Other Fatty Fish
Aside from calcium and magnesium, Vitamin D also has an important role to play in keeping bones healthy. At school, we’re taught that we get this vitamin from exposing ourselves to the early morning sun. This is precisely the reason it’s also known as the sunshine vitamin.
But this substance can be sourced from food as well. Tuna, salmon, and other fatty fish are good sources of Vitamin D. In fact, a standard portion of salmon is said to already give you 100% of what you need. The fact that it also contains omega-3 fatty acids that are good for the heart is a very welcome bonus.
Author: Mahendra