Nutrition

Foods To Get Strong and Healthy Bones

Getting proper nutrients are vital for the growth of young, strong, and healthy bones. Ideally, all of our foods would contain the proper nutrients and vitamins needed to support healthy bone growth but unfortunately, they do not.  Important minerals such as calcium, nutrients such as Protein, and vitamins like Vitamin D and K are vital  in assisting in the support humans need for younger, healthier, and stronger bones.
Healthy bones need huge amounts of calcium to be healthy and strong. Sources of calcium from natural foods such as dairy, fish, and milk is usually the best.  A healthy human being who wants healthy bones should consume nine full servings of fruits and vegetables in order to insure that they get ample amounts of calcium and other vital nutrients. Obtaining these important vitamins and minerals are the basic foundation for building young, healthy, and strong bones.

Your Bones also require routine exercise to be as strong and healthy as humanly possible.  Simply activities such as running, jogging, walking and other basic physical activities are crucial in keeping your bones as healthy and young as possible.

Here is a list of Foods that Build Young, Healthy, and Strong Bones:

Calcium is most important factor when it comes to healthy and strong bones and is featured heavily in these foods

• Milk:  An 8 ounce cup contains 300 milligrams of calcium necessary for healthy bones
• Yogurt:  One cup contains about as much calcium as a cup of milk
• Cheese:  A single slice of SWISS cheese is also equal to a cup of milk or yogurt
• Tip:  Reducing the amount of lactose in dairy products does not reduce the amount of calcium
• Sardines: Fish bones contain a good amount of vital calcium
• Salmon:  Rich in calcium, vitamin D, and omega-3 fatty acids
• Vegetables that have loads of calcium include:

•  Kale
• Collard Greens
• Turnip greens
• Nuts:  Sunflower seeds, almonds, and pistachos
• Breakfast foods:  Orange Juice and Cereal

As you can see there are a lot of foods you can eat to get calcium in your diet.  All of these foods when consumed in the proper amount will lead to healthy and strong bones.  If you are still unable to get the required amount of calcium for healthy bones you can try taking one of these calcium supplements:

Nature Made Calcium, Magnesium, and Zinc with Vitamin D

Nature’s Bounty Calcium 1200 Mg. Plus Vitamin D3

Rainbow Light Just Once Food-Based Calcium Tablets

Vitafusion Calcium 500 mg with Vitamin D3, Bone Support

Spring Valley – Calcium 600 mg with Vitamin D 600 mg

What To Take For Postmenopausal Osteoporosis

What to take for Postmenopausal Osteoporosis?

If you are at risk for Postmenopausal Osteoporosis or are looking for ways to prevent or reversePostmenopausal Osteoporosis, we recommend the following foods and supplements.  Taking one or all of these for Postmenopausal Osteoporosis will help prevent it as well as lead to younger, healthier, and stronger bones.  So, if you are wondering what to take for Postmenopausal Osteoporosis please keep reading.

Calcium

Natural Source:

The easiest and most readily available source is milk and other daily products.  You can also find calcium in sardines, salmon, tofu, orange juice, and dark leafy green.

Recommend Supplement:

Nature Made Calcium 600mg with Vitamin D

Vitamin D

Natural Source:

The easiest way to get a healthy does of vitamin D is through sun exposure.  Other natural sources include tuna, eggs, milk, and breakfast cereals.  Most people do not get enough Vitamin D in their diet and it is recommend they take a daily supplement.  See below:

Recommend Supplement:

Kirkland Signature Maximum Strength Vitamin D3

Magnesium

Natural Source:

Most calcium supplements come with magnesium already added in but it does not hurt to take a second form.  Recommend sources include daily multi-vitamins which will be beneficial to bone health

Recommend Supplement:

Nature Made Magnesium 250mg
 

Vitamin K

Natural Source:

Vitamin K is the vitamin that is found is most dark and leafy vegetables.  Having a low level of vitamin K or a low intake of vitamin K can lead to a low bone density.  Recommend foods to take to increase vitamin K levels include brussels sprouts, kale, dark lettuce, spinach, and broccoli.

Recommend Supplement:

Carlson Vitamin K 5mg

Things To Avoid:

Here are a few tips of things to avoid.  Although having a balanced diet can help in the absorption of calcium, vitamin D, and magnesium having high levels of caffeine, salt, tobacco, and alcohol can hinder bone development.  It has also been suggested that drinking soda which is high in both sugar and caffeine can lead to lower bone density especially in women.

Other Recommended Supplements

If you haven’t already, take a few minutes to visit our online store where we have the best deals on bone related supplements.  To get you started, here are a few popular items:

Rainbow Light, Everyday Calcium

Passion 4 Life Liquid Vitamins and Minerals

Rainbow Light, Calcium Citrate Chocolate Chewable

Best Sources of Calcium

We share a lot of important information about the importance of getting sufficient amounts of calcium in your daily diet.  A lot of people believe that getting the correct amount of  required calcium from their diet alone is very hard and that proper calcium supplements are vital.  However, it’s really not very hard to get the required amount of calcium from natural foods.

Calcium is an important nutrient to building healthy bones.  We have discussed before the recommend levels of calcium to take every day as well as the benefits of taking calcium.  Below you will find 3 charts which outline the high, medium, and low forms of calcium that you can take in order to get healthy bones.

High Calcium Foods

• 1 cup of milk
• low fat chocolate milk
• low fat buttermilk
• low fat cheese
• whole milk
• milkshake
• hot chocolate with milk instead of water
• regular cheese
• custard
• flan
• sardines with bones

Medium Calcium Foods

• Non-fat or low-fat cottage cheese
• Cream soups
• Ice cream
• Ice milk or frozen yogurt
• Non-fat cream cheese

Non-Dairy Calcium Sources

• Dried bean or peas
• Refried beans
• Canned fish
• Tofu processed with calcium
• Almonds
• Bok Choy
• Broccoli
• Kale
• Mustard Greens
• Turnip Greens
• Figs
• Corn Tortillas
• Black Strap Molasses

How Much Calcium Should I Take?

How Much Calcium Should I Take?

Calcium is an vital nutrient that our body needs to have everyday. Calcium, as I’m sure you know by now,  helps build and strengthen healthy bones and teeth.  But thats not everything calcium does.  Calcium has also been known to keep your heart beating steadily and your nerves, muscles, and blood working properly.

Calcium is one of the major factors in keeping your body running in top shape.  Because your bones are made of calcium, if you do not get enough from your daily diet, your body will start to leech pure calcium from your bones to use in other parts of your body. Over several years this can reduce your bone strength and lead to an unfortunate onset of osteoporosis which is a harmful disease that makes thin and fragile bones.  Intense osteoporosis can lead to such weak and brittle bones that they can simply break with a strong handshake.

So, how much calcium should you take?

Dietary Calcium

The NAS (National Academy of Sciences) recommends the following chart for how much calcium is needed to maintain young, healthy, and strong bones.

• Young children – 1 to 3 years of age –  700 mg a day.
• Children – 4 to 8 years of age – 1,000 mg per day.
• Teenagers –  1,300 mg of calcium a day.
• Adults – age 70 and younger –  1,000 mg per day.
• Women – over 51 – 1,200 mg/day.
• Women and men – over 71 – 1,200 mg per day.

Milk and dairy products are the quickest and easiest sources of dietary calcium.  Other high quality non-dairy foods include orange juice, tofu, salmon and sardines, and dark leafy greens like spinach.

Supplemental Calcium

You can also achieve your daily calcium intake by taking a daily supplement.  These supplements offer a full daily dose of calcium in one easy to swallow (or chew) tablet.  Some of the most popular calcium supplements include the following:

Nature Made Calcium, Magnesium, and Zinc with Vitamin D

Nature’s Bounty Calcium 1200 Mg. Plus Vitamin D3

Rainbow Light Just Once Food-Based Calcium Tablets

Vitafusion Calcium 500 mg with Vitamin D3, Bone Support

Spring Valley – Calcium 600 mg with Vitamin D 600 mg

For more information about calicum supplements be sure to visit our online store 

How To Prevent or Reverse Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is a critical health problem that currently affects nearly 28 million people in the United States.  It is known to cause around 1.5 million bone fractures every year. Osteoporosis causes bones to become weak and brittle and to fracture with even the slightest bit of trauma. Osteoporosis generally occurs in women who have already gone through menopause, but it can also occur men, and in rare examples, children.

50 percent of women and 20 percent of men after the age of 65 will maintain at least one bone fracture related to an onset of osteoporosis.  Preventing or reversing osteoporosis is very easy and the seven steps feature below should help anyone combat these terrible disease.

Steps On How To Prevent or Reverse Osteoporosis

Step 1:  See a Doctor

Schedule an appointment with a qualified doctor for a bone  density test.  A bone density test is often the first step to preventing osteoporosis.   A bone density test measures a person’s current bone health and weather or not advanced steps need to be taken in order to increase bone health.

Step 2: Review your Results

Deciphering a bone mineral density test often requires professional medical insight into what the results mean.  Review results with a doctor and see what steps they recommend you take in order to prevent or reverse osteoporosis.

Step 3:  Add Calcium

Add calcium to the diet. Adding calcium in the form of pills or foods high in calcium such as milk, cheese, yogurt and other dairy products helps maintain bone strength in later years and helps build bone in early years. People older than age 50 require 1,500 mg of calcium every day.

Step 4:  Take Vitamind D

Take vitamin D supplements if blood levels are low. If vitamin D levels are low, calcium can’t be absorbed into the bone. Most people require 200 to 600 International Units of vitamin D each day.

Step 5:  Exercise

Increase exercise levels. Weight-bearing exercise plays an essential part in keeping or building bone strength. Exercise three to four times a week by walking, weightlifting or other exercises.

Step 6: Take Medication

Take prescription medications that prevent bone loss (see a list here) . Discuss with your doctor whether certain medications  will help prevent or reverse bone loss.

Step 7: Don’t Smoke or Drink in excess

 Refrain from smoking at all costs and only drink in moderation.

Bonus Tips and Warnings

• The majority of bone density is built before a person reaches age 35. After age 35, bone growth begins to slow down.  It is important to start building strong and healthy bones at a young age.  Simple steps include basic exercise and an easy to follow nutrition plan.
• Take a calcium supplement to decrease the risk of osteoporosis:

How To Prevent Osteoporosis Through Nutrition

The two most important nutrients requied by the body to build strong bones are calcium and vitamin D. Calcium helps strengthen your teeth and builds your bone structure, while
vitamin D improves bone growth and helps your bones absorb the calicum.  These two nutrients when combined together and taken in the right dosage are the number one leader in preventing osteoporosis.

As a basic guideline, adults aged 50 and older should consume around 1,000 milligrams of calcium and 200 IU’s of Vitamin D or Vitamin D3 a day.  Getting these levels of nutrients is easy by eating the following foods:Making these nutrients a part of your daily diet is important early in your life and will help you develop stronger and healthier bones as you grow older.  These nutrients will also help to prevent osteoporosis as your bones grow old.

• Yogurt - Yogurt is high in both calcium and vitamin D.  Please note that protein rich yogurt usually contains less calcium and almost no vitamin D

• Sardines - Yes, Sardines!  If you can stomach the taste, sardines are very high in vitamin D

• Salmon - Rich in omega-3 fatty acids, a 3 ounce piece of salmon makes up for 100% of your daily recommend vitamin D intake

• Milk - the easiest and purest form of calcium.  8 ounces of milk will make up 30% of your calcium intake in a day

• Cheese -  Cheese is full of calcium but should not be eaten in excess.  Try to limit your intake as it does not contain much vitamin D

• Eggs -  A huge portion of vitamin D is found in egg yolks

• Tuna - Similar to salmon.  A small piece of tuna is around 25% of your daily dose of vitamin D

• Spinach - High in fiber, iron, and vitamin A.  A cup of cooked spinach can equal 25% of your required calcium

• Cereal - Full of fiber and healthy grains.  A bowl of ceral and milk will help add to your daily calcium requirement

• Orange Juice - Studies have shown that drinking OJ helps with your calcium absorption.  Its also rich with vitamin D