Diet, exercise and supplements are the “big three” when it comes to preventing osteoporosis. Calcium and Vitamin D are the two minerals you must get enough of Milk, yogurt and other dairy products provide them in abundance. If you don’t eat dairy foods, don’t worry.
The calcium recommendations are:
Age Daily recommended intake
14-18 years 1300 mg
19-50 years 1000 mg
51-70 years Men 1000 mg, Women 1200 mg
71+ years 1200 mg
The best sources of non-dairy calcium- One cup of cow’s milk has approximately 96 Mg of absorbable calcium. The same amount can be found in the following calcium-rich foods:
• Broccoli – 2 cups
• Chinese cabbage – ½ cup
• Calcium-fortified soy milk – 1.3 cups
• Calcium-set tofu – 5.4 oz
• White beans – 2 cups
Green leafy vegetables are also calcium-rich, providing around 60 percent absorbable calcium, while most dairy products only provide around 30 percent.
Green leafy vegetables (1-2 cups):
• Bok choy
• Collards
• Kale
• Mustard greens
Other non-dairy sources of calcium- Each of the calcium-rich foods listed below contains a calcium dose equivalent to 300 mg, which is approximately one-third to one-quarter of your daily requirements-
Almonds – 1/3 cup
Almond butter – 3-4 tablespoons
Hazelnuts – 1/2 cup
Dried figs – 7-10
Navel oranges – 2
Sesame seeds – 2/3 cup
Sesame seed paste (tahini) – 5-6 tablespoons
Chia seeds – 1/2 cup
Flaxseeds – 1 cup
Brazil nuts – 1.5 cups
Almond or rice milk – 1 cup
All beans range from – 1-2 cups
Weight bearing and strength training are both important for healthy bones. Weight bearing forces your body to work against gravity, which prompts new bone formation. Strength training builds bone strength because your muscles are pulling on your bones. It also makes you more flexible and less prone to falls. If your digestive health is less than ideal, you may not be absorbing all the bone-building nutrients you’re getting in your food. That’s why it’s important to take supplements to balance out this deficit.
Smoking. There’s actually good news here. The damaging effect of smoking on bone health seems to be reversible, so it’s never too late to quit!
Osteopenia: a wakeup call-
Osteopenia is when your bones are weaker than normal, but not so weak that they break easily. Think of osteopenia as “pre-osteoporosis”. If you are diagnosed with osteopenia, consider it a wakeup call to get moving, start eating to build healthy bones, and do all you can to prevent your bones from weakening any further.
