A Day at the Park! Bone Health...

The girls and I love going to the park. Their favorite part is playing on the monkey bars. They love climbing and swinging from the bars.

Weight-bearing exercise is very important for bone health. We should schedule at least five weekly sessions of a bone-building activity, such as walking, jogging, yoga, weight training, or resistance exercise.

Did you know that weight-bearing exercise signals the body to deposit minerals in the bones, especially in the hips, spine, and legs, where the minerals can be used to fortify the bones?

Drinking soda is bad for your bones! Soda contains phosphates which leach calcium from bones. 

Fresh, filtered, pure water is a much better choice.

As the ad says, "Milk is good food."  Actually, the truth is (by recent studies) milk does contain calcium, but it is not in a form that is easily absorbed by our bodies. If it comes from factory-farm cows treated with antibiotics and hormones for growth, it's not very healthy. It's best if the product comes from organically raised, grass-fed cows.  The calcium will not be more absorbable, but at least it will be healthier.

Want to know another big problem? The fact that the Standard American Diet's (SAD) meat, eggs, and dairy foundation creates an acidic environment in the body! The body becomes over acidic, then the buffering minerals like calcium are pulled from our bodies to reduce acidity. The milk raises acidity that forces our bodies to steal the calcium in the milk and use it for buffering, rather than bone building.

Well, we do need calcium to maintain good bone health. It is hard to get the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) from food alone, so supplements are required. RDA states that adult men and women up to the age of 50 should consume 1,000 mg of calcium daily. After age 50, women need 1,200 mg daily, while men remain at 1,000 mg.  After age 71, both men and women should aim for 1,200 mg each day.  It's also suggested those doses be split throughout the day. Instead of purchasing 1,000 mg doses,  get 250 mg portions and take them throughout the day. Other vitamins, such as Vitamin D, Vitamin K2 (dark, leafy greens, broccoli, asparagus, Brussels sprouts, and cauliflower), Magnesium (seafood and lean meats), 

and Manganese (whole grain nuts, seeds, avocados, leafy greens, and legumes), 

are all good sources to help absorb calcium for bone health.

I hope this advise is helpful for you. I know it is for me. Our bodies are constantly working hard to build new bone and we can help out with some moderate exercise, smart food choices, and a few supplements.

I am joining Mary today at Little Red House for Mosaic Monday.

Here's to your health!

Photos by Brenda