Your Osteoporosis Month checklist for lifelong bone health

(NC) Strong bones start with the lifestyle choices you make today, and taking care of your bones now can help keep them strong and healthy as you age. There are nutrition and exercise habits that can help you prevent osteoporosis, a medical condition that weakens bones and makes them more likely to break. November is Osteoporosis Month, making it a timely opportunity to take a closer look at bone health.

Bones are living tissue, constantly breaking down and rebuilding. Foods you eat, such as prunes, yogurt and salmon help provide the nutrients your bones need; and the right types of exercise can signal them to stay strong. Here’s a checklist you can use as a guide to support your bone health.

• Choose protein-rich foods at every meal: Protein forms part of the framework of your bones. It also helps build and maintain muscles, which you need for balance and stability. At meals, fill a quarter of your plate with protein-rich foods such as poultry, fish, meat, dairy, soy or beans.
• Get enough calcium and vitamin D: Dairy products and canned salmon are good sources of both. Aim for 1,000 to 1,200 milligrams of calcium and 600 to 800 IU of vitamin D daily.
• Choose foods with other bone-building factors: Vitamin K, potassium and other nutrients are also required for bone health. Research suggests that eating about five California Prunes a day may help support bone health, since they contain vitamin K, boron, copper and potassium.
• Include weight-bearing exercise: Physical activity helps stimulate new bone tissue and maintain bone strength. Choose activities that put weight on your bones while you exercise, such as walking, yoga, jogging and sports such as tennis and soccer. Health Canada recommends being active for at least 2.5 hours each week.
• Add resistance exercise: Use weights, resistance bands or your own body weight with exercises such as push-ups, squats and lunges at least twice a week. This helps maintain muscle mass and support bone strength.

Eating well and being active are healthy lifestyle habits you can build today to help create a strong foundation for the bones you will rely on in the future. You can learn more about bone health at californiaprunes.ca.

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Your checklist for lifelong bone health

(NC) Strong bones start with the lifestyle choices you make today, and taking care of your bones now can help keep them strong and healthy as you age. The right nutrition and exercise habits can help you prevent osteoporosis, a medical condition that weakens bones and makes them more likely to break.

Bones are living tissue, constantly breaking down and rebuilding. Your diet provides the nutrients your bones need, while the right types of exercise can signal them to stay strong. Use this checklist as a guide to support your bone health.