You’ve probably never questioned whether or not your home is going to collapse on top of you in the middle of the night because you trust the strength of the frame of your home, right?  I think our organs feel the same way about our bones.  After age 30 the rate at which you build bone slows down and the rate at which you lose bone speeds up.  We need to keep them as strong and healthy as we can now so we can avoid fractures and breaks as we age due to osteoporosis.  Even though you can’t get back bone that is lost, you can can help maximize bone formation and minimize bone loss.  Here are 4 things you can do to get proactive about your bone strength:

1. Strength train at least 2x/weekly (This weeks workout will be a full body routine you can do 2-3x/weekly which will put you on track to building muscular and bone strength)
2. Eat enough protein (25-30% of your diet should be protein)
3. Eat enough calcium (the average adult should consume around 1000mg, but you can ask your doctor for their recommendation)
4. Get enough vitamin D (vitamin D helps your body absorb the calcium)

Below you will find sources of lean protein, calcium and vitamin D:

Lean Protein:
-tuna, chicken no skin, lean beef, scallops, tilapia, tofu, whey or soy protein powder, egg whites, edamame beans, turkey ham or chicken lunch meat

Calcium:
– low fat dairy (milk, greek yogurt, cottage cheese), kale, spinach, broccoli, collard greens, sardines, fortified OJ, fortified soymilk, eggs

Vitamin D:
– Sun light, cod liver oil, salmon with bone, mackerel, tuna, catfish, sardines, shiitake and button mushrooms, eggs