7. How can I prevent weak bones?

Because bones are constantly changing, they can heal and may be affected by diet and exercise. Until the age of about 30, you build and store bone efficiently. Then, as part of the natural aging process, your bones begin to break down faster than new bone can be formed. In women, bone loss accelerates after menopause, when your ovaries stop producing estrogen - the hormone that protects against bone loss.

Think of your bones as a savings account. There is only as much bone mass in your account as you deposit. The critical years for building bone mass are from prior to adolescence to about age 30. Some experts believe that young women can increase their bone mass by as much as 20 percent - a critical factor in protecting against osteoporosis.
Here are NOF`s (National Osteoporosis Foundation) steps, which together can optimize bone health and help prevent osteoporosis. They are:

• A balanced diet rich in calcium and vitamin D
• Weight-bearing and resistance-training exercises
• A healthy lifestyle with no smoking or excessive alcohol intake
• Talking to one’s healthcare professional about bone health
• Reduce your chances of falling by making your home safer.(eg. Rubber mat in the shower / bath)

Calcium
Calcium is essential for many body functions, including regulation of the heartbeat, conduction of nerve impulses, stimulation of hormone secretions and clotting of blood, as well as for building and maintaining a healthy skeleton.
Calcium is a mineral found in many foods and adequate calcium intake is important because the human body cannot produce calcium. Even after reaching full skeletal growth, adequate calcium intake is important because the body loses calcium every day through shed skin, nails, hair, and sweat as well as through urine and feces. This lost calcium must be replaced daily through the diet. When the diet does not contain enough calcium to perform these activities, calcium is taken from the bones, the storage area for calcium.

Depending on your age, an appropriate calcium intake falls between 1000 and 1300 mg a day. One way to increase the amount of calcium in your diet is to eat calcium-rich foods like low-fat milk, cheese, broccoli and others. Many foods are fortified with calcium and are readily available and affordable. Foods like orange juice, cereals and breakfast bars have calcium added to them.
Another easy and economical way to boost the calcium content of many meals is to add nonfat powdered dry milk to puddings, homemade cookies, breads or muffins, soups, gravy, casseroles and even a glass of milk.
If you have difficulty getting enough calcium from the foods you eat, you may take a calcium supplement to make up the difference.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is needed for the body to absorb calcium. The relationship between calcium absorption and vitamin D is similar to that of a locked door and a key. Vitamin D is the key that unlocks the door and allows calcium to leave the intestine and enter the bloodstream.

Vitamin D also works in the kidneys to help resorb calcium that otherwise would be excreted.
Vitamin D comes from two sources: through the skin following direct exposure to sunlight and from the diet, which can be obtained from fortified dairy products, egg yolks and fish(eg. salmon).

Exercise
Two types of exercises are important for building and maintaining bone mass and density: weight-bearing and resistance exercises. Weight-bearing exercises are those in which your bones and muscles work against gravity. This is any exercise in which your feet and legs are bearing your weight. Jogging, walking, stair climbing, dancing and soccer are examples of weight-bearing exercise with different degrees of impact. Swimming and bicycling are not weight-bearing.

The second type of exercises are resistance exercises or activities that use muscular strength to improve muscle mass and strengthen bone. These activities include weight lifting, such as using free weights and weight machines found at gyms and health clubs.

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