Learning that 67% of women over 50 will fracture a bone in their lifetime due to weak and brittle bones left me feeling vulnerable. After all, potentially being out of action for months from falling and breaking a bone wasn’t on my bucket list as I age.
Don’t you agree?
As I have aged I’ve realised that food is medicine. One such food is a food my nan always had in the fridge and that is prunes. Seems like my nan was onto something as these dried plums boost not only digestion but bone strength as well.
The study, published in the October 2022 issue of The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, found that eating 5 or 6 prunes a day helped women past menopause to preserve bone mineral density in their hips, which could translate to fewer bone breaks. The researchers, who tracked 235 older women for a year, speculated that the daily handful of prunes lowered inflammatory chemicals that contribute to bone breakdown.
But wait there's more…
We’ve all heard that eating calcium rich foods helps us maintain healthy and strong bones such as dairy products including milk, yoghurt, and cheese, along with dark leafy greens such as collards, kale, Swiss chard, and broccoli.
Let’s dig into more of the ‘surprising foods’ also great to support your bone health.
Dried figs. This is embarrassing to admit but I tried my first fig Christmas 2022. They were delicious and I’ve been eating them since. 2 figs contain about 65 milligrams (mg) of calcium. Like prunes (and perhaps even tastier than their cousin), figs can be sliced over oatmeal or blended into smoothies. They also work well paired with cheese and even as a pizza topping.
Canned salmon. A 3-ounce serving has 180 mg of calcium. It's so rich in minerals because canned salmon includes tiny, soft bones that you likely won't even notice. I have swapped my tin tuna meals over to tin salmon. It's easy to mix canned salmon with a small amount of greek yoghurt to make a salmon & salad wrap
Plant milks. We automatically think of cow's milk as a solid calcium source, and with good reason. But milk made from almonds, rice, or soy is typically fortified to reach a calcium level similar to its dairy counterpart: 8 ounces contains 350 to 400 mg. Check labels, and also watch out for sugar that might be added to plant milk.
Tofu. This soy-based mainstay of Asian cuisine boasts 430 mg of calcium in a 4-ounce serving, while calcium-enriched versions often have double that amount. Soy foods, which include edamame, are generally high in calcium and as an added benefit high in protein to assist us with our lean muscle mass and metabolism. Win, win.
Almonds. Who doesn’t love almonds? A half-cup of the nuts alone has 190 mg of calcium. My tip is if you are trying to lose weight at this time in your life, be careful of over indulging in nuts as they are calorie dense and can tip the scales. I eat 7 raw almonds to a serving and combine with other calcium sources such as greek yoghurt.
To strengthen your bones, combine a healthy diet with exercise that promotes strength, balance and healthy bones.
We have created a NEW program ‘Strong Bones in 30 Days’ that guides you safely through the workouts to show you how to get back your body and bone strength.
CLICK HERE to learn more
