Keep your bones healthy with these tips
Listen to your body!
Your body has a funny way of telling you what it needs; be that through cravings, hunger pangs or even spots. Have you ever felt the strangest urge to eat Broccoli even though you aren’t hungry? Well cravings for dark green leafy vegetables often represent the body’s need for vitamins and minerals. Usually, if you’re craving broccoli, it means that you’re lacking iron. Similarly if you’re getting spots, that can be your body’s way of saying that you’re eating too much junk food and not getting enough important vitamins and minerals in your diet.
Dr Martin Knight shares his knowledgeIt’s very important to eat a healthy balanced diet, not only just for your health, but for your brain, and overall vitality. Plus, eating healthily will help you to feel better in yourself too.
We all know how to spot the signs for illnesses and nutrition but what about things that don’t display obvious tell-tell signs?
Bones are a key example of this. They’re a hugely important part of your body. The skeletal structure supports the whole body, from your organs to your muscles, your brain to your mobility. Without them your whole body would collapse so it’s important to look after them. With this in mind, I’m going to let you in on a few tips for how you can check your bone health daily.
1) Your teeth – People sometimes forget that your teeth are made of similar composition to your bones.
West Harley Street dentist Dr Krupal Shah states that "It is very important to look after your dental health and hygiene. Everybody wants to have an aesthetically pleasing smile; however, the important role that your teeth and gums play on your general health goes a lot further. The mouth gives us an important insight into what is happening inside your body and actually sometimes on your whole skeletal structure. A great example of this is that women with osteoporosis are approximately three times more likely to experience tooth loss than those who do not have the disease. This shows just how important it is for people to see the dentist regularly, as even simple routine dental X-rays can help detect underlying more serious general bone diseases." For more information, please visit www.sensu.co.uk.
2) Clicking bones – Your bones shouldn’t snap, click or make any other noises. During movement, your bones should actions should bee smooth and silent. If they aren’t, this could be due to a variety of problems ranging from worn cartilage to arthritis. This will depend on your symptoms and affected area so you should seek advice from your GP.
3) Look at your nails – Your nails can provide an insight into what’s happening with the other bones inside your body. Good or bad! For example, pale while nails can signify anemia, whereas vertical white lines suggest that you are lacking calcium so get drinking milk. It’s quick to react and the benefits are endless. Plus, as your nails become healthier, you will know that the rest of your skeleton is becoming healthier too.
4) Consume a varied diet - Calcium is fantastic for your bones but to get the most from it, try to consume foods rich in other vitamins too. Vitamin D and Potassium rich foods are especially beneficial.
Vitamin D, for example, helps the body to absorb calcium. In the winter, your body is prone to lacking Vitamin D as the summer sun, which had been boosting out levels of Vitamin D, rarely appears from behind the winter weather. As vitamin D is important for maintaining healthy bone density, this can result in seasonal bone loss so it is vital that we replenish our body’s supply. (This is particularly important for elderly people who are more at risk of bone problems than their younger counterparts.) Vitamin D can be found in fortified cereals, fresh orange juice, eggs and oily fish such as sardines and tuna.
Potassium is also important for maintaining healthy bones. It helps the nerves and muscles communicate and nutralises acids that remove calcium from the body. Potassium can be found in sweet potatoes, bananas and yoghurt - all of which are tasty, cheap and convenient so no excuses!
For more information, visit www.spinal-foundation.org
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