Most of the bone we have is made when we are teenagers. Once we reach adulthood, its all about keeping them as strong as long as possible.
Many of us know calcium is an important building block for our bones. Calcium can be found it lots of foods including dairy, the bones of fish, some green vegetables like broccoli and fortified foods such as orange juice.
But what many don't realize is that calcium isn't enough.
For starters, you need vitamin D in your body to help you absorb the calcium. Vitamin D is like the usher that leads the calcium in and out of the bones. Without it, all the calcium in the world won't do you much good. There are not a lot of great food sources for vitamin D. The best source is from the sun. Just be careful not to get too much as you might end up with a nasty sunburn.
A less well known nutrient we all need for bone health is magnesium. Magnesium does a whole slew of things in the body including being a building block for our DNA, controlling our blood pressure, working as a building block in our bones and helping in many enzyme functions. It's also responsible for how effective the vitamin D in our body is. Magnesium can be found in lots of great foods including whole cereal grains, cocoa (raw), tea and nuts.
So if you don't have magnesium, you can't convert vitamin D and if you don't have usable vitamin D, you can't absorb the calcium.
This is why it's a whole lot easier to get your vitamins from food rather than supplements. All vitamins and minerals are connected. Some compete in the body and others help each other. By the time you figure out what you need and when you have to take it to avoid not absorbing it, your head will be spinning.
So to keep your bones healthy, here is my advice:
1) Consume 2-3 dairy and alternative servings/day
2) Eat 4-5 servings of vegetables each day (Especially leafy green ones)
3) Eat fish 2x/week (keep the bones in if you can to get more calcium)
4) Choose whole grains
5) Exercise to keep the bones strong
Care for your bones every day. You only get one set!