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I had a really strange thing happen to me a couple weeks ago. I was paddling out at my local surf spot, and I barely kicked a rock. I hardly paid any notice to it when it happened, and I surfed for about an hour and a half. However, as I continued to surf, my toe continued to throb. Probably not the best idea on my part to keep surfing, but hey, the waves were really fun. By the time I got to the sand I could barely walk on it, and in the days that followed, it turned black and blue. It turns out I had broken it.
Given the fact I’m 23, it should take more than a stubbed toe to break a bone, but unfortunately, this time it didn’t. It made me realize how important it is to take care of your bones, and based on this incident, I probably haven’t been doing a good job of it. Below are a couple of foods I’ll be eating to support bone health, and I hope you will too.
Yogurt
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Yogurt is a great source of vitamin D and calcium, both of which are amazing for bone health. Although Greek yogurt is higher in protein, it is not as helpful for bone health, as it has lower vitamin D content. Consider a low sugar, plain or honey flavored variety of yogurt for bone health. Other dairy products like milk and cheese also offer plenty of calcium and vitamin D.
Salmon
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A 3 oz. piece of salmon contains 100% of the recommended daily value of vitamin D. That means in addition to being heart healthy, salmon is great for bone health as well.
Spinach
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Who knew spinach could be good for your bones? One cup of cooked spinach is enough to provide 25% of the recommended daily value of calcium, and spinach is also an excellent source of fiber, iron, and vitamin A.
Orange Juice
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This is the one time where store-bought is better than fresh-squeezed. Juice from the grocery store is often fortified with both calcium and vitamin D. Additionally, OJ contains ascorbic acid. Studies have shown that ascorbic acid can help the body efficiently absorb calcium, which makes fortified orange juice even better for your bones.
Tuna
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Another fish. Tuna is an excellent source of vitamin D, and it provides 39% of the recommended daily value of this vitamin.
