It's never too early to improve the health of your bones.  According to the National Osteporosis Foundation, 85% of bone mass has been achieved by girls at age 18 and boys by the time they reach 20. 
 

Calcium and Vitamin D

How much calcium and vitamin D do you need every day? 

Depending upon your age and gender you need from 700 to 1,300 mg of calcium daily.  The nutrition facts label is based upon 1,000 mg of calcium daily.

Good sources of calcium include; non-fat dairy products such as,  yogurt, milk and cheese. An 8oz. serving  of non-fat plain yogurt can provide as much 400 mg of calcium. 

Check the label, different  brands will provide different levels of nutrients and calories.

Many foods are fortified with calcium.  Fortified foods such as orange juice and ready-to-eat cereal can be good sources as well.  Again, check the label to find the best source of calcium.

Other sources of calcium include: collard greens, turnip greens, kale, okra, chinese cabbage, mustard greens and broccoli.

How much vitamin D do you need?    Your body needs vitamin D to absorb calcium.  According to the Institute of Medicine recommendations, most healthy adults need 600 IU of vitamin D daily.

There are three ways to get vitamin D:

• Sunlight
• Food
• Supplements and medications

Your skin makes vitamin D with the u-v light in sunlight.  Your body can store the vitamin and use it later.  Vitamin D production is different depending upon where you live.

Vitamin D is found naturally in a few foods.  Some food sources include fatty fish such as wild-caught mackerel, salmon and tuna.  Vitamin D is also added to milk and other dairy products, orange juice and some cereals.

Check the food label to see if vitamin D has been added.  The daily value is based on a a total daily intake of 400 IU of vitamin D.

You may be at risk of vitamin D deficiency if you:

• spend little time in the sun
• live in nursing homes or homebound 
• have very dark skin
• are obese or very overweight  
   

For more ways to add low-fat dairy products in your day check out the Oliver Foundation website.

Bone is living tissue just like muscle.  The more you use muscles the stronger and bigger they get.  Its the same for bones.  Bones need exercise too. 

What type of exercise works best for your bone health?  Impact exercises - that can be either using your own body weight or more resistance. 

Weight-bearing exercises include both high and low-impact exercises.  Such as: 

High-Impact                               Low-Impact

Dancing                                     Elliptical training machines

Hiking                                       Low-impact aerobics

Jogging/running                         Fast walking on a treadmill