A common misconception is that your bones are strengthened only from calcium. This is not completely true. Calcium does strengthen bones; however, super foods play a huge role in your bone health. Eating a healthy diet also helps in the prevention of osteoporosis, a painful disease where your bones deteriorate over time.
Avoid or reduce the consumption of foods that are high in sugar and white flour. Sweets such as cookies, candy, cake, and ice cream all contain very high amounts of sugar. If you wish for something sweet, go for something that has a natural sweetener in it. Natural sweeteners are honey (not for diabetics), brown rice syrup, stevia, real fruit juice, applesauce or other natural fruit sauce, and sugar that states it is less processed.
White flour products are almost all bread and bread items. Look for ones that say they are 100% whole grains. Assume it’s 100% white flour, unless it says otherwise on the package. Soft drinks and sugary drinks are also out of the question. Because soft drinks are liquid, not solid, they get into your blood faster than food does. When you consume these sugary and white flour foods, the acid in the blood pH level rises. This causes your body to be out of balance. Your body then looks for and grabs any calcium and magnesium it can find. Guess where your body stores calcium and magnesium? Your bones! Your body actually pulls calcium and magnesium out of your bones to restores your blood pH balance, leading to further bone deterioration, and therefore osteoporosis.
Eat a healthy diet. Focus on fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables, whole grains, low fat meats or protein sources, and desserts made from natural sweeteners. Drink healthy drinks such as water, real fruit juice, and herbal decaffeinated teas. Try making your own smoothies from fresh fruit and yogurt.
Include the following super foods in your diet. Broccoli, celery, cabbage, and most other dark green leafy vegetables are full of calcium and will balance your body’s pH. Attempt to get as much calcium as you can from foods, rather than from pills. Your body doesn’t like to be either too acid or too alkaline. Most bread, dairy, and meat sources are acidic. All fruits and vegetables are alkaline. Therefore, try to eat from both acidic and alkaline food sources to keep your body’s pH in balance and to help with the prevention of osteoporosis.
By Sally Knitter,
