Nice tip from Marilyn Glenville in my inbox today for you on two easy ways to keep your bones nice and strong:
Simple Ways to Protect Against Osteoporosis
If you are close to the menopause, making two simple lifestyle changes can help to protect your bones from the “silent killer” that is osteoporosis. Low-key exercise – such as walking – can protect the health of your bones before the menopause begins and eating a Mediterranean diet, rich in olive oil, can have a similar effect. Even doing just two hours of physical activity a week is enough to improve the health of bones, and the improvements are measurable within eight weeks, say researchers from the King Abdulaziz University in Saudi Arabia.
In a separate study, eating a Mediterranean diet for two years can also protect bones. Regularly eating fruits and vegetables, while also consuming plenty of olives and olive oil, can help protect bones against osteoporosis. They key to the diet could be the olive oil, say researchers from the Dr Josep Trueta Hospital in Girona, Spain. A group of 127 participants regularly consumed one of three healthy diets: Mediterranean with nuts, Mediterranean with olive oil and a low-fat diet. Those on the Mediterranean/olive oil diet had the best bone health after two years.
(Source: October, 2012 edition of Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism).
For more on osteoporosis generally, see here and here for why taking calcium is not as effective as you think it is.