It is no secret that our bodies change as we age.

Some changes are noticeable such as gray hair and wrinkles, while others are more subtle such as changes to our muscles, bones, and joints. Muscles shrink and lose mass while tendons lose water content, causing us to become weaker, less coordinated, and less flexible over time. Bones are also constantly changing with an increased loss of bone starting after the age of 30 and particularly in women after menopause. As the mineral content in our bones decreases, we are more susceptible to bones breaking, height decreases, and bent posture. All of these changes can contribute to an increased risk of injury due to arthritis pain, decreases reflexes, involuntary movements, osteoporosis, increased risk of falls, and bones breaking.

Nutrition and exercise play a key role in improving your bone health.

¯ Talk to you doctor about your bone health. Ask for a bone density test and check your Vitamin D levels in your bloodwork. Have your hearing and vision checked once a year.

¯ If you smoke, quit! Limit alcohol intake to one drink per day for women and two drinks per day for men.

¯ Fall proof your home.

¯ Participate daily in walking, stretching, balance training and resistance exercises.

¯ Include the seven key nutrients important for bone health in your diet:

Calcium: You need about four servings of low-fat dairy products daily to provide you with 800-1200 mg daily. Most diets only provide half of your Calcium needs. Keep in mind your gut only absorbs up to 500mg at a time, so spread out your foods or supplements rich in Calcium throughout the day.

Vitamin D: The majority of your Vitamin D comes from sun exposure. You may consider a Vitamin D supplement to meet the 800-2000 IU’s needed daily.

Magnesium: Including beans, nuts, seeds, whole grains as well as spinach, tomato, and banana can help you meet your magnesium needs. Many multivitamins have about 25% of what you need daily.

Vitamin K: Choosing foods from the Green Vegetable subgroup from www.choosemyplate.com such as spinach, broccoli, kale, endive, and cabbage have high levels of Vitamin K. Many multivitamins have 25-50% of what you need daily.

Zinc: While meats and seafood have the highest levels of zinc, you can also find zinc in beans, nuts, whole grains, and fortified breakfast cereals. Many of your multivitamins contain nearly 100% of your daily needs.

Manganese: Whole grains such as wheat, barley, oats, brown rice and rye have the highest levels, but you can also find manganese in soybean, beans and nuts. Many of your multivitamins contain nearly 100% of your daily needs.

Boron: Trace elements like Boron are needed in small amounts by the body and are likely not found in many multivitamin supplements. Foods that contain high levels of Boron include prunes, raisins, almonds, peanuts, apples, peaches, and pears.

Please remember to contribute toward your OFA nutrition services if you can. These programs are not sustainable at current levels without the support of participant contributions. Be aware that Food Stamps can be used toward your contribution. Thank you for your support.