bone-friendly diet

Ayurveda Guidelines for a Healthy Bone-Friendly Diet

As an Ayurveda doctor, I am observing an alarmingly increasing tendency over the recent years for people to develop bone-related disorders. Bones form the framework of our body; hence weakened bones will completely reduce your body’s strength and lead to all types of complications from osteoporosis to a crippling body pain. The best form of cure is definitely prevention, and in addition to a bone-friendly lifestyle, following a bone-friendly diet is critical. But what are the common causes of bone-related issues? Let’s take a look.

Common causes of bone-related issues and why bone-friendly diet

  1. Menopause: Menopause leads to a complete change in a woman’s hormonal profile, especially as a result of lack of estrogen production. As a result, the bones in women become weak and easily prone to injury
  2. Reduced intake of calcium and other bone-friendly elements: Calcium and Vitamin D are the core enablers of a healthy bone structure. If your daily diet does not include enough sources of these two food elements, then you definitely run the risk of facing a bone disorder.
  3. Certain conditions and drug increase the elimination of calcium in urine. If this does not get compensated with the right extent of intake, then the bone structure considerably weakens.
  4. A tendency for bone disorders such as osteoporosis is hereditary. Hence when you know that your chances of developing a bone disorder are high, it is better to develop a preventive plan.
  5. Poor lifestyle: A sedentary lifestyle, poor postures, and complete lack of physical exercise are all aggravating factors for bone disorders.
  6. Fall and accidents also lead to bone issues, where the bone formation process needs to be enabled with some additional nourishment.

So, now we know the common reasons why we worry about fortifying our bones. Let’s now look at some of the do’s and don’ts of bone nourishment and what a bone-friendly diet looks like.

Don’t

  1. Never go overboard with salt. Salt causes excessive elimination of calcium through the urine.
  2. Avoid cold and bitter-tasting food items
  3. Avoid alcohol and dried vegetables
  4. Avoid processed and canned foods

 

Do’s

  1. Eat nuts, green leafy vegetables, and dairy prodcuts so you get your regular intake of vitamin D.
  2. Don’t forget your ghee – include it in all your meals
  3. Sources of plant estrogens are great diet inclusions – for example, soyabeans and sesame seeds.
  4. Milk, buttermilk and all the milk products should be included generously in your diet.
  5. Always check the nutrition value on food packets to find the level of vitamin, salt, and calcium in them
  6. Include a lot of proteins in your food, from legumes to beans.
  7. Include a lot of fruits and vegetables in your diet; for example, bananas, papaya, watermelon, carrot, spinach, tomatoes, potatoes, and mushrooms
  8. Try adding a lot of brown rice in your diet
  9. Sesame is one of the best source of calcium, so add it liberally to your diet.
  10. Many herbs are precious in supporting strong bones; for example, triphala, aamla, ashwagandha, and brahmi are great sources of calcium.

 

Never ignore your bone since they form the foundation of your body. Hence in addition to a healthy lifestyle, follow a healthy and bone-friendly diet to keep all bone-related disorders at bay. To find out more about bone-friendly diet, please do connect with me at http://www.miayurveda.org/ or call me at +91-9444615161.