Breakfast Ideas for Strong Bones and Osteoporosis Prevention Osteoporosis is a major concern, the older you get. It causes your bones to become more brittle, increasing the likelihood of broken bones. You probably already know that vitamin D and calcium are the best nutrients for strengthening your bones. Getting more of these nutrients will help prevent osteoporosis and other bone related problems. While you could take a multi-vitamin, the healthier solution is to eat meals filled with nutrients. As it turns out, some of the foods containing the highest levels of calcium, vitamin D, and other vital nutrients are essential breakfast foods. Orange juice, cereal, milk, and yogurt are all great sources of healthy nutrients. If you prefer to keep your breakfast light, or already have a set morning meal, salmon and various cheese are also good options for getting vitamin D and calcium. Nutrient Rich Breakfast Ideas Take a look at each of these breakfast options and try to choose one for each day of the week. Also notice the included calcium content of each meal, when picking out your breakfast: • 1 cup of calcium-rich cereal (500 milligrams of calcium) • 8 ounces of soy milk (80 to 500 milligrams) • 1 cup of milk (300 milligrams) • 1 cup of yogurt (300 to 400 milligrams) • 8 ounces of orange juice (200 to 340 milligrams) Various cheeses, and even eggs, have vitamin D and calcium; though, in smaller amounts than the items listed above. Consider having a cheesy omelet or scrambled eggs served with a glass of milk or orange juice. That alone would likely add up to at least 500 milligrams of calcium. Searching for Your Own Calcium Rich Foods The foods listed may not include your preferred breakfast choices. When searching for your own calcium rich foods, pay attention to the food labels. Food labels often list calcium and other nutrients as a percentage of the daily recommended value. The standard recommended amount of calcium that an adult should consume each day is 1000 milligrams. So, if a food label states that the product as 25% of your daily recommended value of calcium per serving, it would have 250 mg of calcium. Add another decimal point to the end of the percentage, and you have your total per serving in milligrams. Additional Tips for Stronger Bones Along with a healthy breakfast, there are a few other tips you should follow for stronger bones. If you have already been diagnosed with osteoporosis, then you should consume 500 milligrams of calcium, three times a day. Make sure that each of your three meals is full of calcium to reverse the effects of osteoporosis. Strength training is another method that you can use for building bone strength. Regular exercise helps increase your flexibility, build muscle, and promotes stronger bone growth. The bottom line is that the key to strong bones is calcium and vitamin D. Get it any way you can, but preferably with your morning meal. Start basing your breakfasts around healthy foods that contain your essential nutrients, such as cereal, milk, and yogurt. Ward away osteoporosis and promote strong, healthy bones. References: http://www.webmd.com/osteoporosis/living-with-osteoporosis-7/diet-nutrition

5 Meals to Build Muscle

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While eating complex carbohydrates will help give you an energy boost for your day, eating protein packed meals will help you build muscle.  Eating an adequate amount of protein necessary to aid in building muscle doesn’t have to mean scarfing down a sirloin steak three times a day. There are many protein packed foods that don’t involve eating red meat – or eating meat at all for that matter.

Here are 5 meals that you can eat that will help you to build muscle without eating an over-zealous supply of red meat.

Turkey Ranch Wrap

A turkey ranch wrap is possibly the perfect muscle building meal. With an abundance of white, organic turkey, some fresh veggies, a whole wheat or veggie wrap and a bit of creamy ranch dressing, you can cover all of your food groups in one healthy shot.  Make turkey ranch wraps a staple on your weekly meal menu if you’re interested in building more muscle and eating healthier.

Tuna Salad Sandwich

Tuna Salad sandwiches are a terrific source of protein. Not only does tuna contain high amounts of protein, so does peas, which are often a staple of tuna salad. Add eggs in with your tuna salad and use kale in place of lettuce on the bread, and you’re adding even more healthy sources of muscle building protein into this great-tasting meal.

Vegetable Stir Fry

Contrary to popular belief, many vegetables are powerful sources of protein. Among the veggies you can add to your stir fry to help boost its protein content: broccoli, asparagus, kale, Brussel sprouts, artichokes, mushrooms and spinach. Those practicing a vegetarian lifestyle and those hoping to cut down on meat consumption might be happy to know that you can eat less meat and still get plenty of protein in your daily diet.

Avocado Smoothie

Adding avocados into your daily smoothie is one way you can help increase your protein intake. Because avocados can enhance sweet or salty recipes, an avocado smoothie can be made by using fruits such as bananas, strawberries and blueberries or by using veggies such as kale, carrots and cucumbers. The high protein content along with the versatile flavor of avocados make it the perfect addition to any smoothie recipe.

Spinach and Egg Omelet

Here’s a change up for your daily omelet. Heat up some olive oil, add in some fresh garlic, some fresh spinach and some red onion. Sauté just until the veggies begin to get soft, and add them to your egg or egg white omelet.  The flavor of the vegetables along with the protein packed ingredients will get your morning off to a powerful, energy-filled start, and give you enough strength to make it through your day with flying colors.

Adequate protein intake doesn’t just build muscle, it’s thought to help relieve muscle and joint pain as well. Protein packed, muscle-building meals (as we’ve learned from the recipe ideas above) don’t have to be hard work, and they don’t always have to include red meat. These easy-to-make muscle building meals will give you a new outlook on adding sufficient amounts of protein to your daily diet.

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