As a woman I'm sure you are aware of osteoporosis, a disease that is mainly characterized by a loss of bone density which then leads to brittle bones. It mostly affects older women, but what we eat throughout our lives makes a difference in how at risk we'll be for this condition later on.

To keep your bones strong, your body needs both calcium and vitamin D. The calcium is one of the major components of our bones and the Vitamin D is needed to allow your body to absorb the calcium into the blood stream (which of course then transports it to the bones).

The best way to make sure your getting enough of both is to eat foods rich in those nutrients. Foods high in calcium include milk, cheese, yogurt, green vegetables like broccoli and kale as well as certain fish including sardines and salmon. Salmon and milk also include Vitamin D as do egg yolks, liver and cold saltwater fish like tuna and halibut.

Making sure you include as many of the above food items as possible into a balanced diet is one of the best things you can do to keep your bones strong. Here are some ideas ....

For breakfast, make a yogurt and fruit smoothie, eat a bowl of cereal with milk, or use low fat milk instead of water to make pancakes.

Snack on a yogurt parfait or some cottage cheese with fruit, cheese and cracker etc.

Cook some fish for dinner once a week and serve it with some steamed broccoli or over a bed of steamed collard greens.

Get in the habit of drinking a glass of low-fat milk once a day is also a good option.

Making those small changes in your diet will provide your body with plenty of calcium and vitamin D and keep those bones strong and healthy.

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