Cheese Burgers Fight Cancer - Yeah Right!

I went into a burger store yesterday, only to find them hanging this cut magazine article beautifully framed on their wall!

At first, you would be like YEY! But NO.

So what the writers of this article did is:

• They linked a study that showed that Menaquinone, a type of vitamin K, can aid the body in preventing tumor development and decrease 28 % of cancer mortality. 
• Then they continued to suggest that since menaquinone is found in red meat (as well as frankfurters, salami, pepperoni, pork meat, cream cheese, chicken, corndogs, KFC chicken and so forth)
  >> THEN consequently your burger is "your weapon of choice" against cancer!
• They continue to advise that you can have their lovely red wine to help 'steer' your body against cancer

These simply are incomplete scientific facts.

It's like suggesting that because chocolate contains cocoa [which has antioxidant capacity] then you can go for chocolate to fight off unwanted cell mutations and cancer!

So let's state some "Red meat VS. Cancer" updates:

• Consumption of red meat is association with an increased risk of mortality, cardiovascular diseases and cancer - JAMA International Medicine
• Having red meat [like beef, pork, lamb and hamburgers] increased the chances of premature death by 13 % - Harvard Health Publications
• Dietary proteins and dietary iron in red meat are linked to an increased risk of bladder cancer - Science Daily
• Consumption of processed meats increased premature death by 44 % - Medlineplus
• Eating lots of red meat will increase the risk of kidney cancer - Reuters
• Increased risk of prostate cancer as well - Oxford Journals [Red meat is on a roll here!]
• Ovarian and Uterine Cancer as well - American Cancer Society
• Another increase in 12-17% of colorectal cancer! - CEBP Journals and another study shows an increase of 20 % of colon cancer - Harvard Health Publications
• And a possible increase in Stroke and CVD on another note - American Heart Association Journals

And yet the meat industry, particularly Janet Riley from the American Meat Institute, suggests that all these studies are just "statistical noise". The "Meat and Livestock Association" also believe that all this fuss about meat is unnecessary. It's weird how consistent this noise seems to be! 

Of course, adapting an unhealthy lifestyle is a major factor in cancer and premature death risk. Having a "Western" lifestyle, junk food, processed food, refined sugar, high intake of alcohol, low intake of fruits, veggies and fiber along with detrimental behavioral factors like low physical activity, smoking and obesity will definitely affect your cancer risk.

Bottom Line: 

Swapping red meat with another source of protein is best advised to reduce your risk of early death - Cancer Research UK! You can check here what the American Cancer Society advises to cut down your cancer risk for red meat is ONE factor among many - but still a controllable & changeable risk factor for that matter given that 43 % of deaths associated with red meat can be prevented by cutting it down!
If you wish to have your red meat burger once in a while, make sure the meat is not fried, even pan-fried, nor chargrilled. Broiling, baking or poaching meats is the safest!

So, having more red-meat free days is a must! Have plant based protein sources like beans, legumes, & nuts as well as fish, chicken and low fat dairy would still be a better bet for you than any red meat [beef, pork, lamb] and processed meat! - Harvard Health Publications

Money TALKS - When Food Companies Dictate What "Healthy" Is!!

Almost all what we learn as dietitians in Lebanon is based on books, studies, courses and articles all funded/made by the USA. And consequently almost all LDs [Licensed Dietitians, what we are called after we complete our BS, internship & colloquium exam held at the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health] in Lebanon are "taught" to look up to RDs [Registered Dietitians, what American/Canadian dietitians are called after they complete their BS, internship & register in the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics] - you know, given that AND & the USDA decide what we are "taught" is healthy or not.

Well, Michele Simon - Public Health attorney & president of Eat, Drink, Politics  - has hit AND with an eye-opening report just this month: And Now a Word from Our Sponsors: Are America’s Nutrition Professionals in the Pocket of Big Food?

AND's loyal sponsors
Source: Michele Simon's report

What is intriguing is AND's sponsors who may influence AND's 74,000 members [RDs], hence the message they spread about health!
Among AND's sponsors are [just to name a few]

• National Dairy Council
• National Cattleman's Beef Association
• ConAgra
• General Mills
• Kellogg's
• Coca-Cola
• Pepsi Co.
• Nestle
• Mars
• Abbott
• Hershey's
• Krafts Foods 

And yes, all are approved companies to give continuing education courses to AND members! Page 12 in the report gives you a small glimpse on how continuing education courses offered by Coca-Cola 'professionals' convey that sugar is harmless to kids!

What's even more interesting is that in Lebanon, we do the same!
MONEY TALKS! Oldways, Coca-Cola and Abbott have sponsored the very 3 last conferences held by the the Lebanese Association for Nutrition and Food Sciences [LANFS, soon to be renamed to LAND, Lebanese Academy for Nutrition and Dietetics - the only association for Licensed Dietitians in Lebanon]

Back in April 2011 for instance, Oldways ["A nonprofit food and nutrition education organization, with a mission to guide people to good health through heritage" as their website notes], hosted a conference in association with the LANFS and the American University of Beirut about " Basics of Balanced and Sensible Nutrition".

I remember Coca-Cola had few talks in this conference concerning how their drinks could be incorporated in a healthy diet to ensure proper hydration, that their caramelized added colors are non-cancerous and that sugar does not contribute to obesity! Everybody who attended was frustrated for days afterwards, thank god for some critical thinking!
I was able to retrieve the conference's program from AUB's website, and cropped Coca-Cola's talks!

Now the LANFS makes sure that sponsoring companies do not interfere with the content of the speakers it invites, yet succumbs to the sponsors' talks. Advertising that sodas could contribute to one's usual hydration is not OK, but this false message was direct & attendees found it easy to detect the marketing techniques. But what about hidden messages that most of us dietitians are programmed not to detect! It's pathetic to let big food companies influence what healthy recommendations are! Huge companies influence huge health associations like AND which influence everything we are taught to teach! We are being taught what to convey to the public by what US gigantic food companies require us to market! Most dietitians here let their clients have diets sodas in their diets (Coca-Cola/PepsiCo.), preach to have 3 servings of dairy products per day (as per the Dairy Council's advise of course/ although more studies are decreasing this recommendation to a maximum of 1 serving/day post coming soon) & require them to have lean red meat as a good source of protein (Beef Council) - just to name a few!

It's about time we think for ourselves & check different schools than "those funded by food companies"!  The report is a must read for all dietitians, for most of us recommend BLINDLY what the USDA & AND dictate. There's no major research done in Lebanon, and those done are funded by Mama Food Companies like Nestle & Coca-Cola. So we base our studies on AND's work which are apparently taking their OK from bigger Mama companies. The chain seems corrupted. So research more for yourself & look up different schools. There's no harm in knowing the 2 sides of this major story and THEN decide for yourself - with critical thinking - what real food and healthy is!

A magic pill exists after all!

If you want to decrease your risk of

• Arthritis by 47 %
• Dementia and Alzheimer's by 50 %
• Diabetes by 58 %
• 41 % of hip fracture if you're post-menopausal
• Anxiety by 48 %
• Depression by 30-47 %
• 23 % of death
• Fatigue
• Cancer

Watch Dr. Mike Evan's 10-minute awesome video to get your magic pill!

References: 

CBC News

Winter Exercising, the right way!

Nancy Clark is a complete sports nutrition genius [most of the times]! So I'm reading a lot of her work, articles & books lately!

When the temperature drops outside, the last thing we want to do is get detached from the warmth of our homes; however, given that I vowed to increase my physical activity this year and that I prefer exercising outside as opposed to the gym, learning 'how' to exercise in the cold is a must!! 

Hiking in Barouk, Chouf - Lebanon
Shot by Bassam ZeinEddine

Winter Hydration - To start with, keep in mind that cold reduces the thirst mechanism; you will feel less thirsty and may not think to drink more often even if you are sweating. This actually happens with me all the time so whenever I am exercising outside during winter – whether bicycling, hiking, running or skiing, I am doing my best to consciously consume fluids to replace what is lost from sweat as well as water vapour exhaled when breathing. Nancy also suggests not to drink icy water, one that is kept in your backpack or on your bike. Instead, keep an insulated bottle of water filled with lukewarm/hot water to avoid any chills! Some choose to skip fluid breaks to minimize the need to urinate (yes, this is true!), but dehydration hurts one's performance so remember to drink!

Winter Food – Fuel up on food before you start any exercise with a high carb, medium protein, low fat meal. Not only does food provide you with fuel to pump up your exercise, but it also generates 10% extra body heart, aka thermogenesis for warmth, just 30-60 minutes after you eat!

For example, I am having 3 hours before my workout:

- peanut butter & toast with an apple/banana
- yogurt with fruit & almonds
- sandwich of thyme & oil/cheese/labne with cucumber

Or an apple/banana/grapes before 30 minutes to an hour before my workout!

Now in your backpack, always keep a source of quick sugars, preferably fruits or dried fruits, but chocolate and energy bars can come in handy as emergency foods! I also tend to keep raw nuts, but I rarely eat them while hiking, it's right after I finish that I have my fruit &/or nuts. Now during winter, your energy needs do not increase per say; however when your body temperature decrease, you will start involuntarily moving to generate heat, which burns extra calories. In case your temperature further drops, you will start shivering which can burn up to 400 calories/hr depleting muscle glycogen, this is why emergency food is needed, especially if you are injured or get lost in the cold. Keep them in your backpack either way!

Dress for the weather – Hats, scarves, waterproof shoes, and lots of layers! Experts suggest that the 1^st layer (closest to your skin) should be made of a synthetic material (like polypropylene), not cotton, in order to minimize sweat contact. Fleece or wool is good as an insulating 2^nd layer, and a 3^rd top layer should ideally be made of a waterproof and breathable cloth. Lose heavy jackets for they will overheat you! Keep an extra dry layer in your backpack, you never know! Nancy suggests to lose layers as we become warmer, but this still depends on the weather outside.

Winter Recovery Foods – No cold/frozen food and fluids for they will definitely chill your body no matter how hot you think you are. Instead, have warm fluids, soups and food to replenish what you have burned. Carbs & proteins are both needed so you can go for oatmeal with nuts, lentils soup, pasta with meat red sauce, toast and eggs, or cheese & turkey heated sandwich!

Make sure to protect your skin from the sun, especially on higher altitudes! Winter is not a good excuse to dump your outdoor activities, after all, summer bodies are earned during winter!

Reference The Athlete's Kitchen 

Mindful Exercising this Winter

Whether you are kicking off your year with healthy and active resolutions or you decided to take things slow, exercising in a proper conscious way will help you make the most out of your workouts! When it comes to me, I decided to exercise more regularly this new year, and I'm off to a good start! I've walked, ran, hiked, bicycled, and lifted weights in just 2 weeks from new year's day!

Mindful exercising is when you are fully aware of what you are doing while exercising, without overthinking, with no judgement, no day dreaming, no random thoughts, no life distractions – it’s nothing but you, your body, your breath, your muscles and your exercise! It's actually hard to dominate at first, especially that I am used to think my life through when I am exercising. This is fine sometimes, especially if you’re being positive and motivated; nevertheless, focusing on yourself and your exercise is much more important to fully benefit! In fact, a study conducted by a Harvard psychologist was able to improve blood pressure & decrease body weight, body and waist circumference in women just by making them more aware of their regular physical activity! That's why mindful exercising is my primary goal this year.

Hiking in Marj Besri - Chouf, Lebanon
Shot by Ghandi Tarabay

To start with, the next time you hit the gym, hike, go for a jog or swim – learn the right techniques of the exercise you are engaged in. Wearing the right clothes, using the right gear and learning proper muscle techniques & moves are much needed to make the best out of your exercise.

In addition, listen to your body - whether in heart rate, joints, tension points, muscles stress, feeling of dizziness and thirst. For one, this will help you avoid overstressing your muscles and help you avoid injuries. It will also aid you in becoming more vigilant & aware of your surroundings, in improving your performance, in perfecting your reactions and thus making you a better athlete.

While exercising, focus on your breathing techniques as well. This seems the hardest for me so far! Feel your breath move in and out of your body. Pay attention to your nostrils as air passes in and out. Notice the way your abdomen expands and collapses. Focus on the sound of your exhalation and inhalation. When your mind wanders, unconscious breathing will follow your heart beats, leading to shorter and faster inhalations and exhalations - my obstacle :p. Redirect your attention to your breath and expand breathing. This will allow proper flow of oxygen in and carbon dioxide out. This will also help in pumping blood more efficiently throughout your body.

Focus on the here and now of exercising - what your body is doing and how your brain is reacting. With time, mindfulness in your exercise will become effortless. Attend your full range of sensations into what you are doing! Muscles, heart beat, breath, sweat! This will distract you from everyday challenges (which you have plenty of time to go back to!) while alleviating your stress and anxiety. 

I'll be looking more into winter exercises now that it snowed all over the place so I'm guessing my upcoming post will be icy!

Emotional vs. Physical Hunger

We all know that angry moment when all you want to do is stuff your face with that bucket of chocolate chip ice cream. Ice cream ranks first on the comfort food list, chocolate and cookies come next for women while pizzas and steaks are second for men. Nevertheless, we all agree that food does more than just fill the stomach; it’s highly influenced by our emotions and feelings.

Photo credit:
NCCU International Association

Emotional hunger can feel identical to physical hunger – unless, of course, you have learned to distinguish each type’s characteristics.

• Emotional hunger is triggered/ paired with an upsetting emotion – whether you picked a fight with your partner or failed at school. Physical hunger on the other side is triggered out of physical need.
• Emotional hunger is sudden and urgent - one minute you’re not hungry and the next you crave everything! You would want to eat right away to ease emotional pain with comfort food.
• Emotional hunger is all in your head and mouth – you crave the sweet taste of chocolate in your mouth or how cheesy that pizza would be rather than just filling the rumbling feeling you have when physically hungry.
•  Emotional hunger is selective – you crave specific foods, such as sweets, chocolate, pasta or fast foods like pizzas, burgers or fries and you wouldn't feel satisfied unless you consume that particular food. However, while your physical hunger is affected by your preferences, it is actually highly flexible to alternative options and ends when you feel full.
• Emotional hunger is quick, absent-minded and automatic with you nibbling on a whole bag of biscuits without even noticing or stopping when full! Whereas when you are physically hungry, you would be aware of how you are eating, what you've eaten and if you are still hungry.
• Last but not least, because emotional hunger involves bingeing on lots of empty calories, unhealthy sugars, salts and fats, it usually ends with a huge sense of guilt while if you are eating to fulfill hunger, you know it’s a necessity to provide your body with the right amount of fuel it needs.

Therefore, next time you’re upset or angry and you feel sudden hunger, stop for a split of a second and assess your hunger –
Am I PHYSICALLY hungry or am I just feeding my EMOTIONS?

Making the Best Out of Pomegranates this Season!

It's pomegranate's season in Lebanon now, and it's by far the best fruit of the season! Pomegranates come in both sweet and sour flavors - sour being my favorite. 

Nutrition Facts

To start with, the crown-like structure on the top of the pomegranate before you crack it open is called calyx, the seeds are called arils and the white, rather bitter, outer layer surrounding the arils is called albedo.

Now that you cracked it open, pick your arils, ditch the albedo and you're in for about a 100-calorie treat, with vitamin C, vitamin K, folates and a tiny bit of vitamin A, potassium, copper, manganese and iron!

Health Benefits

• Because of its high content of antioxidants such as phenolic acids, anthocyanins, punicalgins and ellagitannins, its juice has been associated with a decreased risk of prostate cancer tumor growth as well as metastasis in breast cancer.
• Studies have been also analyzing pomegranate's hypoglycemic effect, such that it may benefit diabetes type 2 and metabolic syndrome by increasing insulin sensitivity and affecting glucose transporters.
• Pomegranate juice can aid in decreasing LDL's oxidation which further helps in decreasing plaque formation and atherosclerosis overall and aid in better blood pumping to the heart.
• Pomegranates may also help in decreasing blood pressure.
• It's also associated with a decreased risk of total body inflammation.
• Pomegranates possess antibacterial and antiviral characteristics.

Pomegranate sprinkled on Baba Ghannouj 

Quick Eating Tips

• Arils can be eaten as such, yummier with your hands - but beware, they sure stain everything around!
• Added to any salad type, fattouch and tabboule.
• Best part, sprinkled on hummus and baba ghanouj!
• They can be added to yogurt or labne, and fresh mint.
• Mixed with boiled whole rice/oatmeal/whole wheat grains, blossom water and raw nuts (almonds, walnuts and pine nuts being my favorites)
• Added to melted chocolate buttons, nuts fit in there too.
• Mixed with cakes, cookies, granola bars, pies, mhallabiye, apple or banana crumbles, brownies, ice cream and cheesecake toppings.
• Can be squeezed into a juice by blending arils or hand pressing them and then straining the juice.

3 Food & Health Events I'm Attending this Month

There are 3 events I will definitely be attending this upcoming month - all about food, nutrition, health and cooking!

To start with, the In Shape Fair is in just couple of days. You can find diet companies, healthy programs and fit outings that have to do with nutrition, health and exercise! The best part in this fair, for me of course, is Radical's 3 hours of exercise that will take place on Saturday form 2 till 5.30 pm! Sure the live cooking is yum in this fair, but during this event, you actually exercise with Radical's team, with your friends and with everyone there! This takes place every year and is super fun! Just make sure to go dressed very sporty from head to toe, you'll burn off tons of calories on their excellent beats!

** You can check more about this fair on their website, its program and In Shape's facebook page as well!

The 2nd event I'm looking forward too is Pasta Making!!

Well we usually get our pasta dried and packed, straight from the supermarket so this will be the excellent opportunity to actually make this delicious meal from scratch!

I think Souk El Tayeb and Mira aim to celebrate World Pasta Day that happens to take place on the 25th of October, so it's a great idea to barge in, make me some pasta and have it too!

** You can check more about Souk El Tayeb and their delicious events on their facebook page and their website.

The 3rd yum event this month is the Beirut Cooking Festival! Here you'll get to know more about fine dining, exquisite cooking and super talented chefs in Lebanon! Needless to say, this festival gathers celebrity chefs who give you workshops on delicious recipes and show you how the pro's do them! They also offer wine and olive tasting sessions. The fun part are the cooking competitions they hold and the best one is the beautiful cookbooks corner they have!

** You can check more about this yum festival on their facebook page, their brochure and their website!

Happy 2nd Blog-aversay to Us!

Don't let his small size fool you! SnubarMan - in particular pine nuts - are nutrient dense, rich in calories (with 60 calories in just 1 tablespoon) mainly because of their high content of the good kinda fat, the monounsaturated ones. It has the highest content of proteins among the nuts kingdom & it's rich in vitamin E, vitamin K, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Zinc, Copper and Manganese.
It is quite nutritious so you can sprinkle some pine nuts in your salad, hummus, kibbe, fish and even with sweet snacks such as yogurt and dried fruits.

Anyhoo, point is, SnubarMan just dropped by to wish us a Happy 2nd Blog-aversary! :)

SnubarMan Illustrated by Rodrigue Harb - Left Hand Red Nose

Healthy Green Fig Jam!

It's figs season now in Lebanon and we all know how moms and tetas rush to turn seasonal fruits into jams. Commonly jams are made with sugar, half-half. However, I found this recipe made 100 % from fruit!

Illustration by Rodrigue Harb - Left Hand Red Nose

It tastes yum, especially with walnuts and tahina! However, keep in mind that since sugar is not actually added to this recipe, its storage and expiry date are definitely different. You can store these fresh fig jam jars in a cool dry place up to one year, if still intact. Now once you open them, you better eat them in couple of days tops and store the jar in the fridge meanwhile. This is why go for smaller cuty-pie jars, you'll practice portion control!

Why I'm Still Pro-Organic Food

Everybody’s asking about organic food today, especially after this all-famous study that suggested that organic food is nothing special and does not offer better nutritional value when compared with non-organic traditionally grown ones. Well, for me, choosing to go for organic food [and being able to afford them for that matter, let’s be frank, they are more expensive!] was never about more or less nutrients.

Let’s say both provide us the ‘same’ amount of nutrients, just like Stanford suggested. However, whenever I can choose organic – money-wise and availability - I go for it and here’s why:

Photo credit: 
bloggingfairtradelebanon

• To avoid questionable chemical pesticides in produce. Recent studies are even linking pesticides exposure to diabetes type 2!
• To avoid antibiotic resistant bugs + antibiotics + hormones IF I decide to have meat.
• To avoid human sewage, given that organic certifications ban the use of sewage sludge. And yes, in case you are wondering, organic certifications are applied in Lebanon by 2 bodies, check Libancert and IMC for more info on that.
• No irradiation allowed.
• Definitely no GMOs!
• And last but now least, the advantage in Lebanon is that we all know someone who plants fruits and vegetables at the comfort of their own homes, well at least I do. Better yet, we can plant our own – my family already does that so I have no excuses not to have me some ‘better’ quality of the ‘same’ nutritious food.

The study was conducted abroad so I really don't know how much of it applies for crops and meats in Lebanon. However, it also suggested that levels of pesticides and antibiotics in non-organic foods are within safety limits. Well, no, I don't get that. If you can avoid crap then do so. Now no need to be a freak about it, it is OK not to have non-organic food from time to time; our bodies can handle cleaning crap. But with today's pollutants everywhere, I suggest we give this body more breaks - breaks from toxins, pesticides, antibiotics, dyes, additives and industrial/environmental/chemical crap!

Photo credit:
http://www.personal.psu.edu

Your body is your vehicle and you gotta take care of it so bombarding the organic industry for wanting less crap in food is ridiculous.

Bottom Line

I'm one of those pro-organic, whenever possible and feasible, of course.

• If you can afford organic food, then do so.
• If you can choose less processed foods, less crappy, less toxins, less pesticides, less antibiotics, less synthetic additives, less dyes, no GMOs, then do so.
• If you can grow your own in your backyard, garden, balcony - and check Vertical Veg for that matter, then do so!

Health Halo ... in 'Low-Fat' Foods

Low fat foods are a trend now - they are more available and more customers are asking for them. They are labeled as 'low-fat', 'reduced fat', 'light' or 'lite'. But what you may disregard is that foods with fat extracted from them will have to increase ‘something’ during processing - whether sugar, salt and/or artificial ingredients and flavors - to compensate for any loss in taste! In fact, not only do lipids make the food taste better, but they also give a delicious slippery texture on the tongue and throat. Therefore, new flavors and ingredients must be added to get customers to buy such products - taste and mouthfeel. The highly used ingredients added are commonly high-fructose corn syrup, sodium and artificial sweeteners. So, if you want to have low-fat foods, keep in mind to assess how much you, your health, your weight loss/maintenance program and your body need that extra ingredient you’re about to have.

Photo credit: lifehacker.com

On another hand, a study from Cornell Univeristy shows that when foods are labelled as ‘low-fat’, people were less guilty to eat them, they were encouraged to eat up to 50 % more and they took around 90 extra calories than they would have had if that claim was just not present on the food label! This trick is called Health Halo: when customers check such claims, they automatically underestimate the caloric content – consequently eating more.


Bottom line

1- Know what such claims mean for the nutrient you're looking for. 'Low, Little, Fewer' adjectives are different than 'Lower, Reduced' claims as well as they are different when describing fat, saturated fat, cholesterol or calories. So check this FDA's explanation sheet to understand more what each claim for each nutrient REALLY means. Therefore, read your food label properly – the food product might have lower nutrient or fat content than the original product and not in absolute content.

2- Don’t freak out from fats. Go for healthy ones – olive oil, olives, avocados  nuts, seeds and sunflower/corn/canola oils while ditching trans and saturated fats from fried, junk, refined and fast food! Your body requires them; they are much needed in absorbing vitamins A, D, E and K, protecting your organs, providing your with energy, producing hormones, developing your brain and in maintaining healthy cells and skin.

Don’t take low-fat foods for granted and definitely don’t treat them as free food!

Not Your Everyday Bone-Boosters

Bone-boosting starts when young
Photo credit: freshhealthyvending.com

It is commonly known that if you want to ensure strong bones, calcium is the boss. Now roughly, bones are half mineral deposit (calcium phosphate) and half proteins (mainly collagen), surrounded by muscular tissues. This physiology description is probably not new – however, when it comes to bone health, everyone seems to focus on calcium from milk, labne and cheeses. Little do they know that bone boosting goes beyond dairy consumption. Thus, what we need to focus on is how to absorb bone boosting nutrients, how to maintain their deposition and finally how to ensure bones a solid environment to sustain us through adulthood.

Absorption in the Intestines

To start with, vitamin D is much needed to ensure proper calcium absorption in the intestines. However, vitamin D is not widely spread in food so make sure to have fatty fish, sardines or tuna. In fact, canned sardines, with their tiny edible bones, can provide you with ample of vitamin D and calcium so make sure to have these bones too!

Recent research from Spain shows that consumption of olive oil, part of a Mediterranean diet, may strengthen the bones by being a vehicle for fat soluble vitamins, such as vitamin D. Consequently, this may increase the concentration of osteocalcin, a biomarker of healthy bones.

Sneak Peek on the Inside 

Given that bones are half proteins on their inside, consuming adequate amounts of dietary proteins is a must. On the other side, make sure to have enough vitamin C, such as citrus fruits (kiwi, oranges, berries), broccoli, green leafy veggies and bell peppers, to sustain healthy collagen formation as well as to prevent any bone loss. Vitamin K is needed as much to promote protein formation in the bones’ matrix. Green leafy vegetables such jews mallow (mloukhiye), chard, spinach and asparagus can provide your bones with this vitamin.

On the other hand, calcium is needed for mineral deposition. Yes, it can be found in milk and dairy products, but you can also get what your body needs from cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, nuts especially almonds, soy products like tofu and soybeans, beans, peas and sesame seeds. Calcium rich foods are often attributed to milk & dairy products, thanks to the lobbying of the Dairy Council! However, pay attention that many other foods provide you with the calcium your body needs!

Bone is boosted with regular exercise

Photo credit 

Furthermore, keep in mind that high sodium intake has been shown to increase the calcium excretion in the urine, therefore, decrease your salt intake especially from processed and junk food and increase potassium in your diet from potatoes, bananas, dried fruits, beets, orange, tomatoes and beans for it may counteract this calcium excretion mechanism. 

Cushion your Bones

Your bones lay within muscular tissues that cushion and protect them so have adequate proteins, magnesium and vitamin D. Strong muscles are resilient, thus bones within them are less likely to break upon shock.

Last but not least, bone health is sustained with regular physical activity, especially weight bearing ones such as jogging, running, rope skipping and jumping  – practically anything that exerts gravitational force on your bones!