Are you aware that the U.S. Department of Agriculture has replaced the old food pyramid with the MyPlate guidelines? These new guidelines are designed to help you eat healthier and to consume the right amount of calories for you. When you improve the way you eat, you can lower your risk of chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease, obesity, osteoporosis and some cancers.
Plus, when you eat a healthier diet, you’re ensuring that your body gets the vitamins and minerals it needs to:
- Build muscle tone
- Maintain healthy nerve function
- Form healthy blood and strong bones
So if you want a healthy body that includes strong bones, joints and muscles, follow these guidelines to eat healthier meals.
Fill half of your plate with fruits and vegetables.
- For stronger bones, choose calcium-rich fruits and veggies like broccoli, kale, beet greens, figs and calcium-fortified fruit juices.
- Collagen is needed for healthy bones, cartilage, muscles and blood vessels. The formation of collagen requires vitamin C which is found in citrus fruits, berries, tomatoes, cauliflower, potatoes, green leafy vegetables and peppers.
- For efficient muscles and nerve function, choose magnesium-rich foods like spinach, Swiss chard, artichokes and prune juice.
- To protect your bones from fracture, choose vitamin K-rich foods like spinach, cabbage, kale, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, avocado, parsley, kiwi and grapes.
Slightly less than one-fourth of your place should be lean protein like lean beef and pork, chicken, turkey, beans or tofu. Eat seafood twice a week.
- For optimal muscle and nerve function, choose calcium-rich foods like sardines, canned salmon with bones, almonds and tofu products fortified with calcium.
- To help maintain the formation of healthy bones, choose vitamin D-rich foods, like sardines, salmon, herring, tuna and eggs.
- To help relieve joint and muscle pain and discomfort, choose foods rich in essential fatty acids like sardines, herring, mackerel and seeds.
- For increased magnesium for better muscle function, choose black beans, soybeans or pumpkin seeds.
Over one-fourth of your plate should be grains. Make at least half of the grains you eat whole grains. Look for products that say “100% whole grain” or “100% whole wheat.”
- For more calcium, choose calcium-fortified breads, waffles and cereals.
- Choose quinoa, millet, buckwheat and brown rice for more magnesium.
Don’t forget to add diary to your diet like a glass of low-fat (1%) milk.
- High in calcium for better bone, muscle and joint health, choose fat-free or low-fat dairy products like milk, yogurt and cheese.
- To promote calcium absorption, choose dairy products that are fortified with vitamin D.
It’s never too late to make positive changes to your eating habits. So start today to reduce future problems with your bones, joints, tendons and muscles.
ezWalker® Performance Insoles – Nutrition in Your Shoes
Similar to how healthy meals provide your body with the right nutrition, ezWalker® Performance Insoles are like added nutrition to your shoes to help support your feet. These insoles are biomechanically designed to guide your feet into better alignment – providing your arches with the proper support they need while reducing stress on your bones and joints.
When you eat too much of the wrong foods like fats and sugars you increase your risk of diseases. Similarly, when you walk with improper biomechanics of the foot, you can develop foot conditions like corns, calluses, bunions and plantar fasciitis. But proactive use of ezWalker® custom orthotics can reduce your risk of developing these conditions and relieve any foot pain you may experience. So order your pair of ezWalker® insoles today.
Because … when your feet feel good, you feel good.
