By You don’t have to eat animal protein to build strong bones
Although this isn’t meant to be a cop-out for all meat eaters, I wanted to emphasise an important point — backed by science.
We all know that high levels of plant-based foods — including nuts, seeds and pulses are essential for better health and longevity.
But people aren’t eating enough plants to make a bigger difference.
What you need to do to build stronger bones
We should slightly lower our animal protein intake to leave ample room for increasing plant variations. That could be different coloured vegetables, lentils for dinner, beans or even fermented foods.
These combinations build healthy gut bacteria, prevent disease and cancer, and increase longevity.
Veganism may be a slow-growing trend right now, with only about 6 per cent of Americans embracing a completely plant-based lifestyle — but you don’t need to go that far.
It’s not just food – there is something else that helps
Most people experience bone density and fracture risk when focusing only on plant foods.
In addition, the lack of key nutrients can leave certain people worse off when they start the plant-based journey.
The research took 43 men and women on a plant-based diet and 45 men and women on an omnivore diet & assessed their lifestyles.
They found vegan participants who did resistance training exercises through the machine, free weight and body weight resistance exercises at least once a week had stronger bones than those who did not.
They also found vegans and omnivores who engaged in resistant training had similar bone structures.
People who adhere to a vegan lifestyle must emphasise resistance training to preserve strength and bone size. If you are a woman going through menopause right now, lifting weights is ESSENTIAL for you.
Key take away
So, as you can see, research has proven that bone strength occurs when you lift weight regularly — and isn’t governed entirely by the macronutrients you’re eating.
That being said, you obviously will change your eating habits by whatever goals may be necessary for you to achieve.
If it’s building muscle, you must increase your protein intake somewhat. But your goal isn’t that different for those on a weight loss mission.
The plan includes protein intake, watching your caloric intake, and ensuring you do the necessary activity.
Lifting weights helps build your bone strength and increases muscle mass — over the long term, that’s a lot more beneficial than doing endless cardio for weight loss.
Gauge your goals carefully, and only perform what is necessary without sacrificing muscle and bone density.
These two key elements will keep you healthy throughout your life. Make them your number one priority.
It’s never too late to start lifting weights, guys. Catching up to your senior trainers won’t take long at all.
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