It’s time for one of our favourite summer traditions – Wimbledon! Whether you love it or not it’s still a great time to be thinking about maintaining healthy bones and joints.

Summer is a time when we want to be active and outdoors as much as possible and this is where the right nutrition can really help keep you mobile. Plus you might be dusting off your racket for a game of tennis!

Clinical nutritionist Suzie Sawyer shares her top tips for keeping your bones and joints strong and mobile this summer.

Boost your vitamin D

We know that vitamin D is the ‘sunshine vitamin’ because it’s predominantly made on the skin in the presence of sunshine. However, don’t be fooled that just because it’s summer, all will be fine with your vitamin D levels. It’s a well-accepted fact that at least 30% of the UK population are vitamin D-deficient all year round. This is partly because sun cream blocks its production but also because we’re not necessarily out in the sun that much. Plus, there’s mixed data on how much the body actually stores and what’s sufficient for our needs.

Vitamin D is absolutely essential for healthy bones and joints, mainly because of its activation of calcium. Therefore, ensure you’re eating plenty of vitamin D-rich foods such as liver, oily fish with bones (sardines are great), mushrooms and eggs. Plus, it’s a good insurance policy for your joints and bones to continue taking a supplement at the amount recommended by Public Health England of 10 micrograms daily. And, most importantly, try to spend around 15 minutes a day in the sun without sunscreen.

Load up on your greens

Green leafy vegetables are loaded with magnesium, a mineral that’s as important for the bones as vitamin D and calcium. Unfortunately it’s widely deficient in the UK population and this can cause joint stiffness, amongst other problems.

Broccoli, kale, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, Swiss chard and spinach are your bones’ best friends and they’re easy to include in the daily diet. Try making some cauliflower cheese (also rich in calcium), stir fried broccoli and chard with garlic and ginger, Brussels sprouts with bacon, or an omelette with spinach. These are all easy and super-healthy, nutrient-packed additions to your day!

Oil up your joints

Like any ‘machine’ the body needs to be well-oiled. And there’s no better way of doing this than by eating plenty of omega-3 fats. These really are essential for helping to keep the joints mobile and, hopefully, injury-free. They also have amazing anti-inflammatory powers.

 

Oily fish such as salmon, mackerel, trout and sardines (all delicious fish for a summer barbeque) are packed with omega-3s. If you’re not a fish lover. or are vegetarian or vegan, then flaxseeds or pumpkin seeds are also great omega-3 sources. Pumpkin seed butter on oat cakes is a quick and filling snack and flaxseeds can be easily sprinkled over cereals or stirred into yoghurts.

Get moving

Clearly, tennis is a great game and the whole family can get involved. However, if you’ve been a little too sedentary over the winter months then it’s better to get the body used to being more active before running around the tennis court.

Whilst it might seem very simple, brisk walking for 30 minutes, elevating your heart rate (make sure you include some hills), is one of the best forms of exercise you can do and it’s not too stressful on the joints. Bones need to be exercised too to help keep them stay strong. Any exercise that contains forward and backward movements (dancing is great), weight training, yoga or most gym classes will be really beneficial for bone health. Whilst bones need the right nutrition, exercise also plays an essential role in maintaining bone integrity for the future.

Fermented foods to fortify the bones

It might sound strange to say that good gut health is essential for strong bones, but this is absolutely the case. The good bacteria that naturally live in the gut help nourish the rest of the body and assimilate the essential nutrients to keep bones and joints healthy. Probiotics or friendly bacteria help to increase bone mineral density and it is here that fermented foods have some of the most beneficial effect

Foods such as sauerkraut, miso, kefir, natural yoghurt and kimchi are becoming ever more popular and can easily be included as part of the daily diet. Plus, these foods naturally contain calcium so it’s even more reason to include them as much as possible.

So even if you’re not a tennis fan, why not serve up some of these winning, bone-building foods this summer.

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