Foods for Spine Health
When it comes to supporting your curve and minimizing pain and other scoliosis symptoms, exercise and movement are important. But they’re not the only factors. What you eat plays a significant role as well! This blog post will chat all about foods for spine health.
That means you can help keep your spine healthy by paying attention to what you eat. The key is to make sure you get enough of the vitamins and nutrients that your bones need.
To figure out what that looks like, I recently reached out to a good friend of mine, Anna Peluso Simonson, to chat about this topic. Anna is a highly educated expert on nutrition and health, a certified strength and conditioning trainer, and an Associate Professor at John Carroll University. She helps her students and clients learn exactly how to improve their lives and health through nutrition and exercise.
I learned a lot from Anna, and I’m excited to share the highlights of our conversation. If you want to hear our entire discussion, make sure to listen to Episode 60 of the Ahead of the Curve Podcast.
How Your Diet Affects Your Spinal Health and Why We Need to Eat the Right Foods for Spine Health
One of the things that Anna notices often in her profession is how many people tend to disassociate diet with overall health. For example, most of us will take the time to read and consider all the potential side effects of a medication we might take, but we don’t often do the same with the food we think about eating.
But food impacts your entire body — possibly even more than a medication does. So it’s important to apply that same level of diligence to our diet as we do to a medicine we’re thinking of using.
And just like medicine, food can help or harm the body. When it comes to protecting your curve, the key is to develop a nutrition plan that supports stronger bones. This can reduce chronic pain and help lower your risk of osteoporosis, which is a significant concern for scoliosis patients.
Key Nutrients for Bone Health
Our bones primarily store calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium. If you want to have strong bones, you need to make sure you get enough of these nutrients in your diet. Vitamins A, D, K, and C are also essential for healthy bones.
However, your body also needs these vitamins and nutrients for many other internal systems. If you don’t ingest enough of them for your body to work properly, it will steal those nutrients from your bones to ensure that your vital systems can continue to function. When that happens, it can lead to osteoporosis and other conditions. So getting enough of those nutrients helps ensure that your bones can stay strong.
Many people don’t think about it, but hydration also affects bone health. Your bones are approximately 25% water, so getting enough hydration is imperative for healthy bones.
Foods for Calcium
Most of us probably think of calcium when we consider the nutrients that our bones need. And often that thought is inextricably linked to milk!
But there are plenty of other great sources of calcium, including plant-based options. And many of those plant-based options are more effective than dairy products because they make it easier for the body to absorb the calcium.
Here are some good sources of calcium:
Milk and dairy products
Broccoli
“Fortified” foods (e.g., almond milk with added calcium)
Greens
Cabbage
Cauliflower
Safe-to-eat fish bones (e.g., sardines or anchovies)
Many of these foods are also good sources of phosphorus and magnesium — the other essentials for strong bones!
Foods for Vitamins A, D, K, and C
If you want to make sure your bones get enough of the crucial vitamins they need, choose some of these foods:
Vitamin A: Orange veggies (e.g., carrots and sweet potatoes)
Vitamin D: Fortified dairy products (e.g., milk with added vitamin D)
Vitamin K: Leafy greens (e.g., spinach and kale)
Vitamin C: Most fruits and vegetables, especially citrus fruits
Basically — eat your fruits and veggies! (And get some time in the sun each day or take a vitamin D supplement.)
Meal Planning for Bone Health
Planning your meals for the week can make it easier to get the nutrients you need — and reduce the time you spend in the kitchen. And if you prefer to prep meals ahead of time (like making all your lunches for the week on Sunday), meal planning simplifies that task as well.
Here are some key tips for effective meal planning:
Choose weekly meals that have similar ingredients. For example, get a big bag of spinach and use some for a salad and the rest in a recipe.
Be creative in using the ingredients that you have. If you have leftover bell peppers from dinner, chop them up and put them in scrambled eggs for breakfast.
Buy in bulk for better prices, and then use ingredients in multiple dishes or freeze for later use.
When you cook, consider making a double amount of any dish. That way, you can eat some of it now and freeze the rest for an easy dinner later on!
Planning ahead can make it easier to get the nutrients you need for a strong spine.
Things That Compromise Your Spinal Health
As important as it is to proactively choose foods and activities that support your spine, it’s just as crucial to avoid things that can weaken your bones.
Inactivity: Not getting enough weight-bearing activity (e.g., walking, running, or strength training) can cause bones to become weak and more prone to osteoporosis.
Lack of sunlight: Many people are deficient in vitamin D and don’t know it. Getting 30 minutes of sunlight each day can help ensure your bones have enough vitamin D.
Not enough fiber: The bacteria in your digestive system need to be healthy in order to absorb all the nutrients in your food. If they don’t get enough fiber from diverse sources (like fruits and veggies), they can’t absorb nutrients as well.
At the end of the day, it really does come down to eating well and moving often.
Scoliosis Management Has Multiple Facets
Keeping your spine healthy requires more than just improving your strength and alignment. You also need to keep your bones as healthy as possible and the rest of your body functioning properly. It starts with the basics: eat fruits and veggies, drink enough water, do weight-bearing activities, and spend time outside in the sun.
If you aren’t sure which weight-bearing activities are safe for your spine (or you just want some inspiration and accountability to work out), come join my Scoliologic Fitness Classes. You’ll get a new live workout each week, plus a library of on-demand classes and a monthly Q&A session. Get all the details and sign up today!
If you want to stay up-to-date on scoliosis topics, listen to my podcast, Ahead of the Curve. Subscribe to get every episode when it airs!
Resources Mentioned
Anna’s favorite resources:
Email Anna at: thewellnessdoctorllc@gmail.com
