Bone Density?

I have done all the usual medical check-ups for one with an eating disorder; blood tests for iron levels and hormone stuff [they are both low, but that was expected I guess], blood pressure [low] and bone density tests.

Except my bones are very brittle and weak, and I was wondering,
what are the best foods to eat to increase bone density?

My paediatrition doesn't really mind what I eat as long as I'm gaining and getting enough essential vitamins and minerals from my diet. I'm seeing a dietition next week who will probably be able to help me a bit.

But if there is any type of food that I should be having more of, like milk or something, I would love to know.

Thankyou

Calcium is the traditional building material for strong bones and teeth.   You find it mostly in dairy products, dark green vegetables, tofu, nuts and the kind of fish where you eat the bones e.g. canned sardines.   If you started to get three or four servings a day of these foods you may be able to repair some of the damage.   Go with full-fat dairy products so that you get the maximum calories at the same time.   Iron is another essential and the link takes you to a list of iron-rich foods and why iron is important.

But your paediatrician is right..... gaining weight is going to help above everything else so that has to be your top priority.   If your diet is inadequate in general then your body makes up the shortfall as best it can... eg. leeching the calcium out of your bones, using up muscle tissue, depleting your iron stores etc.  If your diet isn't nutritionally perfect, that doesn't really matter...   So aim to eat plenty & as wide a range of foods as you can in order to get to a healthy weight and be well nourished. 

I went for a bone density scan and it turned out my bones are thinning. I was put onto two calcium tablets a day, they are about 1500mg each.

As well as this I try to make sure in my diet I include some calcium rich foods like the ones Gi Jane listed above.

• dark leafy vegs ( spinach I particulary like you can add it to salads, sandwiches, cook with it etc)
• nuts- I think almonds are very good for calcium
• Figs and some other dried fruits
• Milk- I make porridge with milk every day at least once, its a good way to sneak milk in if you dont like drinking it and it adds the extra calories to the porridge easily
• Milkshakes- add some flavoured protein powder maybe? Would boost up the calories to
• Yoghurts- I eat one at least once a day, great for calcium plus you can add lots of stuff to them
• Cheese
• Sardines

Those are just a few examples of things but gaining weight will also help to prevent further damage. Hope some of that helps.

Along with other calcium rich foods, you should consider adding some lean red meat, for the iron, to your diet (steaks, lean ground beef, etc).  I'm not sure what condition you're in physically, but if your doctor oks it, weight training helps build stronger bones too.  Again, you should get your nutrition in line first, then start off with free weights when you get the ok from your doctor.

You can be a top cyclist and still have weak bones if you don't do any weight bearing / high impact type activities.  From the article: Cyclists at risk for bone loss:

"A recent study in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise found that competitive male road cyclists had significantly lower bone mineral density in their spines than a control group of men who were moderately physically active while doing other recreational activities. They were also more likely to have osteopenia and osteoporosis than those in the control group, despite the fact that the cyclists had a greater calcium intake."

You need need need to take vitamin D! And I am not talking the measly 400 IU that the FDA recommends because that is completely OUTDATED! You need to get about 1000 to 3000 IUs per day of Vitamin D 3 which can be obtained from fatty fish like sardines, mackerel, salmon and tuna as well as fortified eggs and other foods. I would recommend you take a supplement as well because you cannot consume 3000 IU entirely from your foods. I would also recommend you head outside everyday for 10 minutes (without sun-tan lotion) because the sun is where you obtain the most vitamin D! I am talking like 20,000 IU in 20 to 30 minutes! I am telling you, vitamin D will help your bones tremendously because it ups the absorption of calcium in your body. Other nutrients/vitamins to include are Vitamin K and Magnesium! I have osteoporosis, so I promise I know what I am talking about!

PS: Dairy is not the best source of vitamin D & calcium - fatty fish & their bones (think canned salmon with those soft bones) are what truly aid bone regrowth. 

You need to do weight bearing exercise to improve bone density.  Gaining weight counts.

hey my mom is an OBGYN....and she recommends weight lifting - it's the most effective way to increase bone density.

thankyou so much everyone for the advice and suggestions

but I have one more question; If I start weight training, how many more calories will I need to consume?

because I'm allowed to slowly introduce excercise again but I have to continue gaining, otherwise excercise stops...

make your extra calories your snack....

so eat 100-200 calories pre weights ....a 3:1 ratio carbs to protein....try a piece of bread and a glass of skim milk

then try a 2:1 ratio of carbs to protein after your workout....if you aren't trying ot lose weight i would say 200 or over calories would be safe.....

pre/post eating nutrition is REALLY important.  you need to be feeding your body so that it doesn't eat away at itself....it will help with your muscle repair

try doing 3 sets of 8-12 reps (if you don't want to get "bulky muscles") of each set of weights...the last 2 reps should be extremely hard to finish...   i started weight lifting b/c i'm a really slim runner and the high impact cardio can cause you to lose bone density.  i would really recommend it. 

Original Post by skippinggirlvinegar:

If I start weight training, how many more calories will I need to consume?

You need to talk to your medical team about the amount or intensity of exercise you are allowed to do and what effect that has on your dietary needs.   I don't know how underweight you are but if your heart is weakened or your heart-beat is irregular because of your eating disorder you cannot afford to put any strain on it.  That's very, very important.  I know the advice was well-meant but your doctors are the only ones you should be listening to at this time because they know your precise state of health.

gi jane is right - sorry i didn't take the prior eating disorder into account.  i was just assuming you would be doing low impact exercise.