Eat foods that protect you

Bones are full of calcium – it’s the mineral that gives them hardness and strength. The catch is that you need to get it from your diet (up to three daily serves of foods including milk, cheese and yoghurt; dark green leafy vegetables; canned salmon). “We used to think taking calcium supplements would make your bones stronger, but scientists are constantly scrutinising our assumptions because sometimes we’re wrong,” says Dr Mansberg. “We now know that they do nothing to prevent bone fractures and, in many studies, have been found to increase your risk of heart disease by hardening arteries.” The only caveat with dietary calcium: you need adequate vitamin D levels for your body to absorb it. In everyday terms, when UV levels are 3 or above, the Cancer Council recommends most people need a few minutes of sun exposure to get their daily dose.