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Careers / Joining Process / Food Drink and Lifestyle

Stronger Bones

When you join the Royal Navy, you put your body under strain on a daily basis. You can set yourself up for a long career by looking after your bones. A balanced diet and healthy lifestyle will help you maintain a high bone density, reducing the risk of stress fractures. Things to consider, include:

  • Get plenty of calcium – Calcium isn’t just good for your teeth, it’s also key to maintaining strong bones. Eat things that are rich in calcium, like cheese, yoghurt and tinned sardines.
  • Avoid fizzy drinks – Fizzy soft drinks like cola can have a negative effect on your bone health because of how acidic they are. Try to replace them with drinks that will boost your calcium levels, like milk.
  • Vitamin D – Getting enough Vitamin D helps your body absorb calcium. The majority of Vitamin D is made in the body through exposure to sunlight. Dietary sources include oily fish, eggs and fortified cereals.
  • Don’t smoke – Smoking is detrimental to bone health as it damages the cells that make the bone strong. If you smoke, you should try to stop before you join the Navy.

Stronger bones will make your body more durable and lengthen your career. You’ll be able to push yourself further, without fearing a serious injury, all by leading a healthier lifestyle.

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Food, drink & lifestyle

Alcohol

The recommended weekly limit is 14 units.Try to have two alcohol free days a week. Regularly exceeding this can seriously damage your health. It will also increase your body weight, with a single pint containing 233 calories.

Hydration

Keeping hydrated can help maintain physical and mental performance. Make sure you drink enough fluid to replace your daily losses. Be aware that if you are exercising hard then you may lose more water from sweating. Choose low sugar fluids such as water and milk.

Dietary supplements

If you have well balanced diet that provides the energy you need to train, you shouldn’t need any supplements.

Dieting myths

You might need to reduce your calorie intake to control your weight. If you do, make sure you avoid the most common dieting mistakes. These include; fasting, skipping meals and using slimming pills.

Eating a balanced diet

Good nutrition is important during exercise training to provide your body with adequate energy to support physical changes and to optimise recovery.

Eating out

You can still eat out and enjoy the odd takeaway, but it’s important to choose healthy options that don’t contain lots of salt and saturated fats.

Energy density

Energy density is the amount of calories per gram of food. Choosing foods with a lower energy density means you can eat more, without gaining weight.

Energy requirements

The amount of energy you need depends on your age, size and gender, and the amount of exercise you do. You can vary your calorie intake to fuel your body when required.

Food labels

Checking the label on the back of pre-packed food will help you manage your diet, stay healthy and get the nutrients you need.

Snacking

You can still snack, but it’s important to know what you can eat without undoing all your hard work.

Stronger bones

Daily physical activity helps you stay healthy, control your weight, and get fit to join the Royal Navy.

Manage your weight

In the military, overweight personnel have an increased risk of injury and being medically downgraded as unfit for duty.

Smoking

Stopping smoking has huge benefits to your health and fitness, and it’s never too late to stop.

Vaccinations

Receiving vaccinations can slow down the joining process.

Vegetarian

There are lots of options available to you if you want to eat food that will fuel your training.