Thursday, December 9, 2010

But how do you get your calcium if you don't eat dairy?

Wow, if I had a dime for every time I've heard this question I'd be rich!  I removed dairy from my daughters diet somewhere around 18mo of age in part because she was diagnosed with asthma.  Talk about going against the grain, I can't tell you how many questions I still get to this day about how she gets her vit D, how she gets her calcium, aren't you worried about her growing bones, etc.  Well, when I researched dairy I did not like what I found and eliminating it from her diet is one of the reasons we were able to say goodbye to asthma forever.
DAIRY IS NOT YOUR ONLY SOURCE OF CALCIUM!!!!!!  And, it's not the best source either! So, to answer the question, how do you get your calcium if you don't eat dairy?  From good old fruits and veggies!  *One of the greatest myths in America is that milk and dairy products provide the calcium we need for strong bones.  Fact is, pasteurized dairy products from grain fed cows are very acidic and actually leach the calcium from your bones unless you already have an incredibly alkaline diet to begin with.  Most Americans however eat the mostly processed SAD: Standard American Diet.  Some of the best bone building vegetables are the dark leafy greens including spinach, kale, collards etc.  You get the same amount of calcium in one cup of broccoli as you do from one cup of milk. 

Here's an interesting breakdown:

Calcium in Milligrams per 100 Calories

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Arugula..........................1,300
Watercress...................... 800
Turnip greens.................. .650
Collard greens................. 548
Mustard greens.................490
Spinach........................... 450
Broccoli.......................... 387
Swiss cheese................... 250
Milk (2-percent).............. 245
Green onions................... 240
Okra............................... 213
Cabbage......................... 196
Whole milk..................... 190
Cheddar cheese.............. 179
American cheese............. 160
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Here is a link to an interesting article which summarizes why it is unnatural and unhealthy to consume dairy:
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2000/07/30/milk.aspx

*Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/030488_healthy_bones_science.html#ixzz175k29SWe

As far as vitamin D3 goes, we prefer ours from the sun and supplement during the colder months.  Using milk as your only source of vit D is not a good idea in my opinion.  The vitamin D in dairy is likely to be synthetic and it's nowhere near the levels needed to maintain good health.
I like to add these to a tossed salad along with a mixture of other yummy greens like arugula, spinach and romaine.

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