The Question of Calcium
Whenever it is suggested that milk and milk products be avoided, there is always the inevitable question: “And where will I get my calcium?” Although calcium is found in innumerable foodstuffs, we have been brainwashed to believe it is only in milk. But how do cows and elephants maintain their bone structure and their size? It is certainly not by drinking some other animal’s milk. They do so by eating their natural foods, that is, leaves, grass, and other vegetable matter.
How much calcium is needed in the diet has been much argued over. The World Health Organization suggests 400 milligrams daily; the Recommended Daily Allowance in America has been 800 milligrams. This interest in adequate calcium intake has been sparked by concern about the bone-thinning condition known as osteoporosis, which for reasons not clearly understood seems to hit particularly hard in our society at women past menopause.
There are many foods that contain calcium in a natural, easy to assimilate form and are a sound alternative to dairy. They are:
-Beans and nuts
-Greens, especially broccoli, collards, kale, mustard and turnip tops, parsley, watercress, dandelion
-Sea vegetables
-Sesame seeds and tahini
-Canned salmon and sardines with bones
-Soup made with one or more bones (fish, fowl or beef) and one tablespoon of wine vinegar (which draws out the calcium and make it available in the broth)
Now let’s look at the calcium question from another angle. Instead of seeing osteoporosis as a condition of lack, let’s consider it as a condition of drain. In other words, the question will be not “What is the way to add more calcium to the system?” but rather, “What is draining or keeping calcium away?” If we can find an answer to this, we can also find a different solution to the calcium shortage. That is, instead of increasing input, we can simply change conditions so that there is no unwanted output, no drain.
The list of foodstuffs that in one way or another affect our body’s calcium balance is surprising, even if we ignore the simple, nourishing foods of the foregoing list. Some will add calcium in an unbalanced context; some are counterbalancers to these; some will drain calcium from the system. It is important to understand that it is not enough that a food be high in calcium. The body has to be able to assimilate and utilize the calcium properly.
Foods That Affect Calcium Balance in Some Way
Dairy Products Concentrated Sugars
Milk Sugar
Cheeses Honey
Yogurt
Ice Cream
Misc
Wine, Alcohol
Coffee
Salt
Does Milk Do A Body Good?
Loaded with antibiotics, growth hormones, pesticides, and fed food other than grass certainly isn’t great for a cow’s health, never mind yours! Having treated thousands of clients for allergies, I can tell you that when those clients cut out dairy from their diets, their overall health improved noticeably. Even though their allergies hadn’t been treated yet, some clients still noticed a dramatic reduction in their congestion. For others it offered complete relief. – Sandy
www.notmilk.com
Whenever it is suggested that milk and milk products be avoided, there is always the inevitable question: “And where will I get my calcium?” Although calcium is found in innumerable foodstuffs, we have been brainwashed to believe it is only in milk. But how do cows and elephants maintain their bone structure and their size? It is certainly not by drinking some other animal’s milk. They do so by eating their natural foods, that is, leaves, grass, and other vegetable matter.
How much calcium is needed in the diet has been much argued over. The World Health Organization suggests 400 milligrams daily; the Recommended Daily Allowance in America has been 800 milligrams. This interest in adequate calcium intake has been sparked by concern about the bone-thinning condition known as osteoporosis, which for reasons not clearly understood seems to hit particularly hard in our society at women past menopause.
There are many foods that contain calcium in a natural, easy to assimilate form and are a sound alternative to dairy. They are:
-Beans and nuts
-Greens, especially broccoli, collards, kale, mustard and turnip tops, parsley, watercress, dandelion
-Sea vegetables
-Sesame seeds and tahini
-Canned salmon and sardines with bones
-Soup made with one or more bones (fish, fowl or beef) and one tablespoon of wine vinegar (which draws out the calcium and make it available in the broth)
Now let’s look at the calcium question from another angle. Instead of seeing osteoporosis as a condition of lack, let’s consider it as a condition of drain. In other words, the question will be not “What is the way to add more calcium to the system?” but rather, “What is draining or keeping calcium away?” If we can find an answer to this, we can also find a different solution to the calcium shortage. That is, instead of increasing input, we can simply change conditions so that there is no unwanted output, no drain.
The list of foodstuffs that in one way or another affect our body’s calcium balance is surprising, even if we ignore the simple, nourishing foods of the foregoing list. Some will add calcium in an unbalanced context; some are counterbalancers to these; some will drain calcium from the system. It is important to understand that it is not enough that a food be high in calcium. The body has to be able to assimilate and utilize the calcium properly.
Foods That Affect Calcium Balance in Some Way
Dairy Products Concentrated Sugars
Milk Sugar
Cheeses Honey
Yogurt
Ice Cream
Misc
Wine, Alcohol
Coffee
Salt
Does Milk Do A Body Good?
Loaded with antibiotics, growth hormones, pesticides, and fed food other than grass certainly isn’t great for a cow’s health, never mind yours! Having treated thousands of clients for allergies, I can tell you that when those clients cut out dairy from their diets, their overall health improved noticeably. Even though their allergies hadn’t been treated yet, some clients still noticed a dramatic reduction in their congestion. For others it offered complete relief. – Sandy
www.notmilk.com