Sunday, 9 February 2014

Calcium

Why is Calcium so important?
Calcium is important for overall health. Almost every cell in our body uses calcium in some way. Calcium is needed for good teeth and strong bones and for the function of nerves, muscles, kidneys, and the heart. Not having enough calcium in the diet is one of many factors associated with an increased risk of osteoporosis, a disease that speeds up the process of the natural loss of calcium in the bones. This causes the bones to become weak and fragile, leading to loss of height, curved spines, and bone fractures, especially in women. In recent years, the recommended amount of calcium has been increased from 800 mg to 1000 to 1200 mg per day. Dairy products are the most common source of calcium for people in western industrialized countries. But most of the dairy products commonly eaten are very high in saturated fat and cholesterol, as well as calories! This is not a good trade-off - increasing your risk of heart disease and weight gain by eating dairy products high in saturated fat, cholesterol, and calories in order to decrease your risk or osteoporosis by getting the calcium they contain.
High Calcium Foods
1 cup or milk, yogurt, pudding, or cheese
Non-fat or low-fat milk or buttermilk

Low-fat chocolate milk
Non-fat or low-fat yogurt
Low-fat cheese
Whole Milk (high in fat)
Milkshake (high in fat)
Hot chocolate
Regular cheese (high in fat)
Pudding (made with skim milk)
Custard or Flan
Sardines with bones


Medium Calcium Foods
  • Non-fat or low-fat cottage cheese
  • Cream soups (high in fat)
  • Ice cream (high in fat)
  • Ice milk or frozen yogurt
  • Non-fat cream cheese
Non-Dairy Calcium Sources
  • Dried bean or peas
  • Canned fish
  • Tofu processed with calcium
  • Almonds
  • Bok Choy
  • Broccoli
  • Kale
  • Mustard Greens
  • Turnip Greens
  • Figs
  • Corn Tortillas
  • Black Strap Molasses

Do You Get Enough Calcium?

You will not be getting enough calcium just from foods if you are following a reduced calorie plan to lose weight. If you are trying to lose weight, your diet plan contains less food than you need right now, which means it’s a lot harder to get all the calcium you need. In order to get enough calcium from just the foods you eat, you should eat 3-4 servings of high calcium foods every day. When you follow your eating guidelines, they are designed to help you get the best combination of nutrients with the right amount of calories for weight loss. It would be very hard to get enough calcium just from eating food during weight loss. I recommend that you take a calcium supplement if you are following a reduced calorie plan. Most adults, especially women, would benefit from taking a calcium supplement whether they are following a reduced calorie diet plan or not.
Age
The amount of bone you build during teen and young adult years is called peak bone mass. This is the strongest your bones will ever be, and that is why getting enough calcium while you are growing is so important. After your early 20’s, you do not build bone mass, so the goal is keep your bones healthy the remainder of your life by doing a few simple things:
  • Eat enough calcium from low fat sources, or supplement
  • Strengthen your bones through regular exercise
  • Avoid unhealthy, low calorie diet plans
  • Avoid smoking, and if you do smoke, quit!




Hope this came useful to you!


No comments:

Post a Comment