Calcium is important for good health. In fact, every body needs it. My favorite source has always been… ice cream and cheese. Recently, as a mid life woman, I was told I need to make sure I am getting enough calcium and that food isn’t going to give me the amount I need for my best bone health. To be honest, I resisted looking into calcium supplements. For some reason, I had it in my mind that I knew better than the experts. I talked about this “misconception” issue in a recent video broadcast I shared below.
The recommended daily amount of calcium is 1,000 mg a day for most adults and 1,200 mg/day for women after menopause and men after 70. While milk and other dairy products are excellent natural sources of calcium and it’s possible you may get enough calcium by eating three servings of dairy products a day – I know I don’t do that, especially since I realized that yogurt can cause bloating for me.
Another good source of calcium you can find easily is calcium-fortified orange juice – but that also has a lot of sugar, which I try to avoid for weight gain issues at this stage of life. Leafy green vegetables and broccoli are two foods I get pretty regularly, but if you don’t eat those foods regularly, then calcium supplements might be a good idea.
Why do we need Calcium?
Calcium is a mineral that is necessary for life. In addition to building bones and keeping them healthy, calcium is what helps our blood to clot, the muscles to contract, and our heart to beat. Nearly all of the calcium in our bodies is in our bones & teeth.
I didn’t really understand this before I started to do some research – when we aren’t getting enough calcium from the foods we eat, the body takes calcium from our bones to so the cells will function like they’re supposed to. When this happens, we can end up with weakened bones. As women age, bone breakdown happens more rapidly than bone formation and so the thought is that increasing calcium intake will help with bone density. As with anything, there is support for both sides!
How can I get Calcium naturally?
Eat more ice cream! Of course, that might negatively affect some of your other health and wellness goals! We think of dairy when we think of calcium – cheese, milk, and yogurt all have calcium. There are other foods that provide good amounts of calcium.
Foods such as collard greens, broccoli, kale and dried figs. The problem is that as we age, natural sources of calcium may not be enough for some people, especially if you’re someone that doesn’t eat much dairy or veggies.
- Dairy – Ricotta, Yogurt, Milk, Ice Cream!
- Greens – Collard Greens, Kale, Broccoli Rab, Broccoli
How much Calcium do we need?
This topic is a little controversial, and eventually it comes down to a personal decision. Some recommendations are as low as 500mg a day, while others are as high as 1200mg for women after menopause. Best thing to do is figure out how much calcium you are currently taking in and calculate the difference from the recommended amount for your age and gender.
Track Your Calcium
- Keep a food journal and note the amount of calcium you take in in a week.
- Make a list of foods that have substantial amounts of calcium. Make sure they are foods you like!
- Incorporate more of these calcium rich foods into your meal plan each week.
- Talk to your doctor and consider a supplement if you realize you are not getting enough calcium from your food intake for your age.
