Calcium Guidelines

I wanted to share with you all this great article by my friend Greg, he runs Gregorygrovespt.com!

Here’s a good guide line for calcium, if you’re looking to avoid dairy. Remember that this is just a suggestion. You should always consult with a nutritional expert first!
 
Calcium tablets are good for supplementing your foods, but only if you’re taking them with the foods they’re meant to supplement. Here's some good ways to make sure that you’re choosing the right brand for you: put one tablet in a cup of warm water for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. See how long it takes to dissolve. If it doesn’t dissolve well, or not at all, then it's probably not a good brand. Your best bets are usually chewable or liquid form; they automatically dissolve. Buy a brand that doesn’t exceed 500 mg's; making sure it doesn’t come from oyster shell or bone meal. Make sure the brand you chose is also a purified brand. Also make sure they don’t cause gas or constipation. If they do, they’re not right for you! Remember: you get what you pay for!
 
When taking calcium supplements, remember you need to take vitamin D as well (the sun vitamin!). This is especially important for women, because women are at a higher risk of bone density diseases (Osteoporosis, Osteoarthritis, etc) then men are. With vitamin D, take between 1000 IU's to 1200 IU's per day (closer to 1200 during fall/winter months, as your vitamin D levels tend to be lower). That's usually more than enough. Consult a nutritional specialist to see what’s best for you.
 
Here's some that are great sources of calcium.
Chose 2 to 4 per each meal, remembering you shouldn’t consume more than 500 mg's per meal. As a rule of thumb: your body can't process or digest more than 500 mg's at a time, so till go to waste, and even make u feel sick.
 
-One portion of Atlantic sardines: 325 mg's. I know: sardines are nasty, but the soft bones in sardines are an excellent source of calcium. Make sure they’re unsalted/unseasoned, preferably backed in fresh water.
 
-One cup of fortified soy milk: 200 mg's (this is one of Olivia's favourite ways to get calcium, lol)
 
-One orange, or one glass of unsweetened orange juice: 48 mg's (my favourite way)
 
-One cup raw broccoli: 43 mg's
 
-One cup raw kale: 90 mg's (a little bitter tasting, but great when mixed in salads!)
 
-Three ounces Atlantic salmon, mackerel, or tuna (be careful with tuna though; there's always the scare of mercury!): all have MORE vitamin D than one cup of milk.
 
Other foods such as almonds, or almond based products, and whole grain breads and cereals are usually great sources of calcium as well.
 
Whey proteins and creatine can be horrible ideas for most people. Our bodies usually generate enough creatine through natural foods as it is, and too much can be damaging to your liver, stomach, and your digestive system. And whey protein is dairy based, which on its own can be a bad idea if you’re lactose intolerant. Another issue with whey proteins is usually cholesterol, fat, and sugar. If you insist on using whey based products, I recommend an isolate based brand. I’m not going to go into too much detail here, only because this blog is more about calcium, not protein.

By: Gregory Groves