“Milk does the body good.” Or so they say.
We’ve been conditioned to believe that milk should be a staple in our diet to get enough calcium and make our bones strong.
But as recent studies continue to reveal, all the hormones and pesticides found in milk does the body harm.
In fact, Freedom Health News recently reported 7 reasons why you should stop drinking milk immediately.
Harvard Health reports that many health experts are still debating on just how much calcium we need each day. Recommendations vary from 500mg – 1200mg per day, depending on age and gender.
So if you’re thinking of ditching milk, but not sure how to get your daily 1000mg of recommended calcium, well we’ve got you covered!
By adding these items to your diet, you can reach your calcium goals without drinking milk.
- Bone Broth
Grandma knew what she was talking about when she said don’t let anything go to waste.
Next time you bake chicken, consider saving the bones and making your own bone broth. You can also add in a few herbs and spices or scraps of vegetables!
Sure, the hipsters are on board with this latest “trend,” but actually, our ancestors have been drinking the stuff for centuries due to its medicinal benefits.
The Weston Price Foundation reports:
“Rich homemade chicken broths help cure colds. Stock contains minerals in a form the body can absorb easily—not just calcium but also magnesium, phosphorus, silicon, sulphur and trace minerals. It contains the broken-down material from cartilage and tendons–stuff like chondroitin sulphates and glucosamine, now sold as expensive supplements for arthritis and joint pain.”
Freedom Health News recently reported on all the health benefits of bone broth too, so be sure to check out our full report here!
- Dark Leafy Greens
Adding dark leafy greens to your diet is one of the best things you can do for your health!
Some health experts say if you do nothing else but add these to your diet, you’re loading your body up with the nutrients it needs.
And according to Live Strong, the best part is just 1 cup of cooked collard greens has a whopping 266mg of calcium (1 cup of milk has a little over 300mg).
GoDairyFree.Org emphasizes that you measure your collard greens after they are cooked, otherwise, 1 cup of raw collard greens contains around 52mg of calcium.
Other leafy greens like kale and spinach are rich in calcium too, but Healthline points out that spinach shouldn’t be your main source of calcium because the body might not absorb it like other greens.
Healthline reports:
“Note that some varieties are high in oxalates, which are naturally occurring compounds that bind to calcium, making some of it unavailable to your body.
Spinach is one of them. So although it has a lot of calcium, it’s less available than the calcium in low-oxalate greens, such as kale and collard greens.”
- Other Calcium Sources
Yes, you can find calcium in sources other than bone broth and dark leafy greens!
Maybe you’re busy and on the go and looking for some snack foods to help rank up your calcium levels for the day.
The good news is there are many healthy foods that contain calcium.
Medical News Today lists these other calcium rich foods:
- Chia Seeds: 2 tablespoons – 179 mg of calcium
- Almonds: 1 cup of whole almonds – 385 mg of calcium
- Dried Figs: 1 cup – 241 mg of calcium
- Sunflower Seeds: A single cup of sunflower seed kernels – 109 mg of calcium
- Broccoli: 1 cup – 87 mg of calcium
- Sweet Potato: 1 large sweet potato – 68 mg of calcium
Chia seeds are perfect to add on top of a salad or throw in a smoothie. Almonds are full of nutrients and packed with protein (1 cup has 20 grams of protein).
And the other recommended items most people eat weekly anyways!
- A Caution About Calcium Supplements
Maybe you don’t like any of the foods listed above and want the easy fix of taking calcium supplements each day.
However, a word of caution—too much calcium can actually be a bad thing and cause harm to your body.
Some experts recommend taking a calcium supplement that includes vitamin D, which helps your body absorb calcium. But always check with your doctor first before starting calcium supplements.
Harvard Health reports:
“Calcium can also be ingested as a supplement, and if you do go the supplement route, it’s best to choose one that includes some vitamin D. Research suggests that calcium-only supplements do not protect against fractures, and may in fact increase risk of fractures. There’s also some emerging evidence that taking calcium-only supplements may possibly increase the risk of heart attacks—another reason to avoid calcium-only supplements.
Men may want to avoid calcium supplements because of questions about possible risks of prostate cancer; if men do take a calcium supplement, limiting supplement intake to 500 milligrams of calcium per day seems prudent.”
There are also many milk alternatives that can help you reach your daily calcium intake too.
If you love milk in your coffee or with your cereal, consider switching to almond milk or coconut milk instead.
Don’t believe the hype! You can keep your body strong without pumping it full of hormone-saturated milk.
Do you drink milk every day? What are some other ways you include calcium in your diet?
Tell us in the comments below—and be sure to share this article with your friends and family to let them know about these calcium alternatives!
