Farty Girl Guest Post - The Great Calcium Debate part 2

You guys are in for a treat today!!  I have been pestering a few bloggers out there for "Calcium" related guest posts for all you dairy free folks!  And they lovely Anney from Farty Girl agreed!!  I read her blog, and her posts are always fun and witty, so I knew it would be a great match - plus, she's spent TONS of time researching this topic too!!

Thanks Anney for doing this and I hope you guys enjoy!!  (PS. I'm having major internet troubles right now, and when I hit publish, I am off to school, so if some of the photos don't load, I apologize!)

***Please note, these Calcium posts (and all the posts on DFB) are strictly opinions, and should you be having any problems, please talk to your doctor.

Every time I see one of those "Got Milk?" ads, I roll my eyes.

You rolling your eyes too? I thought so.

In my experience, getting enough calcium has NOTHING to do with drinking milk. It has everything to do with eating kale. And swiss chard. And spinach.

When Dairy Free Betty asked me to write this post, that's exactly what I wanted to say. But I wanted to get all researchy on your asses. So I sifted through my bookshelf to find some facts n' stats, as my English students say, proving that a person can get enough calcium from leafy green vegetables.


Imagine my surprise when I came across this in one of my loves, "The Complete Vegan Kitchen:"

“Dark leafy greens contain oxalates that bind calcium and iron, making it unavailable to the body.”

Whaaaaaaat?!

So all of my green smoothies have been for NOTHING?!

Further research added to this stone in my shoe. Pretty much any veggie that's green and contains calcium, also contains oxalates. The only non-oxalate food I could find that has lots of calcium? Sesame seeds.

Start guzzlin' that tahini!

Next I went to my favorite, Alex Jamieson. Jamieson is author of "The Great American Detox Diet," "Living Vegan for Dummies," "The Week in a Weekend Cookbook," and Delicious Vitality. You may also remember her from Supersize Me!

In "The Great American Detox Diet," Jamieson explains that too much animal protein makes the blood acidic. To heal the blood, calcium is drawn out of the bones (134-136). This means that if you want to eat a diet high in dairy to get calcium, the protein in that dairy can adversely affect your intake of calcium.

Didn't anybody tell you that, Miley?

This makes no sense to me. There are millions of vegans on the planet! How are we not holed up in the emergency room with osteoporosis? How are we not lugging casts and limping around like Quasimoto?

Welcome to the fight, ladies and gentlemen.

It's Calcium vs. Oxalates.

The battle for your bones is ON!!!

Ding! Ding! Ding!

Welcome Marion Nestle to the ring. Meat and cheese-eater and nutritionist, Nestle tells it like it is. In her book, What to Eat, she'll tell you that yes, meat and cheese are tasty, as well as Easy Mac, Coco Puffs and other processed foods. BUT she'll add that studies show vegetarians (not vegans) to be the most healthy people on the planet.

I love her. Her writing is cutting, sarcastic, and down-to-Earth. If you are interested in food and haven't read her, read her. Even if you are NOT interested in food, read her. You will be by the time you are done the book!

Enough butt-kissing!

What does Nestle have to say about calcium?

In her book, What to Eat, she points out that the DRI (Dietary Reference Intakes) for calcium is a little off-the-chain. To get that much calcium, she says, one has to eat lots of dairy, plus calcium supplements. She adds:

"Calcium balance depends on getting enough of every one of the nutrients involved in building bones, and also depends on how active you are, whether you smoke cigarettes, and how much alcohol you drink" (73).

Anyone who's read John Robbins' "Healthy at 100," or is familiar with centenarian cultures knows proof of this. An overwhelming majority of Hunzas, Abkhazians, Vilcabamans, and Okanawans lived well into their hundreds with little to no instance of osteoporosis. All except the Abkhazians are dairy free, and they eat yogurt only once in a while.

Some Abkhazian dudes chillin', back in the day

Let me return to Nestle. In "What to Eat," she starts with milk and takes it back to the cow. Guess what? The cow doesn't want it! That's because cows don't drink milk after calfhood. Do cows get osteoporosis? NO! (74).

Nestle reminds us: Cows eat grass. So eat a lot of veggies. The calcium in those veggies adds up. And - unlike meat and dairy protein - veggies are less likely to pull calcium from the body (74).

I'll just return to my green smoothies then...

Easy Green Smoothie

Two fistfuls of spinach, chard, and/or kale
One fistful of basil
1 Vita Coco coconut water
1/2 cup of nut milk
5-10 drops stevia (to taste)

Sources

Bennett, Jannequin. The Complete Vegan Kitchen. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, Inc. 2001.

Jamieson, Alexandra. The Great American Detox Diet. Rodale. 2005.

Nestle, Marion. What to Eat. New York: North Point Press. 2006.

The Great Calcium Debate Part #1

 

So lately I have been a bit concerned about my calcium intake considering I am dairy free.

I know quite a few of you are in the same boat.   So I have been scouring the internet as well as put a plea out on twitter for some advice and I got a few responses, and found a few good websites.

Up first Char from Char’s Kitchen. 

please note – these are all personal opinions, based on personal research.  What works for one person, might not work for the rest.

____________________________________

Drink your milk! Eat your yogurt. Don't you want to grow up big and strong? You need dairy for calcium.

I'm quite confident that all of you have heard the above statements many times in your life. As a vegan I am constantly receiving questions about my calcium sources, as well as how I make sure to get enough.

....here's some food for thought. Ever notice that North America and the UK are the highest consumers of dairy? And then did you notice that we also have the highest rates of osteoporosis? If we're consuming so much calcium, then why are we lacking it in our bones?

Acidic vs. Alkaline

Our bodies try to remain in an alkaline state, but it makes it hard for them when we consistently consume highly acidic foods. Which foods are alkaline? All fruits and vegetables (the acid in oranges/ pineapple/ etc. does not create an acidic environment in the body). Nuts, seeds, and grains are slightly acidic, and are best eaten in moderation. Which foods are highly acidic? Meat, dairy, sugar, alcohol, caffeine, and processed foods.

Quality, not quantity.

Where you get your calcium from is more important than how much you consume.
About two years ago, I let my health fall to the wayside. Though I was eating a vegan diet, it was not a healthy vegan diet. It lacked fruits and veggies, and I consumed a lot of processed foods and coffee. I was sick all of the time, and constantly had foot cramps and stomach cramps. After ending up with a painful Charlie Horse in my backside that left me quite crippled for days, I learned I was calcium-deficient. At the time, I started to take a calcium supplement. As well, I was practically eating Tums throughout each day. In total, I was probably consuming about 3-4 days worth of calcium each day. And guess what? It didn't help. Because it wasn't the calcium my body could use.

Milk contains a lot of calcium...but your body can't absorb it. Because of its high protein content, as well as the acidic environment it creates in the body, milk actually leaches calcium from your bones. When we consume dairy, our bodies become acidic. In order to neutralize its ph balance, the body will pull calcium from the bones. When we choose to opt for alkaline foods as opposed to acidic, we don't need to worry about counting how much calcium we are consuming, because our bodies don't lose any of it.

So what do I do now that is different? I cut back on caffeine (though I enjoy the occasional chocolate treats and Americanos), and I consume a diet of mostly fruits and veggies. Tossing spinach into my fruit smoothies helps to up my calcium intake, and I also enjoy a lot of steamed brussel sprouts and broccoli, as well as kale salads. Making sure to get your greens is key, as well as sticking to alkaline foods and minimal acidic foods.

This does not mean all or nothing.
I'd be lying if I didn't admit that I enjoy a vegan cupcake made with white flour and sugar, or a chocolate bar, or a soy latte with extra espresso here and there. But these are indulgences, and I make sure to focus on what my body needs. As long as you're eating right MOST of the time...you can afford to be a little naughty the rest of the time ;)

For more information on this topic, I highly recommend the following books:
The China Study by T. Colin Campbell
The Thrive Diet by Brendan Brazier

Cheers to health!
peace, love, food <3
Char, xo