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.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?!
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!!!
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 dayNestle 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)
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.
Jamieson, Alexandra. The Great American Detox Diet. Rodale. 2005.
Nestle, Marion. What to Eat. New York: North Point Press. 2006.
(Plus she has GORGEOUs tattoos!) This is a great post all about dairy free alternatives!! Enjoy! 
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