Good ways to get calcium in your diet 

Yellow cows were all over the streets in India this week. Harvest festival, sometimes known as cow festival fills the hearts of people with lots of respect and admiration to the holy cow. Mostly because it produces the very revered milk. I drank lots of Badam milk, almond and cow milk, from fresh unpasteurized dairy. In the west I barely drink milk as it is mucus forming, especially not great for Asthma. If you can find whole raw milk, then it is a great option. This is because it still contains the enzyme lactase – which helps digest the lactose. (It is destroyed with pasteurization).

Most of the calcium in our body is stored in our bones and in our teeth. This leads to many people, worrying about calcium in their diets. Nowadays, dairy is losing its popularity in the west. People seem to worry even more about calcium deficiency with the absence of milk in their diets. However, eliminating dairy does not lead to a calcium deficiency.

Here are a few things to know about cow’s milk

1. 1. Milk and dairy products go through processing that drastically degrades its calcium content, as well as its ability to be absorbed.
   2. Calcium in cow’s milk is much coarser than in human milk, as well as being tied up with casein (a milk protein), which prevents it from being absorbed by humans.

There are many wonderful ways to get calcium and most of us do get enough, just not necessarily absorb it (Lack of sun /vitamin D, mineral imbalances /not enough magnesium, an overly acid diet). An Indian proverb says, “You are what you digest”. Thus taking calcium pills will not solve your problem. It is much better to eat a diet rich in a multitude of minerals and vitamins to get nutritionally balanced. You can then utilize the micronutrients naturally available the way nature intended it to be.

Good ways to get calcium in your diet via plant based food

1. 1. Dark green, leafy vegetables (kale, bok choy, collards, parsley, mustard greens, dandelion…)
   2. Sea vegetables. They are rich in calcium and many other minerals.
   3. Sesame seeds (raw when possible) contain more calcium than any other food on the earth. Tahini is a wonderful way to get your dose of sesame. Use it in sauces, dressings, as a dip, on its own or in hummus.
   4. Fermented soy (tempeh, shoyu, miso, natto)
   5. Nuts, seeds, figs, beans and quinoa, all supply calcium.

Eating Dark greens, including broccoli is important to keep you healthy in general and will also enrich you with calcium and balancing minerals. Sea vegetables are one of the richest sources of minerals including calcium. Add some Dulse flakes to your salad, eat some Nori sheets with your rice or just as a snack, add arame to our soup or make a seaweed salad, make miso soup with Kumbo and Wakame, and get benefits from the miso and the sea vegetables.

I always keep some tahini salad in the fridge, so whenever I’m hungry I just dip a carrot or celery in, or make a sandwich with tahini and some lettuce and sprouts. If you prefer milk, try using goat milk which is closer to human milk than cow milk.

And last, in order to really get the benefits of these foods, stop for a moment before you eat, see the food, and find gratitude for it, for its nutrients and all it will offer to you. Eating with love and awareness will change the experience of eating as well as how available the nutrients will be for you to absorb, or how available your body will be to receive them.

Share the Nutrition

Leave a comment and let us know any calcium-rich foods you love eating! Share this article with a friend who is moving to a plant-based diet and give them a boost of knowledge!

Check out The Doron Yoga Cookbook for 108 vegetarian (mainly vegan) recipes that are healthy and nutritionally balanced to bring you total eating joy!

Blissful Living,

Doron