Moo-ve over Dairy, and make room for Calcium!

One of the biggest challenges of Discovering Optimal Wellness is rethinking long-held beliefs. Many of the concepts that we dive into on the road to health are as crazy as saying the world is round! We've been given information by our parents, grandparents, siblings, doctors, teachers, friends, society--and it can be a real shocker to discover that this information is wrong or only partially true.

What we've been told:
Drink your milk! You need it to grow. It's the only way you're going to get enough calcium. You want strong bones, don't you?

What we've discovered:
Cow's milk is not a necessary, nor a contributing ingredient in the recipe for health.

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What about Osteoporosis?

Osteoporotic bone fracture rates are highest in countries that consume the most dairy, calcium, and animal protein. --The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition

Dairy won't hurt me, though, right?

... evidence shows that consuming milk or dairy products may contribute to the risk of prostate and ovarian cancers, autoimmune diseases, and some childhood ailments. --The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition

But I still need calcium, right?

Neither milk nor calcium intake >500 mg/day appears to have any beneficial effect on bones. However, achievable levels of exercise and fitness did have a favorable effect. --The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition

Many factors are taken into consideration when finding calcium balance. Diets high in animal protein and salt will need more calcium. For a diet that follows our program, 500 mg/day of calcium is sufficient--and that will be easy to achieve on our program!

How can I get 500 mg/day of calcium without dairy?

• Dark green leafy vegetables (kale, spinach, collard greens)
  
• Beans
  
• Nuts & Seeds
• Fortified Non-Dairy milks (unsweetened!)

There's no way I can pour kale over my cereal. How much of this stuff do I need to eat?
Just one four-ounce serving of steamed kale is equal to the calcium in a cup of milk! And you'll be absorbing 50% of it, instead of just 32% of the calcium in milk. If you can only eat dark, green vegetables when they're hidden in your food, and barely visible, go ahead and have a glass of fortified, unsweetened almond milk!

It's not easy to step out and do things differently, especially when it comes to food. Please feel free to share your thoughts on overcoming dairy dependence. We would love to hear how you've Discovered Optimal Wellness!