Falling low on Calcium. I hate dairy. I hate leafy greens.

Sesame seeds. Yumm......

http://www.healthdiaries.com/eatthis/15-non-dairy-foods-high-in-calcium.html

Have you tried milk alternatives like soy, almond, rice or coconut milk? Most have as much or more calcium as milk.

Some non-milk sources of calcium are beans, rhubarb, sardines, salmon, okra, tofu. Almonds, tomato products, shrimp, and rutabaga also have calcium.

Or, you could take a supplement. There is some evidence of supplements raising the risk of heart disease, though it is not conclusive. If you take a supplement I would suggest taking a low dose supplement twice a day, rather than one that give >= 100% RDA in one dose.

until you find something that you like that is a good substitute for those more common sources, i would go with with a supplement (that has vitamin D added to it for absorption.) magnesium is also very important for calcium absorption, and some supplements do include it along with the vitamin D. usually calcium deficiency and vitamin D deficiency go hand in hand, but i don't know what your magnesium intake would be. that would be dependent upon if you eat good sources of it.

calcium is only as good as your absorption of it.

One thing that helps with Calcium levels/absorption is Magnesium. From what I've researched and understand, the best form of Magnesium supplement (since it's not really in a lot of our foods) is Magnesium Citrate. Citrate refers to the Vitamin D that is in the supplement and helps the Magnesium to be absorbed which in turn helps with Calcium absorption. I believe it to be a huge factor in Osteoporosis since people often get plenty (or too much) Calcium in their diets but have no way to absorb it which causes Calcium buildup and does more harm than good. You may be getting plenty of Calcium but are simply unable to absorb the proper amounts.

I've been taking Magnesium either in Calm - Raspberry-Lemon is the best (http://www.calmnatural.com/) or a Mag-Citrate suppliment for years and it has helped me greatly. I like the Whole Foods brand of the Mag-Citrate (about $20 for 180 pills which is a 90 day supply - if you have Whole Foods where you live you can buy 5 store brand supplements for any price and get one free, up to $20 - I always make sure my free one counts and use it for the Mag-Citrate or Pro-biotics which usually run high). You can get the Calm at Whole Foods or your standard health foods store as well.


And just in case anyone thinks I'm blowing smoke, check out a couple of links here. Just do a little digging and you will find that magnesium is very key to the Calcium deficiency issue. Also, be sure if you are planning on taking a Calcium supplement that it is a good one - not some cheap Wal-Mart Calcium Carbonate.

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/magnesium-deficiency-linked-to-higher-risk-of-osteoporosis-says-doctor-126240433.html

http://integrativemed.kumc.edu/school-of-medicine/integrative-medicine/health-topics/the-benefits-of-magnesium.html



And if you are still interested, here is a blurb off of the Calm website about the importance of Magnesium:


Calcium—Too Much of a Good Thing?

Calcium deficiency can be a serious issue. It is an important nutrient your body needs every day, but too much calcium can also be a problem.

The recommended adequate intake of calcium according to the National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements, is 1,000 mg for adults aged 19–50 and 1,200 mg for 51 plus. There are many adults who are taking 1,200–1,500 mg of supplemental calcium in addition to their dietary intake of calcium (an 8 oz cup of low-fat fruit yogurt contains 345 mg of calcium and one cup of nonfat milk contains 306 mg). Unassimilated calcium can end up in the soft tissues of the body where it deposits and hardens (calcifies) or in the urine where it may result in kidney stones.

Unless calcium and magnesium are properly balanced, magnesium becomes depleted (too much calcium can itself deplete magnesium levels). This can result in an inability to quickly recover from stress and can itself be a source of stress.


Hope that helps and is not too much info.

I didn't read all the responses, so sorry if I'm repeating. I just like to type.

If you have 1/2 cup milk in your coffee, and a portion of cheese, and some nuts, and fresh veggies and lean meats, you will be fine.

You can always make "green smoothies" - Google for recipes - adding kale or spinach to a smoothie doesn't change the flavor at all, just the color. And you get to sneak in the nutrients. Win.

Have you tried sneaking greens into smoothies or burgers? I usually throw at least one or two handfuls of spinach into my smoothies and can not even taste it. I also had a recipe once upon a time that had veggies shredded into turkey burgers that was pretty good...back in the day.