When you give up dairy...

[Tiramisu]

What kind of calcium supplements should you be taking, as in how many milligrams or type?

 

I think I'm supposed to eliminate all dairy for about a month. Is that right? I'm on day 2, but I took a bite of pumpkin bread with chocolate chips today. Do I have to start over? :confused:

[flobee76]

you can find calcium in other foods:

 

Salmon

Rhubarb

Sardines

Collard greens

Spinach

Turnip greens

Okra

White beans

Baked beans

Broccoli

Peas

Brussel sprouts

Sesame seeds

Bok choy

Almonds

[Rosie_0801]

:iagree:

 

And you need to invest in vegan chocolate chips :lol:

 

:)

Rosie

[Starr]

:iagree:

 

And you need to invest in vegan chocolate chips :lol:

 

:)

Rosie

 

Vegan is looking more possible.:D

[gaillardia]

you can find calcium in other foods:

 

Salmon

Rhubarb

Sardines

Collard greens

Spinach

Turnip greens

Okra

White beans

Baked beans

Broccoli

Peas

Brussel sprouts

Sesame seeds

Bok choy

Almonds

:iagree:Going mucusless? It is hard to eliminate dairy from the diet, but you can do it! Throw the traditional American food pyramid out with the milk.

[ElizabethB]

Whole foods has a good dairy free chocolate chip by "Enjoy Life.". They only have 3 ingredients, but they taste great. They are also soy free.

 

I have to avoid a lot, just dairy is actually pretty easy although it can seem overwhelming at first. Eat Asian or Middle Eastern foods at restaurants and do a lot of cooking from scratch.

 

Just about any packaged item that does not come from a health food store will have milk in it, most also have soy and corn.

[Ellie]

It isn't necessary to supplement. Millions of people in the world have healthy bones and yet don't drink milk or supplement calcium. :-)

 

No, don't start over. Just be careful!

 

When nursing mothers are eliminating dairy, it's usually suggested that they eliminate *obvious* forms of dairy: milk, yogurt, butter, sour cream, etc.

[hornblower]

I recently switched away from cow milk again (last time was over 10 years ago when nursing my ds). Went through lots of taste testing to settle on something palatable as milk replacer & settled on organic, non GMO "Silk" soy milk. (not my first choice b/e I'm a bit wary of soy BUT it's the only one I like....)

 

But my point - & I do have one LOL - is that all the commercial rice, soy, almond milks I tried were fortified with calcium. So if you can find one of those that you can stomach (or actually learn to like!) then at least part of your Ca needs will be taken care of.

[Heidi7Sue]

It isn't necessary to supplement. Millions of people in the world have healthy bones and yet don't drink milk or supplement calcium. :-)

 

I seem to remember that Caucasians are more prone to osteoporosis than the rest of the world too, so I wouldn't be in a big hurry not to worry about calcium.

[homeschoolally]

You can take a Tums as an easy, cheap supplement-

 

I'm sure there are other options that are better for absorption (I think those that have magnesium also) but you may already have Tums or Milk of Magnesia (I'm pretty sure this has calcium as well) in the house.

 

If I remember correctly, the amt of greens you have to consume to add up to any measurable calcium intake is unreasonably high for most people. Same thing with fish--you can get calcium from salmon--but you have to eat a pretty large quantity to get close to what a few glasses of milk or slices of cheese provide. That would add up to an expensive grocery bill.

 

If it is important to you to get the RDA each day, you 'd be better off just getting a supplement than trying to get it from other foods, IMO.

Edited July 22, 2010 by homeschoolally

[Peela]

It is a myth that one needs dairy for calcium. Millions of cows right across the planet do not eat dairy, and they have plenty of calcium. :001_smile:

 

Up your greens intake - greens have lots of calcium (ask cows!). Also, tahini (sesame seed paste) is particularly good.

[Tiramisu]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I'll be out looking for those dairy-free chocolate chips!

 

I'm going to up the beans and greens since that's definitely a healthier way to eat, but I'll keep a calcium with magnesium supplement going just to be on the safe side.

 

And, yes, I'm aiming for a mucus-free, clear sinus life.:) I've noticed, too, that while a little dairy doesn't bother my digestion, a little more than that definitely does, so I might as well cut it all out and see if it helps.

[Laura Corin]

The soy milk that I use has added calcium. I also take calcium supplements when I remember.

 

Laura

[Rosie_0801]

If I remember correctly, the amt of greens you have to consume to add up to any measurable calcium intake is unreasonably high for most people.

 

That depends what else you eat. It's my understanding that eating animal products causes our bodies to require more calcium than we do as vegans (or very nearly vegans.)

 

Rosie

[k2bdeutmeyer]

I am on day 3 of going dairy free....it's not an easy task when you're not accustomed to it.

[StaceyinLA]

that there is something in it that actually reduces the absorption of the calcium (can't remember what, but I've read it pretty recently).

 

You actually utilize much more of the calcium you get from your greens and other sources than from store-bought, pasteurized milk.

 

I, personally, am not into substituting soy products for dairy, because I don't want to overdo soy (and I don't much like it anyway), but I have cut my dairy down to a minimum, and what dairy I do eat/drink comes from my own goats or a local dairy that doesn't pasteurize (I get butter from them). I am mostly vegan with the exception of a minimal amount of those couple of items. I have mentioned before that I just can't bring myself to eat the chemical-laden substitutes so when I eat those things, I just go natural instead.

 

Okay, that was way more than you asked for...

[zaichiki]

You can get calcium-fortified OJ. I drink Almond and rice milks. I know the almond milk has calcium added. Not sure about the rice milk. Tums or other calcium supplements are pretty easy to find. There's also coconut milk yogurt, but it's rather expensive (and not yummy enough for me to spend the money regularly).

 

I've been able to add spinach puree to lots of foods without changing the taste/texture. There's a good way to get more calcium. :)

 

Good luck with your new eating habits.

 

Oh-BTW- isn't regular dark chocolate and/or bittersweet chocolate dairy free? I eat it often.

[rafiki]

.

[Tiramisu]

Oh-BTW- isn't regular dark chocolate and/or bittersweet chocolate dairy free? I eat it often.

 

Thanks for this information. I was getting a little depressed at the supermarket yesterday looking at all the treats that contain dairy. Of course, last week they wouldn't have caught my eye. :001_smile:

[Tiramisu]

We avoid the major 8 food allergens and take 1 sugar free Tums per day.

 

What are the 8 major food allergens? I'd really like to know.

[ElizabethB]

What are the 8 major food allergens? I'd really like to know.

 

http://www.fda.gov/food/resourcesforyou/Consumers/ucm079311.htm

 

In Canada, there are 9, sesame is added. I have to avoid all 9 and many more.

 

Here are those chocolate chips, with a picture and a "where to buy" button:

 

http://www.enjoylifefoods.com/our_foods/chocolate_chips/semisweet_chocolate_chips.html

 

They taste better when they are warmer, but are also good when a bit cold. I sometimes set them out in a warmer spot for a while before I eat them but store them in a cooler area.

[Tiramisu]

http://www.fda.gov/food/resourcesforyou/Consumers/ucm079311.htm

 

In Canada, there are 9, sesame is added. I have to avoid all 9 and many more.

 

Here are those chocolate chips, with a picture and a "where to buy" button:

 

http://www.enjoylifefoods.com/our_foods/chocolate_chips/semisweet_chocolate_chips.html

 

They taste better when they are warmer, but are also good when a bit cold. I sometimes set them out in a warmer spot for a while before I eat them but store them in a cooler area.

 

Very helpful! Thank you. :)

[Teachin'Mine]

From what I had read back when we were vegan, high protein diets deplete the body of calcium. So eliminating dairy, and it's accompanying high protein content, makes the requirement for calcium much less. Spinach and all the sources listed previously are great.

Edited July 24, 2010 by Teachin'Mine

[joannqn]

Our pediatrician was unconcerned about calcium in our dairy free diet (I have two girls). He stated that other countries do just fine on diets that are free from dairy foods. We did not start taking calcium supplements until we found lead in our home.

 

I use Guittard Semi-Sweet Chocolate chips which I buy at Safeway. They are processed on shared equipment but don't have any dairy in them directly. Unless there's an extreme allergy, that is going to be safe enough.

[Food4Thought]

Check out the book Go Dairy Free for a great primer on why dairy actually inhibits your calcium absorption. You'll feel better. :)

 

Also, if you're not a big fan of eating greens, try green smoothies. I have a few that I like that add spinach or kale to banana & strawberry smoothies - my energy levels go through the roof when I drink them. The Green Smoothie Revolution is a good primer on how and why to drink them. You don't have to go Raw like the author - she gives a lot of good reasons why any typical diet would benefit.

[Pamela H in Texas]

I'm sure others have explained but taking supplements would be a lousy way to get calcium (as is dairy, btw). There are many many foods for calcium which would be a better choice for ANYONE.

[gpsings]

Dairy is really not as rich in calcium as farmers would like you to believe. Other foods are much better for you in that area. If you still feel like you need a supplement (I do) then I recommend calcium citrate like Citricale for easier absorbency.

[Tiramisu]

Check out the book Go Dairy Free for a great primer on why dairy actually inhibits your calcium absorption. You'll feel better. :)

 

Also, if you're not a big fan of eating greens, try green smoothies. I have a few that I like that add spinach or kale to banana & strawberry smoothies - my energy levels go through the roof when I drink them. The Green Smoothie Revolution is a good primer on how and why to drink them. You don't have to go Raw like the author - she gives a lot of good reasons why any typical diet would benefit.

 

Can I just put baby spinach in a blender with some fruit? Would that count as a green smoothie? :tongue_smilie:

[Food4Thought]

Can I just put baby spinach in a blender with some fruit? Would that count as a green smoothie? :tongue_smilie:

 

Yes. :D That's exactly right.

[Rosie_0801]

From what I had read back when we were vegan' date=' high protein diets deplete the body of calcium. So eliminating dairy, and it's accompanying high protein content, makes the requirement for calcium much less. Spinach and all the sources listed previously are great.[/quote']

 

High animal protein diets. From what I've read, a diet high in plant based protein doesn't deplete the body of calcium.

 

Just to clarify...

 

:)

Rosie

Edited July 25, 2010 by Rosie_0801

[Devotional Soul]

Most health food stores have green powder that is made from lots of dark, leafy greens, which can be added to food and drinks. I even add it to homemade smoothie-popsicles for the kids.

 

Tahini (sesame seeds) with hummus (garbanzo beans/chick peas) both have a lot of calcium and are great to dip veggies, crackers, or chips into or add to salad greens.

 

You can also try making your own nut milk and nut cheese...they're really good!