Calcium rich foods - organic, unhomogenized milk, broccoli rabe, molasses, tofu and almonds
"He who distributes the milk of human kindness cannot help but spill a little on himself." - James Matthew Barrie
Milk is an odd thing. Let's be honest - humans are the only species that 1) suckle off other animals, and 2) drink milk past infancy. Most humans don't drink milk - dairy was not historically eaten in most of the world beyond small pockets of Europe. In fact, much of the adult world is lactose intolerant - especially those of Asian, South American, African and Native American descent. One way to tell if you are lactose intolerant is if you experience gas, belly pain, bloating or diarrhea after consuming milk.
However, dairy is a good source of calcium, and humans need calcium for their bones. Children need calcium to grow and it keeps adult bones strong. However, your body also needs calcium as a mineral, and if you don't get enough of it, it will leach calcium from your bones to cause osteoporosis later. Adults should get 1000 mg. of calcium a day. Since eight oz. of milk provides 300 mg. calcium, it can be an easy source for calcium. However, as always, be moderate and don't overdo it. Too much calcium can lead to problems such as kidney stones (1500+ mg. per day).
If you cannot (or choose not) to drink milk, it is important to obtain calcium from other food sources. Some high calcium sources are tofu (more calcium than milk), calcium-fortified orange juice, broccoli, turnip greens, molasses and almonds. See this chart for non-dairy calcium sources. If you are lactose intolerant, you may be able to digest yogurt and you can also try lactase-free milk. Calcium supplements are also recommended, though MindfulEats believes it is best to obtain nutrition from real food.
So why is there vocal opposition to milk? Some people don't think it is "natural" to drink another species' lactation (most of the world doesn't) and dairy farming can be charged with animal cruelty. This often quoted letter from Robert M. Kradjian, MD outlines many of the objections.
Most of the dairy available is produced to be as high-volume and efficient as possible. This means rBGH hormones to increase each cow's milk production. Cows are crowded into close indoor quarters to maximize real estate. They don't have the ability to walk around. Close quarters leads to quick spread of disease, so antibiotics are used to keep sickness down. Cows do not have access to pasture since cheap feed is more profitable (but cows prefer grass to feed). Hence the charges of animal cruelty. All the engineering has pumped the volume up to an average of 20K pounds of milk per California cow per year. Milk from many dairies is combined, pasteurized, homogenized, and packaged. Dairy corporations are more efficient and provide cheaper milk than organic or family dairies.
Not all "regular" milk is industrial. My colleague Cari's family has a dairy farm that belongs to a coop. The cows have access to pasture and walk about as they please, they have access to a barn if they want shelter. They use rBST and operate their farm in an old-fashioned, humane way, as do the rest of the farms in their coop. Just because they aren't organic and hormone-free doesn't mean they are industrial. As small-scale farmers, they are being as efficient as possible while operating humanely.
Milk Labels
Coop member farms may use rBST and nonorganic feed, but they can operate as humanely as an organic, pasture-feeding farm. Buying milk from these coops allows you to buy cheaper milk and support good farming practices.
rBST/rBGH free means the cows were not treated with recombinant bovine somatropin, a synthetic bovine growth hormone that stimulates greater milk production (cows don't need to continually get pregnant). The FDA has declared rBST safe, but MindfulEats prefers our food without artificial hormones.
Homogenized milk is processed so that the fat cells in milk are distributed evenly, and there is no "cream line". Pasteurized, unhomogenized milk is difficult to find, but I found some from Sky Top Farms at Whole Foods, and bought it for research purposes. The first sip immediately reminded me of the milk from our local dairy farm when I was a kid. It's delicious and organic. It doesn't keep as long, but from now on it's my default milk.
Organic milk means cows are fed certified-organic feed, and are hormone and antibiotic free. They are not necessarily pasture-fed; it is separately stated if they are. Hormones are not shown to have any health effects, but I avoid them whenever possible.
Pasture-fed means that the cows have access to pasture (least efficient feed for farmers), which is what they eat in "nature." It doesn't mean that they eat only pasture, just that they have access to it. If their diet is 100% pasture, it will be noted.
Raw milk is unpasteurized milk. It is illegal in several states. Pasteurized milk is heated to kill bacteria, and usually has Vitamin D added. Raw milk advocates prefer its taste and tout health benefits. Their argument revolves around the belief that regular milk has had nutrients processed out of it, and people should be consuming small-batch natural (raw) milk instead. One of their claims is that lactose-intolerant people can still drink raw milk. If you choose raw milk, please do your research and find a dairy you trust. Remember, pasteurization saves lives.
What to do - Get Calcium
- You need 1000 mg of calcium a day. Look at your Mindful Log and see if you are getting it.
- Determine how you are going to get enough calcium. It's best to eat it from a variety of food sources, whether or not you choose dairy. If you have no health issues with dairy, and it is the only way you are going to consume calcium, then go for it. Look at this chart for non-dairy calcium sources.
- Think about what type of dairy you are going to buy (see Milk Labels above). Use the purchasing opportunity to buy the highest-quality that you can afford and to support the farming practices you believe in.
- Take a calcium supplement if necessary.
NYC tip: I went to Blossom (21st & 9th) last night, which was an absolutely delicious vegan restaurant!
What I ate: 1 banana, 3 cups coffee, 6 squares dark chocolate, 6 dried apricots, 2 c. whole wheat spaghetti + Rao's Sicilian sauce, 4 stalks broccoli rabe + shitaake mushrooms, 1 nectarine, 1 apple, 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds, 1 oz. almonds, 1/4 oz. Mindful Mix, 1/3 c. rice, 1 c. feijoada: tempeh, black beans, chayote squash, sweet potatoes in orange-lime broth, 60 oz. water
Exercise: 15 min bike + 30 min weight-lifting
