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In last week's Wellness Pathway
Click, I
discussed the importance of controlling the energy balance of calories in and
calories out in order to reach and to maintain our optimal weight. But optimal
wellness requires us to pay attention to many other nutritional, fitness, and
emotional balances. It's not just the quantity of the food we eat that
determines how we are doing; it is also the quality of the food we consume over
time.
One of the balances that people often fail to understand, let alone to think
about, is the calcium balance. Yet this, together with our exercise routine,
determines much as to the likelihood of our developing osteoporosis, heart
disease, and other chronic conditions.
The balance that I am referring to is the ratio of calcium in to calcium out on
a daily basis. Calcium comes in through foods and supplements. Calcium goes out
through urine, removed from the blood by our kidneys.
The current dietary recommendation for calcium is 1,000 to 1,500 mg per day.
Many people mistakenly believe that milk and other dairy products are the best
dietary sources of calcium, but ounce-for-ounce dairy products are neither the
richest nor the easiest of sources to balance. That's because milk protein,
along with other animal proteins, are converted in the body to acid. And the
acid triggers the release of phosphorus and calcium into the bloodstream in
order to buffer the acid. The more milk you drink, the higher the acid load in
your bloodstream, and the more calcium you lose.
Better to get your calcium from other sources, such as collard greens (360
mg/cup), bok choy (250), kale, turnip greens (200), mustard greens (190),
and broccoli (140). These foods have the opposite
effect of animal proteins: they are converted in the body to alkali thereby
triggering the body to keep phosphorus and calcium in the bones, where they
belong.
Avoid consuming more than the recommended daily allowance of calcium
without medical supervision. Too much calcium can "lead to such side effects as
constipation, dry mouth, a continuing headache, increased thirst, irritability,
loss of appetite, depression, a metallic taste in the mouth, and fatigue"
according to Dr. Andrew Weil
Click. There is some evidence, still being gathered, that more than 500
mg per day may have negative health effects.
But this assumes, of course, that you are not leeching calcium out of your
system by eating too much animal protein and not enough fruits and vegetables. I
avoid this by consuming an
abundant amount of fruits and vegetables on daily basis. Dark green leafy
vegetables, and other vegetables high in calcium, are staples around our house.
Plus we supplement at meal time with a small amount (300 mg per day, total) of
calcium citrate.
Coaching Inquiries: Do you consume enough calcium per day? Do you consume too
much or too little? Do you pay attention to the calcium balance being created by
the foods you eat? Do you eat too much animal protein and too little fruits and
vegetables? How could you get more
into balance?
To reply to this Pathway, use our
Feedback Form. To learn more about our
Wellness Coaching programs and to arrange for a complimentary wellness coaching
session, use our Contact Form or
Email Bob.
May you be filled with goodness, peace, and joy.
Bob Tschannen-Moran
President, LifeTrek Coaching International,
www.LifeTrekCoaching.com
CEO & Co-Founder, Center for School Transformation,
www.SchoolTransformation.com
2010-2011 President, International Association of Coaching,
www.CertifiedCoach.org
Address: 121 Will Scarlet Lane, Williamsburg, VA 23185-5043
Phone: (757) 345-3452
Fax: (772) 382-3258
Skype: LifeTrek
Twitter: @LifeTrekBob
Mobile: www.LifeTrekMobile.com
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