This morning I made a batch of hazelnut mylk and when I put it in the frig I noticed a stark juxtaposition: his-and-her milks.
Who do you think has allergies and the morning sniffles in this pair of milk/mylk drinkers?
(Find the answer at: Israel Journal of Medical Sciences 1983;19(9):806-809 Pediatrics 1989;84(4):595-603 )
First, I’d like to point out that we are the only animals that consume milk into adulthood–by choice–and not even our own species’ milk. We consume cow’s milk into adulthood. No other animal does that and if it weren’t for more recent technologies in the farming industry we wouldn’t be doing it either.
Milk also actually leaches the calcium from our bones (Remer T, Am J Clin Nutr 1994;59:1356-61). Milk is so acidic and causes so much mucus (Klotter, 1995) in the body that our body tries to neutralize it before it’s completely absorbed through the digestive system. So instead of using the calcium within the milk to aid our bones, it uses the calcium to neutralize the acid. It also calls for backup stores of calcium to neutralize via the calcium safely stored in our bones.
But where do you get your calcium?
There are A LOT of natural sources (and safe!) to make sure you get your calcium. Dark leafy greens seem to provide the bulk, if you’re looking for plant-based calcium. Worried about eating a whole cup of broccoli? Don’t. It may seem like a lot to someone that eats the Standard American Diet (SAD) because a cup of ANY green hardly makes an appearance. But it’s easy to consume a cup of leafy greens in any meal because it’s usually the base of EVERY meal.
It is recommended we consume at least 1000 mg of calcium a day (more, depending on your needs) and ALWAYS consumed with food…which makes eating your calcium seem like a logical idea.
If we take a Green Super Rad Supersmoothie for one meal you more than meet your needs for calcium within a day:
Green Super Rad Supersmoothie
-1 cup Kale (270 mg calcium)
-1 cup Spinach (260 mg calcium)
-2 tablespoons Spirulina (32 mg calcium)
-1 cup Almond Mylk (300 mg calcium)
-1 medium Papaya (70 mg calcium)
-2 bananas (10 mg calcium) and (helps improve absorption of calcium)
-1 tablespoon Maca (30 mg calcium)
-1 tablespoon Bee Pollen (30 mg calcium)
-1 tablespoon Sesame Seeds (85 mg calcium)
Total: 1,057 mg calcium
Don’t like something listed? Leave it out. You will more than meet your needs by continuing a plant-based diet throughout the day. Still concerned? Swallow a tablespoon of Blackstrap Molasses for good measure and you get 137 mg of calcium.
B-T-Dubs … Almond Mylk has the same amount of calcium as a cup of regular milk. One cup of Kale has almost the same amount as a cup of cow’s milk. Unless you’re drinking 3 1/2 to 4 cups of cow’s milk a day you’re probably not getting enough calcium, anyway. Be informed. Omitting cow’s milk isn’t the enemy in the calcium battle. Ignorance is …
Here is a list of other great calcium sources (and easy, rad recipes) that don’t come from a cow:
-Sesame Seeds (Easy Peasy Tahini Dressing)
A quarter cup of sesame seeds has 351 mg calcium.
-Spinach (Delish Farm Salad)
A cup of spinach has 260 mg.
-Collard Greens
A cup of collard greens has 266 mg.
-Blackstrap Molasses (stir into your overnight oats for a yummy flavor and extra calcium)
One tablespoon has about 137 mg.
-Kelp (Creamy Avocado Pesto over Kelp Noodles)
One cup of raw kelp has 136 mg.
-Tahini
(Easy Peasy Tahini Dressing or Macro Bowl)
Two tablespoons of raw tahini (sesame seed butter) have 126 mg.
-Broccoli (Cream of Broccoli Soup)
Two cups of broccoli have 124 mg.
-Swiss Chard
One cup of chard has 102 mg.
-Kale (Kale and Miso Salad or Kale and Nut Mylk Smoothie)
One cup of (packed) kale has 270 mg.
-Brazil Nuts (Brazil Nut Pancakes … YUM)
Two ounces of Brazil nuts (12 nuts) have 90 mg.
-Celery (Wake Up Juice)
Two cups of raw celery have 81 mg.
-Almonds (Cheesecake)
One ounce of almonds (23 nuts) has 75 mg.
-Papaya (Skin Beautifying Dinner or Acai Bowl Parfait)
One medium papaya has 73 mg.
-Flax Seeds (BLTA for lunch or Pancakes for breakfast)
Two tablespoons of flax seeds have 52 mg.
-Oranges (Butternut Squash Mango Soup or Easy Peasy Tahini Dressing)
One medium orange has 52 mg.
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