Hi Everyone

A good food for good health is calcium and is great for bones and staying slim after 50. As you all probably know I am closer to fifty now than forty, even though I still feel as I did in my twenty’s, (some friends may add I still act like it sometimes).

Recently it has dawned on me that if I still want to feel this good for the next twenty years that I really should take steps now, so that I can maintain the good health that I am enjoying at the moment.

I have been looking in general at women’s health of my age and how to keep up good health through the next twenty years.

Middle-aged women, like myself I guess, have been told for years that they should take calcium and vitamin D tablets to protect their bones against osteoporosis that is why recently I have increased my intake of calcium.

I always eat a good balanced diet and as you know my theory is ‘good food good health’, so when I checked on the amount of dairy products Ted and I consume to calculate our daily intake, I was a little surprised that it was myself not Ted that was not always getting the required amount. [...]

We are often told by health specialists to introduce calcium-rich foods to our diet if we want to develop strong bones and teeth. Calcium not only helps in developing a strong skeletal system, but it also helps in protecting it from various diseases including degenerative disease. Calcium sources are broadly categorized as animal and plant sources.

Green leafy vegetables like broccoli, mustard greens, and Brussels are rich plant sources of calcium. One of the widely-known animal calcium sources is milk. Doctors normally advise to intake more vegetables than dairy products because in addition to useful nutrients, they also contain some contaminants, cholesterol and fat.

These substances might be dangerous for obese people and those who do not like to exercise on a regular basis. Therefore, it is recommended to avoid animal sources of calcium as much as you can. Red meat, eggs and other dairy products are rich in protein and may cause calcium loss in your body.

Another source of obtaining calcium is to consume supplements rich in coral calcium. Coral calcium is essentially a salt mainly composed of calcium carbonate and has many health benefits associated with it.

If you have adequate amounts of calcium in your body you will be at a reduced risk of developing osteoporosis. Since calcium sources in food are hard to find and consume, doctors now suggest taking calcium-rich supplements. These are easy to consume and provide all the benefits of developing strong bones, and improving posture and strength. These products also contain other minerals and vitamins, for example vitamin D and K2 for the enhancement of your bone health. They are easily available online and most of the time these products don’t require a doctor’s prescription as they have already been approved by health specialists.

Some rich and easily digestible calcium sources are orange juice, spinach, oatmeal, beans, sweet potato, sesame seeds and raisins. In addition to increasing your intake of calcium you also need to reduce your consumption of protein-rich food, especially the ones that come from animal sources. Proteins tend to increase calcium loss through urine just like sodium. That’s why health experts tell us to reduce our intake of salt as much as we can.

Exercise is mandatory for proper absorption of calcium in bones. Don’t let proteins and other substances cause calcium loss in your body. If you are not used to doing physical exercise a lot, then take a walk or simply indulge yourself in household chores. Don’t sit idle for long periods of time. Vitamin D helps in controlling the amount of calcium in our body, therefore introduce vitamin D supplements to your diet after consulting a physician.

By: John Gibb