AFT: Where Can I Get My Calcium?

Question from Lydia in Denver, CO

I can’t stand milk but I know I need my calcium. I’m very concerned about osteoporosis. Is there something else I can eat or drink instead of milk?

First of all, milk really isn’t such a great form of calcium. Processed milk comes into the body in a form that is difficult for many to use and can be more harmful than helpful to many people. If you consumed cyanide-laced calcium chews, that calcium wouldn’t be beneficial either, would it? I know the world has terrorized you into believing you need more calcium, and you may, but consuming forms of calcium that are difficult to process may just treat your toilet to some calcium-rich poop.

Milk is one of the first things I tell almost all of my clients, “Yeah, don’t drink that.” If you have access to raw milk, I’m all for that. Pasteurized milk? Not so much. You’re better off drinking an unsweetened coconut milk or almond milk.

When it comes to calcium, the real trick is this knowing the answer to this question: Is your digestion working properly enough to pull the calcium out of the food you’re eating? Many foods contain calcium. You really don’t need to focus on a food that is jam-packed full of calcium, you just need to be able to pull calcium out of the foods you’re eating.

Osteoporosis is not necessarily about a lack of calcium. In my opinion, it’s more about the digestive system not working correctly. The result can be a body that needs to strip minerals and nutrients out of the tissues and bones because it is not receiving what it needs from food coming in (usually because that food is not being properly broken down). I spend an entire chapter (sometimes two) explaining digestion in all of my books. I find that most people with digestive issues don’t know that they even have a problem.

If you can answer yes to one or more of these questions, you might be better off improving your digestion, rather than searching the globe for foods with the highest calcium content:

(1) Do you frequently pass gas?
YES   NO
(2) Do you often burp after meals or feel bloated? (Even just small burps.)
YES   NO
(3) Does your meal ever feel like it’s sitting in your stomach like a rock for too long?
YES   NO
(4) Do you crave sweet or salty foods?
YES   NO
(5) Do some foods make you nauseous?
YES   NO
(6) Is your stool sometimes lighter than the color of corrugated cardboard?
YES   NO
(7) Do you ever experience heartburn or acid reflux?
YES   NO
(8) Have you recently taken any antacids or acid reflux medications?
YES   NO
(9) Are you frequently constipated?
YES   NO
(10) Do you frequently experience diarrhea or a loose stool?
YES   NO
(11) Do you ever see undigested food in your stool?
YES   NO
(12) Do you seem to gain weight no matter what you eat?
YES   NO

I understand that you may be thinking, everyone you know deals with these issues. Right. Out of twenty clients that come to me, maybe one of them will have their digestion working correctly. It’s a big deal. Improving digestion can improve a lot more than just your calcium assimilation. It can turn around many other crazy, crazy issues.

Yours In Health,

F#ckin’ Tony