Why Plants are Better for Your Bones Than Dairy

Since we were children we’ve always heard -- "drink milk, it’s good for your bones."

We’re told this because milk has calcium and our bones need calcium.

And it’s true that our bones need calcium.  But milk and dairy products aren’t the only foods with calcium.  

In fact, there are healthier foods that have calcium (as well as a host of the other vitamins and minerals).

For example,

• 1 cup of garbanzo beans = 80 mg of calcium (1)
• 1 cup of kale = 24 mg of calcium (2)
• 1 cup of broccoli = 43 mg of calcium (3)
• 1 cup of raw carrots = 42mg of calcium (4)
• 1 cup of brown rice = 20 mg of calcium (5)

Even a banana has calcium!

• 1 medium banana = 6 mg of calcium (6)

Well how much calcium is in 1 cup of milk?

• 1 cup of non-fat milk = 299 mg (7)
• 1 cup of almond milk = 451 mg of calcium (8)

You get more calcium from drinking almond milk than from low-fat milk!

As well as having calcium, whole plant foods are smarter and safer choices for these 3 reasons...

1.  Whole plant foods contain fiber; they’re naturally low in calories and fat; contain zero cholesterol and they’re abundant antioxidants and all of the different vitamins and minerals our bones need. 

So with plants, you’ll get more bang for your buck compared to dairy.  You won’t only get calcium, but you’ll get a wealth of regenerative nutrients that are good for your whole body, not just your bones.

2.  Dairy products, on the other hand, don’t have fiber, contain cholesterol are naturally higher in fat, and they’re high in animal protein which negatively affects bones, despite containing calcium.

3.  You don’t need as much calcium as think you think. 

The World Health Organization (WHO) has written extensively on what they the calcium paradox (9).  That is, countries in the world where calcium intake is low, osteoporosis (appropriately defined as hip fracture rate rates) are the lowest in the world and in affluent countries where calcium intake is highest, the rate of hip fractures is highest (9). Countries with the highest calcium intakes have the most osteoporosis and fractures. 

In fact, a study published in the British Medical Journal looking at over 61,000 Swedish women for 19 years, found that people who consumed more than 1,137 mg of calcium per day had higher rates of hip fractures compared to people consuming less calcium (10).

Another study published in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, found adolescent girls consuming the most dairy products and calcium had more than double the risk of stress fractures versus the girls consuming less calcium and dairy (11).

In light of this evidence, the WHO states that only 400-500 mg of of calcium are needed to prevent osteoporosis .

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There’s one thing I want you to remember from today’s Take Control Tuesday article and it's this...

Whole plants foods have calcium and you don’t need dairy to fulfill your calcium needs.     

Now it’s time for you to put this information into action because it’s useless if you don’t do anything with it.  

To help you do that, I want you to answer this Take Control Now question and share your comment on my website (below), on YouTube or Facebook.

Take Control Now Question

How can you substitute 1 serving of dairy products with 1 serving of whole plant foods in your diet?  What are your ideas?  

And if you liked this video, which I hope that you did, please 'like' it by clicking the like or thumbs up button and show me some love!

References

1.  USDA Agricultural Research Service, National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Garbanzo beans. Accessed online, Sept. 2014 at http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/4771?fg=&man=&lfacet=&format=&count=&max=25&offset=&sort=&qlookup=garbanzo+beans

2. USDA Agricultural Research Service, National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Kale. Accessed online, Sept. 2014 at http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/3018?fg=&man=&lfacet=&count=&max=25&sort=&qlookup=kale&offset=&format=Full&new=&measureby=

3. USDA Agricultural Research Service, National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Broccoli. Accessed online, Sept. 2014 at http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/2908?fg=&man=&lfacet=&format=&count=&max=25&offset=&sort=&qlookup=broccoli

4.  USDA Agricultural Research Service, National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, carrot. Accessed online, Sept. 2014 at http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/2937?fg=&man=&lfacet=&format=&count=&max=25&offset=&sort=&qlookup=carrot

5. USDA Agricultural Research Service, National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Brown rice. Accessed online, Sept. 2014 at: http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/6456?fg=&man=&lfacet=&format=&count=&max=25&offset=&sort=&qlookup=brown+rice

6.  USDA Agricultural Research Service, National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Banana, Accessed online, Sept. 2014 at: http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/2208?fg=&man=&lfacet=&format=&count=&max=25&offset=&sort=&qlookup=banana

7. USDA Agricultural Research Service, National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, non-fat milk. Accessed online, Sept. 2014 at: http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/134

8.  USDA Agricultural Research Service, National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, almond milk. Accessed online, Sept. 2014 at: http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/4161?fg=&man=&lfacet=&format=&count=&max=25&offset=&sort=&qlookup=almond+milk

9.  World Health Organization, Diet and Physical Activity Recommendations, accessed online September, 2014 at: http://www.who.int/dietphysicalactivity/publications/trs916/en/gsfao_osteo.pdf

10.  Warensjo E, Byberg L, Melhus H, et al. Dietary calcium intake and risk of fracture and osteoporosis: prospective longitudinal cohort study. BMJ. 2011;342:d1473.

11.  Sonneville KR, Gordon CM, Kocher MS, Pierce LM, Ramappa A, Field AE. Vitamin D, Calcium, and Dairy Intakes and Stress Fractures Among Female Adolescents. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. Published ahead of print March 5, 2012.

Vegan, Plant-Based Food for Camping

Last night I returned from a fun-filled camping trip.  My ladies and I car-camped for a night and set off for hiking and swimming along Scott Mountain trail in Oregon the next day.  As you can see, it was beautiful and a lot of fun with great friends.  However...  

Me, Anna, Jodi and Maggie at the summit of Scott Mountain, Oregon.

We made sure we were eating an abundance of whole, plant-based foods to sustain us during our trip (it was more like an adventure really) because traditional, American camp food is crap.

I'm talking traditional hotdogs and hamburgers for lunch and dinner, s'mores for dessert,  scrambled eggs and bacon for breakfast and chips and pretzels for snacks.  If you're lucky, there might be some baked beans in there.  

Where are the vegetables!?  The plants?  In these traditional eats?

To incorporate more whole, plant-based meals while camping, try these healthy, plant-based dishes to satisfy your hunger instead.  

Plant-Based Camping Recipes/Easy Meals

Breakfast: Oatmeal.  Bring little baggies filled with regular rolled oats, raisins and cinnamon.  Then, all you need is hot water to pour on top of your pre-made mix (in a bowl of course).  Next, chop up a banana or a piece of fruit for on-top.  This is also an excellent breakfast for a day of hiking.

(Psst.. you don't want to use 'thick' oats when cooking this way. You'll risk having hard, thick oats instead of soft and chewy!).

Lunch:  If you're on the trail, fill your hiking pack with a boxed soup and a baked sweet potato.  If you're hanging around camp with the kids, make veggie-hummus or -avocado sandwiches.  Spread oil-free hummus or 2 slices of avocado on 100% whole-grain bread, and top with sliced cucumber, carrot and lettuce.  Fresh fruit for a side-dish or again, boxed soup.

Snacks:  I brought lightly salted edamame beans, fruit, baked sweet potatoes and boxed soups that I could eat straight from the carton, or warm up on the fire on our camping trip.  Slices of watermelon were perfect in the heat!

Dinner:  Mexican tortilla wraps.  Combine canned beans, canned corn and salsa in a pot and place on the fire until warm.  While this is cooking, warm tortillas on the fire.  Then, simply add the warmed mixture to the tortillas and bam you have dinner (just don't forget your can opener!).  Takes less than 15 minutes. 

In addition you can, heat corn on the cob on the fire.  Leave the husks on, and once it's cooked, eat plain or spread a lime wedge along the corn and top with your favorite seasoning.  Mine is taco or cajun seasoning.  

Marinated veggie skewers are also a great addition and 100% whole-grain pasta with a can of tamato sauce (oil and sugar free) is also easy and quick to make.  

Dessert:  Fresh fruit like watermelon, peaches and seasonal summer fruit are always delightful.  

However, if you're looking forward to making something around the camp fire, try a roasted banana boat s'more.  Slice the length of a banana's peel with a knife length wise and insert a tablespoon of dark chocolate or peanut butter along the banana's flesh.  Close the peel and place on the grill on the fire or on a hot rock.  Open once warm and enjoy directly out of the peel with a spoon or, spoon out onto graham crackers instead of using marshmallows (marshmallows are horrible for you and your kids and ya'll should NEVER eat them!).  Replace all your marshmallows with campfire bananas (they're even sweeter this way!).  

Now I'd love to hear from you.  Please answer today's Take Control Now question in the comments section below and then click 'like' to show me some love and let others know, "that hey, there's valuable information here!".  Thanks.

Take Control Now

What's your favorite, healthy, plant-based meals for camping?  What unhealthy (treats) food are you serving that you shouldn't?

Answer in the comments section below and find me on social media.

How to Make Berry-Chocolate "Ice-Cream"

Eating a plant-based diet doesn't mean you have to be deprived of mouth-watering dessert.  Today I'm going to show you how to make a dessert that doesn't only taste AMAZING, it's incredibly good for you too!  So bring on the dessert baby... every day, multiple times a day.  When it's berry-chocolate banana "ice-cream", there's no shame in dessert!

Berry-Chocolate Banana "Ice-Cream"

Ingredients:

frozen chunks of 1 really ripe medium banana *

3/4 C mixed frozen berries

2 tbl cocoa powder

1 tsp cinnamon

4 chopped dried dates **

1/2-1 C almond milk (or any plant milk)

Heads up:  you can do this with any blender, however, if you have a low-powered, 'normal' blender, you'll need to continuously stop the blender throughout the blending process.  Stop it, move the contents around and start blending again.  If you need, add small amounts of plant milk (or the liquid from soaking the dates if you had to soak them) to help blend.  The goal is to get the ice-cream as thick as possible so it has that familiar texture.  The more liquid you add, the more like a 'milkshake' it will be.

Instructions:

Place banana, berries, cocoa, cinnamon and chopped dates in a blender.  Start by adding 1/2 C of plant milk.  Begin to blend (read 'heads up' above) and add more plant milk as needed until thick, smooth and creamy.  Top with fresh fruit or a tablespoon of walnuts or hazelnuts.

* How to freeze the banana:  Peel the banana and slice the banana into 1/2-1 inch pieces.  Freeze in a zip lock bag or a thin tupperware container.

** Dried dates can sometimes be hard when you buy them, especially in bulk.  If they're hard, soak them in a covered, small dish of luke warm water for a few hours.  Then chop into tiny pieces.  You can also use this date liquid in your ice-cream.  

Blender Recommendation:

This is the strongest, inexpensive blender I've found and I love it!  It's perfect for banana ice-cream and more:  'The Master Prep Ninja' $39.99 from your local Bi-Mart store.

Take Control Now Question

What are your favorite banana ice-cream flavors, ingredients or toppings?

Answer by clicking 'comment' below.  Share your thoughts so we can get inspired to start eating more delicious and healthy dessert!

If you 'liked' this article, please post it to Facebook or email it to a friend!  Thank you!