“Health is not valued until sickness comes.” 

– Thomas Fuller

Calcium is such an important mineral for your health. So, when you think of calcium, you usually think of your bones and teeth. But only 99% of the calcium in your body is stored in your bones, so there is still 1% missing. Believe it or not, one percent of calcium does play an important role in keeping your body healthy. You will find it in your blood, muscles and tissues. That 1% is needed to help your muscles contract, it regulates the rhythm of your heart and is important for nerve functions.  

Now, I could go into loads more detail about how your body works with calcium and what hormones switch on and off, but I won’t. Instead, if you are interested in finding out more, I’ve added a link to a Harvard study on calcium 

So how does it work? How does your body know when it needs calcium?

I explained in one of my earlier blog posts how the body is a vessel; a living organism separate from who you are in mind and soul. And it is working hard to keep you healthy.  

Thank goodness that your body is a living entity, all on its own. It knows what it needs to stay healthy and alive, so all you have to do is feed it the right minerals and vitamins. With the right food, your body will keep itself in tip-top shape. It does all the hard work. 

But if you neglect to feed your body healthy, wholesome, organic foods, you may find it will start to fail you. Then disease and illness will be more likely to become part of your everyday life.  

Where does your body get calcium from?

There are two ways that you can introduce calcium to your body: by eating foods or taking supplements. If you don’t do either, your body’s functions will result in the removal of calcium from your bones. This will lead to calcium deficiency. So to stop your body from depleting your bone calcium, let’s look at food sources that help increase it.

On a plant-based diet you will discover that there is a variety of foods to supplement your calcium intake. Fruits, leafy greens, beans, nuts, and some starchy vegetables are all good sources.

So without further ado, here are some foods that are rich in calcium: 

• Seeds 
• Beans & lentils
• Almonds
• Leaf greens – e.g. collard, mustard, turnip, kale, bok choy, spinach. 
• Rhubarb
• Amaranth
• Tofu & edamame 
• Fortified drinks – non-dairy milks and orange juice can be fortified with calcium. 
• Winter squash – (please see my wonderful recipe for stuffed butternuts)
• Figs 

The recommended daily intake (RDI) of calcium is 1,000 mg per day for most adults. However, women over 50 and everyone over 70 should get 1,200 mg per day, while children aged 4–18 should consume 1,300 mg per day.

Don’t forget to check out my tasty Stuffed Butternuts and let me know what you think!