Women above 30 years of age must be conscious about their daily calcium intakes as it can increase the risk of osteoporosis, if ignored, in the long run. Even people, who want to lose weight, can do so by simply adding calcium to their diet. Here are a few tips on how to add calcium to our diet.

Are you consuming sufficient calcium a day? According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, both men and women above 50 years of age must take 1200mg of calcium in their diets. If this is not possible through meals, one can also take calcium supplements. Women, who do not get required calcium daily, face the risk of breast cancer.

How to add calcium? It is not very difficult to add calcium to your daily diet especially if you are a dairy food lover. Include all dairy products, like milk, cottage cheese, butter, yogurt, sour cream in your daily diet. You can also fulfil your calcium needs by eating milk-based smoothies, ice cream, cheese omelet, frozen yogurt and pudding. Drinking a glass of milk is a wise option, however, the lactose-intolerant people can opt for soy, which also has 300mg calcium per cup.

Calcium-rich Non-dairy products: If you are not a fan of dairy goods, it is perfectly fine. There are alternatives too. You can pick green leafy vegetables like kale or broccoli or eat salmon or sardine varieties of fish, which are very high in calcium. Think of any food fortified with calcium like breakfast cereal, snacks, cereal, bread and even some bottled waters. Foods containing calcium mostly label it on the front of the package. Some unknown calcium-rich foods are almonds, oats, beans and oysters.

What to avoid or include while on Calcium diet: If you are taking calcium in your diet for a purpose, don’t forget to avoid substances like caffeine, iron and zinc supplements, flour products, meats, and salts as they stop your body from absorbing calcium. Excessive stress can also leech calcium from your body. Eat Vitamin-D rich food like darkly colored orange and green fruits along with calcium-rich foods to help build healthy bones.

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