Calcium and Weight Loss – Is It for Real?

We all know that drinking your milk and eating your greens will build strong healthy bones and teeth, but did you know that the calcium in these foods may also help you burn fat? It’s true! Recent studies reported that consuming higher levels of calcium can increase the metabolism and burn more fat. And it may even prevent fat storage! While further study is needed to prove this conclusively, there is good evidence to suggest that calcium is a dieters’ dream come true!

Does this mean that you need to increase your calcium intake above the RDA? No. Since most people only get between 600-700 gm per day and the daily RDA is 1000 mg, it just means you need to add more to the amount you are currently getting.

How to Increase Your Daily Calcium by Intake:

High calcium foods (more than 250 mg):

*1 cup plain non/low-fat yogurt
*1 cup plain non/low milk
*1 cup calcium fortified soy milk
*1 oz Swiss cheese
*½ cup tofu processed with calcium sulfate
*½ cup tofu processed with calcium sulfate

Moderate calcium foods (100 – 200 mg):

*3/4 cup calcium fortified orange juice
*1 oz cheddar or mozzarella cheese
*1 tbsp blackstrap molasses
*1/2 cup pudding
*1/2 cup frozen yogurt


Low calcium foods (less than 100 mg):

*1/2 cup cottage cheese
*3 dried figs
*1/2 cup broccoli
*1 oz milk chocolate bar
*1/2 cup pinto beans

*Be sure to read the food label as the above are only estimates. Ingredients and fortification may vary.

Source:The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center Nutrition Tip Sheet

If you know you are not getting enough calcium from dietary sources, you can use supplements.


Although more studies are needed to prove conclusively that higher calcium intake can indeed help you burn more fat, there is no danger in increasing the calcium in your diet. And when it is combined with a wholesome low calorie diet and a good exercise program, there’s no doubt you will be healthier and thinner in no time!

Are you teaching your kids to be fat?

Parents teach their children so many things from learning to walk, to tying shoelaces, to solving math problems to driving a car. Of the lifetime lessons learned, however, perhaps the most important thing a parent can share is eating a sensible diet.

A healthy diet for a child plays a key role in reducing heart disease as he/she ages. These are the findings of a recent scientific study. The test, involving approximately 540 children and their families, provided counseling to the parents and focused on limiting saturated fats. “The aim of the diet counseling in our study was not to reduce the total number of calories in the diet, but to shift the child’s intake from saturated towards unsaturated fats and have cholesterol intake of less than 200 mg (such as in the use of more vegetable oils than animal fats and butter)”, explains Dr. Harri Niinikoski, lead author and pediatric endocrinologist at the University of Turku.

The key distinction between saturated and unsaturated fats is where they come from. Saturated fats originate from animal products while unsaturated fats derive from plant products. Needless to say, plant products are far healthier for you. Meat and whole dairy products (e.g.: milk, cheese, cream and ice cream) are rich with saturated fats.

Study results were indeed encouraging. A news story (from FoodNavigator.com) reported that “According to the researchers, a low-saturated-fat, low-cholesterol-oriented nutrition intervention had a favorable effect on saturated fat and total LDL cholesterol concentrations throughout the first 14 years of life, with percent of cholesterol lowering by age and sex”.

As a parent, guide your children on the right path to a long and healthy life. Introduce them to fruits, vegetables and whole grain products at a young age. Should a parent outlive a child, this is truly a tragedy.

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