Calcium rich foods are abundant, and calcium is one of the most important minerals your body needs. It keeps your bones and teeth strong and also helps your muscles work properly. But many people don’t get enough calcium from their daily food intake. Through this blog, let’s learn about calcium deficiency and discover the best foods to keep your bones healthy and strong.
What is Calcium Deficiency?
Calcium deficiency happens when your body doesn’t get enough calcium from the food you eat. Your body needs calcium every day to work properly. When you don’t eat enough calcium rich foods, your body starts taking calcium from your bones to use elsewhere. This can make your bones weak over time.
According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) 2020 guidelines, adults need about 1,000mg of calcium every day to stay healthy. For post-menopausal women the recommendation is 1200 mg/day. Without enough calcium, you might experience problems like weak bones, muscle cramps, and broken bones more easily.
Why Do You Need Calcium?
Your body needs calcium for a lot of important activities like:
- Building and maintaining healthy bones and teeth.
- Helping your muscles in moving and working correctly.
- Helping your heart in beating normally.
- Helping your blood in clotting when you get cuts or wounds.
- Sending messages through your nervous system.
Best Foods High in Calcium
The best part is that you can include a lot of tasty foods rich in calcium in your diet. The following are some of the best calcium sources:
- Dairy Foods: Dahi (curd), paneer, and milk are well-known good sources of calcium.
- Leafy Vegetables: Sarson ka saag, methi leaves, and bathua are superstar vegetables rich in calcium.
- Nuts and Seeds: Almonds and sesame seeds (safed til) are delicious calcium foods. A serving of almonds provides you with a healthy dose of calcium for the day. During winter festivals, til laddus aren’t just tasty, but they’re giving your bones exactly what they need!
- Fruits: While most fruits don’t have as much calcium as other foods, some calcium rich fruits can still help. Dried figs, oranges, and blackberries contain small amounts of calcium that add up throughout your day.
Rajgira (Amaranth): A Treasure of Calcium
One incredible Indian grain that most people are unaware of is rajgira, or amaranth grain. You can simply prepare rajgira laddus, kheer, or even rotis while fasting, and add fulfil your calcium requirements.
Easy Ways to Add Calcium to Your Indian Meals
It is easier than you imagine to add additional calcium to your Indian daily food:
- For Breakfast: Prepare rajgira porridge with milk, or eat curd with til (sesame seeds). Eat ragi dosa or idli for a dose of calcium.
- For Lunch: Add paneer into your dal, prepare palak with extra milk, or add ragi roti in place of wheat roti.
- For Dinner: Prepare sarson ka saag (mustard greens) or prepare methi (fenugreek) sabzi.
- For Snacks: Snack on roasted til, have lassi, or enjoy homemade paneer tikka.
Easy Tips to Absorb Calcium Better
It is essential to consume calcium-rich foods, but your body also needs to absorb the calcium well. Here are simple tips for Indian families:
- Take morning sunlight for vitamin D, 15-20 minutes a day makes a big difference.
- Have calcium foods during the day rather than all at once.
- Do walking, yoga, or domestic work regularly to maintain strong bones. You can join Habuild’s 14 day Free Yoga Challenge, for building stronger bones and muscles.
- Soak rajgira overnight for cooking to help digest it more easily.
The Indian Way to Strong Bones
Our traditional Indian foods have the solution to calcium deficiency. By adding calcium rich foods to your daily diet – from dahi and paneer to til and rajgira – you can provide your body with what it lacks.
Our forefathers were aware of the worth of foods such as til, ragi, and green vegetables like spinach. They used to use these calcium foods in festivals and daily cooking with a purpose.
Small modifications such as changing from wheat to ragi roti every other day, or sprinkling a handful of sesame seeds over your food, can go a long way in improving your bone well-being.
Final Thoughts
The good news for you is that preventing calcium deficiency does not require expensive supplements or big lifestyle changes. Our traditional Indian foods that are naturally rich in calcium – from til (sesame seeds) in our laddoos to the leafy greens can well enough take care of our bone health.
Remember, that taking care of your bone health is necessary. A woman with strong bones can better care for her family, feels confident in her body and can contribute more to her household and society. When you take care of your calcium intake, you are not just caring for yourself, but looking after your family too.
