AlexisG2003 Posted July 23, 2015 Share Posted July 23, 2015 I just found out I am pregnant a few days ago and started reading a pregnancy book. The book places a lot of value on dairy products for calcium. Has anyone else found this to be true, and if so, did you just take a calcium supplement pill instead? Dairy is NOT my friend, and the book recommends soy milk if that's the case, but if I can just take a supplement, I'd rather do that. This is my first time to be pregnant and my 2nd Whole30, so any tips are welcome! Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Munkers Posted July 23, 2015 Share Posted July 23, 2015 You may be interested in the Dairy Manifesto and this Whole9 article on calcium. Long story short, dairy is not the calcium powerhouse that we've been lead to believe. Assuming that you've already read It Starts With Food, you may also be interested in Nina Planck's Real Food for Mother and Baby. It's not 100% Whole30 based, but I found it to be much friendlier to Whole30 and paleo-style eating than other pregnancy resources. Fair warning, there are some parts that get into birth intervention (epidurals, c-sections, etc.) that, while I agree with the author's philosophy, I was a little put-off by because I felt that a nutrition book was the wrong platform for that information. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sosee11 Posted July 23, 2015 Share Posted July 23, 2015 I am still breastfeeding, and I've realized after about 3 weeks on Whole30 that I am not getting enough calcium at all. I know in the Dairy Manifesto they say that supplementation is not necessary if you eat the right things, but I'm getting crazy foot and leg cramps due to the lack of calcium. I eat spinach and romaine everyday, but it's not enough obviously. I am going to add kale more often, but I don't love it that much so, I may start taking a supplement or look for a calcium fortified 100% juice (do those even exist?). I got the same foot/leg cramps while pregnant, and had to up my calcium then too. Pregnancy and breastfeeding really robs your body of nutrients to support the baby, unfortunately. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators ladyshanny Posted July 23, 2015 Administrators Share Posted July 23, 2015 I am still breastfeeding, and I've realized after about 3 weeks on Whole30 that I am not getting enough calcium at all. I know in the Dairy Manifesto they say that supplementation is not necessary if you eat the right things, but I'm getting crazy foot and leg cramps due to the lack of calcium. I eat spinach and romaine everyday, but it's not enough obviously. I am going to add kale more often, but I don't love it that much so, I may start taking a supplement or look for a calcium fortified 100% juice (do those even exist?). I got the same foot/leg cramps while pregnant, and had to up my calcium then too. Pregnancy and breastfeeding really robs your body of nutrients to support the baby, unfortunately. Hi Sosee, While lack of calcium causing cramping is possible, it is also likely that you are magnesium depleted. Lack of magnesium causes cramping as well and unfortunately the soil that our food is grown in doesn't contain the amount of magnesium it should. Supplementing with magnesium is almost a requirement for folks these days. You might consider giving that a try? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Munkers Posted July 23, 2015 Share Posted July 23, 2015 Cramping can also be related to depleted sodium (super easy to do on a whole foods diet) or potassium. Over time, some folks are able to figure out that certain types of cramps in their body are caused by one electrolyte deficiency as opposed to another, but it can often take some self-experimentation to figure out the right combination of supplements or foods. Also remember that for your body to utilize calcium, you need to ensure that you're getting plenty of vitamin D (another common deficiency), vitamin K, vitamin C, and adequate fat to help you absorb those nutrients. Saturated fat, specifically, is tied to calcium absorption so think about adding in or upping your animal-based fat sources like lard, tallow, and ghee. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noelle Posted July 25, 2015 Share Posted July 25, 2015 Fish with bones are an AMAZING source of calcium. I love bone-in, skin-on sardines personally, but a really easy way to get fish bones into your diet is to make the salmon cakes from the Whole30 book without de-boning the salmon. Just pulse the fish with bones in a food processor and proceed with the recipe. Spinach isn't great for calcium, but collard greens and bok choy are calcium powerhouses! Eat them with some fat for maximum nutrient-absorption. Other great non-dairy calcium sources: figs, tahini, broccoli, kale, okra, almonds, and oranges. Seriously, skip the fortified orange juice and eat the whole orange. You'll get about 70mg calcium, plus all the good stuff in a whole food. Non-dairy calcium is a passion of mine, if you can't tell. To answer your question about whether you need a supplement: maybe. But I've found that if I prioritize calcium-rich foods within a Whole30 eating template, I easily consume 2000mg of calcium daily. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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