Getting Enough Calcium in a Brain-Healthy Diet
My top 10 calcium-rich foods plus tell me where you’d like to go on a brain health retreat
Hello, everyone. I am headed home after almost a month of being away. As much as I love being in Italy, I was getting really homesick towards the end for my husband, my dogs, and a good cup of American coffee. (My husband makes me a pour-over every morning, so that’s pretty tough to beat.) One thing I love about this newsletter community is that it feels like I get to bring all of you with me to Italy and back. And, this trip, I literally did! BHK subscribers joined me in Tuscany for the week at Monteverdi. Then, in Sicily, half of the group was already acquainted through the newsletter. It was like getting to be with old friends.
I plan to offer more brain health retreats in 2024 and 2025. Wouldn’t it be cool if we immersed ourselves from one of the Blue Zones? (I hope you are enjoying the Blue Zones Netflix series. I think it’s fantastic.)
So before we get into today’s topic, I would love to hear from you. Where would YOU like to go on a BHK brain health retreat? Rank your #1 choice for a Blue Zone destination from this list, or leave a message and tell me more! I will report back next week.
Today, on the heels of the last post about osteoporosis and dementia, we are talking about getting enough calcium in a brain-healthy diet (another topic that came out of your responses to this FAQ and this post about brain-healthy eating challenges.) I’ve heard from many of you that you are cutting back or eliminating dairy from your diet. Perhaps you’re motivated to reduce saturated fat in your diet, a good way to get harmful cholesterol numbers down. You may be trying to eat a more plant-based diet in general. Or you may be motivated to eat as closely as possible to the MIND diet guidelines or the BHK Food Guidelines in my book.
The good news
Whatever the reason, steering your overall diet in a more brain-friendly direction can be done without becoming deficient in calcium. You can find my top 10 calcium-rich foods at the bottom of this post (9 out of 10 are dairy-free!).
First, let’s briefly touch on what calcium does for your body and your brain. How much calcium do we really need? And, what are the pros and cons of getting calcium from supplements rather than from food?
Last time, I shared some surprising information about the link between bone and brain health. Who knew the two could be related? So while it’s important to be doing all the things recommended for protecting your brain health, taking care of your bones is also key. And that means paying attention to calcium intake—necessary for good bone health— to make sure you are getting enough.