I was asked a great question today on the radio in "Where, other than milk, can my 10 year old daughter get her daily calcium from?"

That question is excellent on many levels - even if it helps just the person who asked it, but it's one I think we can all learn something from, as calcium is so important, particularly as we age. So if we start healthy habits young we can stave off age related disease such as osteoporosis.

A child between the ages of 4-11 requires a daily calcium intake of 800mg. Girls between the ages of 12-15 require a daily intake of 1000mg. So it's fair to say we need to find a way to get this beautiful young girl to start consuming more calcium. Here is why we all need calcium:-

1/ It plays a role in nerve and muscle functions in our bodies.

2/ We need it for clotting our blood.

3/ For enzyme regulation.

4/ To assist with insulin secretion.

5/ To increase bone strength.

Your body keeps the calcium level in your blood at a steady level. It does this through a continual exchange of calcium between your blood and bones. If you fail to obtain a sufficient amount of calcium through your food, your body.....still needing to keep that consistent level in your blood, will take the calcium stored from your bones. When calcium is sapped from your bones, of course it lowers your bone density and your bones weaken.

So we need it, and our children need it, particularly as they grow. So how do we get it if we don't like milk or can't have it due to fussiness or allergic reactions?

- Cheese 30g = 200mg

- Yoghurt 200g = 300mg

- Milo 3 heaped tsp = 115mg put it with 250ml of milk and you get 415mg of calcium!

- Almonds 30g = 70mg

- Brazil nuts 30g =55mg (not all nuts contain the same amount of calcium)

- Seeds sunflower 30g = 30mg

- Salmon 100g = 300mg

- Orange (medium) = 50mg

- Strawberries 1 cup = 30mg

- Broccoli 1 cup = 70 mg

- Quinoa ( http://kellielong.com/component/content/article/7-nutrition/26-ancient-grains-give-great-gains.html ) contains more calcium than milk.

- Chia seeds. ( http://kellielong.com/component/content/article/7-nutrition/25-chia-seeds-little-super-heroes.html ). I love these little beauties and they are a permanent fixture in my daily nutrition. 

I hope this explains why our bodies need calcium and gives you some new ideas on how to source it, other than from milk. As you can see, if we are not getting enough of it through milk or dairy products, we need to consume a lot of fruit, vegetables and grains.