Today we’re going to continue with last week's theme of the top five calcium-rich foods. I’m going to share some delicious recipes that incorporate these foods and other Foundation Foods. Plus every recipe will be either pH-balanced or alkalizing.
I always like to include as many Foundation Foods in my meals and snacks as possible, and here’s why: our bones require specific vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and other nutrients to be strong, youthful, and flexible. Foundation Foods contain these vital nutrients, many of which the Medical Establishment never associates with the reversal of osteoporosis.
An excellent example is Vitamin B12, which is directly linked to stronger bones and decreased fracture rates, but your doctor will not tell you this. The only nutrient he or she is likely to mention is calcium, and even then the prescribed type is an inorganic, rock-based form.
A 2005 study (which the Medical Establishment conveniently ignored) published in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research clearly showed a connection between bone density and Vitamin B12 levels.1 Additional studies provide more insight into this fascinating connection, linking high levels of homocysteine (an inflammatory marker), low bone turnover rate, and B12 deficiency with an increased risk of fracture. 2,3
The bottom line is, no single nutrient is the “magic bullet” for rejuvenating bones. Nutrients work in synergy with each other, so variety is key. Hence the delicious variety in the recipes below!
When you were younger, you didn’t worry about fractures from a simple fall. Eating plenty of Foundation Foods helps you recapture that peace of mind.
So let’s get started with eating your way to younger bones!
Bone-Building Broccoli Slaw
pH-Balanced
4 Servings
Ingredients
- 1 pound broccoli heads
- 6 radishes, quartered and thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons cranberries
- 1/4 cup roughly chopped basil leaves (optional)
- 1/4 cup plain yogurt
- 1/4 cup tahini
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon sea salt (optional – adjust to taste)
- 1/4 cup slivered almonds, preferably toasted for extra crunch
Directions
Eat Your Way to Stronger Bones
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- Finely chop the broccoli florets.
- In a large bowl toss the broccoli with the radishes, cranberries, yogurt, tahini, basil, lemon juice, and salt.
- Garnish with the toasted almonds.
Crunchy Quinoa And Kale Patties
pH-balanced
Makes 12 small cakes
Ingredients
- 2 cups quinoa, cooked and at room temperature
- 3 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt (adjust to taste)
- 1/2 cup kale, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped
- 1 onion, minced
- 2 cloves garlic, pressed or chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 cup almond flour
- 1/2 cup sesame seeds
Yogurt dipping sauce
3 to 5 servings
- 3/4 cup plain yogurt
- 1 teaspoon parsley, chopped
Directions for the patties
- Preheat oven to 350º F.
- In a bowl, mix the quinoa, eggs and salt. Add the kale, cilantro, onion and garlic until all is well combined.
- Add the baking powder and the almond flour. Mix well and set it aside for a few minutes so the moisture gets absorbed.
- Pour the sesame seeds onto a small plate. Then shape the mix into a patty of about an inch in diameter and press each side into the sesame seeds to coat both sides.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment and place the patties on the baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes or until patties are cooked through.
- Serve warm with the yogurt dipping sauce.
Directions for the yogurt sauce:
- In a bowl, mix yogurt and parsley.
Supercharged Potato
100% alkalizing (if you don’t eat the potato skin it’s pH-balanced)
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Using a fork, pierce holes in the potatoes and rub them with olive oil.
- Sprinkle with sea salt and place on the top oven rack. Bake for approximately 45 minutes or until tender. When ready, set aside to cool for 5 minutes.
- In a large bowl combine the remaining ingredients, ensuring mixture is well coated with lemon juice and olive oil.
- Split open the potatoes and spoon the kale mixture on top.
Preparing Nutrient-Rich Meals To Nourish Your Bones Is Easy!
I love creative and delicious ways to get calcium to my bones, and I enjoy sharing these wonderful foods and recipes with the community. When I wrote the Save Our Bones cookbook, Bone Appétit, I included a special bonus: Calcilicious, a full-color handbook of calcium-rich recipes that’s bound directly into the Bone Appétit cookbook.
Calcilicious contains recipes for delectable entrees, soups, and appetizers, such as Chunky Charm Soup, No Fish Tuna Salad, Mind-Blowig Veggie Burgers, Marvelous Mushroom Casserole, and more – all easily prepared any time you need to increase your calcium intake.
To read more about Bone Appetit and the Calcilicious bonus, I invite you to click here.
Eating your way to younger bones never tasted so good!
References
1 Dhonukshe-Rutten, RA, et al. “Homocysteine and vitamin B12 satus relate to bone turnover markers, broadband ultrasound attenuation, and fracures in healthy elderly people.” J Bone Miner Res. 2005 Jun;20(6):921-9. Epub 2005 Feb 7. Web. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15883631
2 McClean, Robert R. “Plasma B Vitamins, Homocysteine, and Their Relation with Bone Loss and Hip Fracture in Elderly Men and Women.” J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2008 June; 93(6): 2206–2212. Web. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2435634/
3 Stone, KL, et al. “Low serum vitamin B-12 levels are associated with increased hip bone loss in older women: a prospective study.” J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2004 Mar; 89(3) :1217-21. Web. https://www.unboundmedicine.com/evidence/ub/citation/15001613/Low_serum_vitamin_B_12_levels_are_associated_with_increased_hip_bone_loss_in_older_women:_a_prospective_study_
Question: is whey protein isolates safe? And if not what can I replace for it.
Hi. I want help. I used to drink a lot of milk but have stopped because of the acidity. So i figured spinach and brocoli have calcium, but they also have oxalate levels that when you consume them it prevents anymore calcium abosorption i think. and too much oxalate levels gives you kidney stones! I cant find a way out. i cant find a good calcium source and i can’t eat too much of these veggies because of the oxalate levels, and i cant take these calcium supplements. Is there anyway for me to get calcium?
Dear Dan,
Calcium is necessary to prevent too much oxalate from being absorbed. So what you might do is combine a high-oxalate food like spinach with an alkalizing calcium source like plain organic yogurt or cultured sour cream. A 2003 study discusses this phenomenon in depth and notes the following:
“Addition of sour cream and Calci-Trim milk reduced the availability of the oxalate in the spinach significantly (P<0.05) in both the 6-hour and 24-hour collection periods."
Here is a link to the study so you can read more:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12810415
Hi, I have a question about the Broccoli Slaw, it doesn’t state if you should steam the broccoli first or just eat it raw and uncooked?
Thanks,
John
Hi John,
The broccoli in the slaw recipe is raw. 🙂
I am 65 I need to kow wish calsium to take,thank you.
I am from Seattle, W A can you help me wish brand of calcium is better?.
Hi, Don’t know where you are located, but I conduct an osteoporosis support group- The Osteoporosis Awareness Group, that meets at the Burke Rehabilitation Hospital in White Plains, NY. We have been meeting for approximately 20 years. We have been having speakers talk about the different aspects of dealing with osteoporosis. If you are interested in coming and or speaking to our group please contact me. Looking forward to hearing from you. Susan
Hi All, I have not yet tried the broccoli slaw but if one does not like cranberries tart dried cherries could be used instead.
Thank you vivian.
I have a question i hope u can help me . My Doctor order a prolia injection
Do you recomend, what do you Think. about That
I have osteporosis per Last 3 yrs Im not taking any pill for That Thank you so much for help everybody
Dear Vivian,
thank you for all your help, appreciated!!
I just tried the broccoli slaw but found it very sour, is it ok to take less lemon juice? and what if I take a piece of wholeweat bread with some butter on it at the side?
Of course! Feel free to adjust the lemon juice, or make other tweaks to get it just right. 🙂
I’m looking forward to trying some of these, thanks Vivian. I did wonder about the broccoli slaw, how can it be 100% alkalizing if cranberries are acidic?
Thanks Diane – it’s a small amount of cranberries, but you do have a point! The slaw is more along the lines of 80/20, so we’ve corrected the description to read “pH-balanced.” 🙂
I am a 68 year old male that has osteoporosis some sever. Am wondering what is the most calsium we should take? Also is there a type that is the best as there is in vitimin D?