Four Weeks of Eating Calcium

"Healing may not be so much about getting better, as about letting go of everything that isn't you - all of the expectations, all of the beliefs - and becoming who you are." - Rachel Naomi Remen


Am I ready to be healed? Has this whole journey thing been long enough to be healed? Is this process over with?


 I will have my answer...by Monday afternoon I will have seen my doctor and I will potentially be rid of the crutches...hooray! Today actually was the four week mark from when my foot originally broke. Can you believe it? Can it really have been four weeks on those awful crutches? Can it really have been four weeks since the last time I ran? Four weeks of willing myself to heal should do it, doncha think?


There's more though. I have to make sure that I'm healthy enough to run. I have to be ABSOLUTELY sure that I'm not going to be racing this spring and all of a sudden have my hip fracture, or fall during a race and break my kneecap, or whatever else. As much as it pains me to say this, after a difficult week this week, I've decided that even if my heel is better I'm still not running until we take a good long look at my bones and make  sure that they're O.K. As I've said before, your heel bone shouldn't fracture in only the span of a week. It just shouldn't happen. I need to know why. 


But here are all of the things that I HAVE been doing. Whenever I drink coffee or tea I automatically add milk or almond milk. I've been drinking a LOT of almond milk. What most people don't know is that it actually has TWICE the calcium content of regular milk. Pretty awesome huh? I also take my calcium supplements twice a day. That's a heck of a lot of calcium. I generally aim for 1500mg every day (this includes what I get from supplements). Most people don't realize  how much calcium we actually need on a day to day basis. The truth is that minimally you should be getting 1000mg per day. I'm aiming for 500mg more for well, obvious reasons.


Calcium Rich Foods:
Yogurt: Sometimes as high as 210mg per servings
Sardines: seriously have 500 mg of calcium per serving. I'm pretty sure this is only because when you eat sardines you're eating the fish's bones. ew. 
Tofu:  510mg per serving. 
Figs: 506 mg per serving.....weird  right? 


Fun Facts: 
-Calcium and vitamin C work together.  This mineral can be properly absorbed in your stomach if you have optimum levels of acid ph. 
-Too much calcium can be toxic
-Calcium is naturally found in stalactites.
-People need extremely regulated calcium level because our brains rely on it. If the level is too high or too low, our nervous system gets “nervous”


The best way that I do it is by taking supplements called "viactives" which are semi-not disgusting chewable vitamins that have 500mg of calcium a pop. They're not exactly like eating candy...but they could be much, much worse. Just don't get the chocolate ones. Get the caramel ones. 
Also, as I said I've been drinking tons and tons of almond milk...500 mg per cup!!! I am ALL OVER this bone rebuilding stuff. 


The only thing, nutritionally, that I'm still lacking in is getting enough protein. I don't really eat meat as it is, and I haven't really done much (besides the milk thing) to improve my protein intake. I can't be expected to concentrate on both calcium annnnd protein right? haha. But I'm working on it...it's a slow, sure process. 


This weekend may have been my last walk on crutches. My misshapen calf may soon get itself back into shape. I may soon get to walk again. I may soon get to run again.