Our bodies operate in some part on the perfectly balanced presence of trace minerals. While the body constantly works towards homeostasis (balance) for health, it’s easy to throw things off ourselves, particularly through a poor diet. The most prevalent mineral in our bodies is calcium. Calcium get utilized for all kinds of bodily functions, and whether we know the reason or not, we definitely feel it when our calcium levels are out of whack!
For the heart, calcium is key in enabling that muscle to contract. It also plays a role in allowing it to relax. Without proper levels of calcium, circulation isn’t possible because vasodilation relies upon it. Over the years, calcium therapies have been applied in many different ways to improve the health of the heart and help bodies heal from or avoid hypertension, stroke, and heart attack. In our office, Nutrition Response Testing provides the most effective method for determining of someone could use calcium supplementation or if something else is needed, so getting yourself on a Nutrition Response Testing program is key to heart, as well as holistic, health!
Eating a diet high in whole, organic foods is a great way to insure your heart is getting the calcium and other nutrients it depends upon to keep you upright and feeling great. Meanwhile avoiding the foods that are highly damaging to the nutrients you’re trying to provide to your cells is always essential. We often here people joke, as they’re eating a doughnut or the like “it’s all about balance, I’ll have a salad for lunch!”, but sadly, the doughnut will through the body off balance and clear out of homeostasis for hours or even days. Here’s a little list of foods that are particularly high in calcium, while providing numerous other key nutrients as well, and while they really don’t taste like a doughnut, they are delicious!
- Seeds – things like chia, poppy, sesame, and hemp
- Dark leafy greens – look for collards, spinach, kale, chard, bok choy, and broccoli rabe
- Almonds – nuts make great snacks and add some lovely crunch to salads, and almonds are particularly high in calcium
- Raw dairy – pasteurized dairy lacks the form of calcium our bodies can use, but dairy in its raw form doesn’t, and is also probiotic!
- Figs
- Rhubarb
You’ve kind of got the makings for a great smoothie or salad in that list. Eat up, and bon appetite!