The FastDay Forum

I used to drink milk in my tea all day long. This could be anything between 10-15 cups, depending on whether Hubbie was home or not (he is a big tea drinker). For the past month I now only have one or two cups a day, drinking herbal tea the rest of the day.

My question is do you think I need to still incorporate a drink of milk or perhaps something yogurt based into my day as I thought you needed milk for healthy bones and teeth and didn't want to be causing any problems later in life.

On the plus side my belly isn't bloated at the end of the day. I had already changed to decaf about and a year ago and this did make a difference to belly bloating, but cutting out tea altogether has meant I am no longer bloating to 5 months pregnant belly by the end of the day

I saw that you've posted your question twice with no replies, so thought I'd be the first. Sorry, I don't know the answer! I'm not surprised that you feel better after cutting down from so much tea! I love it too, but nowhere near as much.
Back to the calcium question... Do you have milk with cereal for breakfast? I have very little. I sometimes have some cheese, but rarely have yoghurt. Hopefully someone more knowledgeable will be along soon...

I don't drink any milk at all and I have enough calcium, but it really depends on what you eat whether or not you need more calcium in your diet to replace the milk. I would think not unless you don't eat any other calcium rich foods at all, especially as milk is not as high in calcium as we are led to believe, things like nuts and seeds and cheese and even green leafy veggies are good sources.

Forgot to say, you need enough vitamin D too otherwise your body won't absorb the calcium! It's not that easy to get enough from food but vitamin D is made in the body when you are exposed to sunlight.

I don't eat cheese so yes I take a calcium supplement . It is worth thinking about how much calcium you are getting and yes vitamin D is important too. My 40ish son in law has osteoporosis due to a vitamin D deficiency!

Thank you for your replies. Sorry I posted twice. forum is bonkers this morning. Having trouble looking at other posts.

Will need to see if I am getting what I need through other food. Perhaps myfitnesspal logs calcium as well as protein, carbs etc.

Thanks again. Shelley x

Vegetables and nuts are a better source of calcium than milk. You could also eat little fish with the bones in.

The key to a good calcium balance is not only to eat good healthy greens, but also to cut down on foods that leech the calcium out of your body. If you eat too much meat and too many grains compared to greens, that will bind calcium in your digestion and you will excrete it.

Think about how much less saturated fat you are consuming, dairy products have a high amount.

[carorees]

Latest research suggests there is not much wrong with the saturated fat actually. However, high milk/dairy increases IGF1 which is what we are trying to decrease in order to reduce cancer risk, so like others, I would say there is no need to worry about reducing your milk intake. Generally, supplements are not needed when on this diet, unless you are post-menopausal in which case, there is evidence that supplementing with a combination of calcium, magnesium and vitamin D is beneficial (regardless of whether you are fasting).

@carorees I replied on a replicated question earlier when amberenchanted posted twice cos of server difficulties, can the two be put together? Please?!

Any thoughts on dairy milk substitutions ? I have switched to Soy milk or Almond milk. I found the taste to be different but good. It's fortified with D and calcium, just doesn't have Cholesterol.

[Betsysgr8]

I'm lactose intolerant and the lactase enzyme supplements were a bit pricey, I had severly reduced my dairy consumption. After I found the lactase supplements at a very reasonable price and that lactose free milk could be bought at the grocery store, I now enjoy milk (in my coffee), cheese and yogurt regularly. The bonus .. I no longer have leg cramps! Apparently when I cut out dairy I had cut out a whole lot of nutrients that my muscles needed.

Only approximatly half the worlds population can actually tolerate (cows) milk once weaned. Milk is not actually needed in a healthy diet that has other calcium rick foods in it.
The bloating could be a sign that you are milk intolerant. I have long suspected that I am, but I can't make that break. I have already cut my wheat consumption right down, cutting my milk, well actually the cheese out would be a step too far.

Brougham mentioned soya and almond milk, I've recently swapped my morning cereal from semi skimmed milk 98 kcal's per 200 ml's (that's 6.75-7.00 fl oz depending where in the world you are) to non sweetened almond milk 26kcals per 200 ml's. all the vitamins you need with no loss of taste. I'm not drinking it as a liquid substitute as I usually stick to water or wine, and no I haven't worked out how to do the biblical conversion yet!!!

I am post menopausal and take a prescribed Calcium and Vitamin D tablet twice a day because several years ago it was discovered that I had a small loss in my bone density. I also take one combined multivitamin and multimineral tablet just to help make up for any dietary deficiencies. If you would feel happier taking a calcium supplement just make sure that you also combine it with Vitamin D. Good luck with your 5:2 journey.