Calcium Rich - Health Poor?

It's taken a couple of years but I finally got around to registering with a Doctor.  The reason I've changed is because I shifted towns and now live too far away from the previous medical center that I used to go to.

So I picked a center close by and made an appointment to go in to interview the new Doctor.  Silly me, I had a wild hope that this guy would be somewhat knowledgeable with the vegan lifestyle.

It wasn't that he opposed my food choice, but he did admit to not knowing a lot about nutrition.  He asked the usual questions about where I get specific vitamins (at least he didn't ask about protein), then went on to say that the chances were that I'd be lacking in calcium …. the much needed mineral for bones.

He supplied me with a list of all the calcium rich foods which, naturally, had dairy products right at the top.

Unfortunately, I wasn't quick enough to argue the point that if dairy was the best source then how come the rate of osteoporosis has increased in the Western world?
Studies have found that "Osteoporosis is, in fact, a disease caused by a number of things, the most important of which is excess dietary animal protein" see article on Food Matters   Now I'm not a scientist, I'm not a trained nutritionist but I do have the power of deduction and when I learn that people who live in countries that have no or very little animal products yet have no sign of osteoporosis and are able to live healthier lives than we do, my logical brain does have to wonder why.

1964 - 2013

The meat and dairy industry have hoodwinked us for generations into believing that we must consume animal products in order to be healthy.  If you take a look at food pyramids put out by "respected" sources like the Heart Foundation  you'll see that, yes, they put vegetables at the top of the list, but they also have animal products including dairy designated to quarter of the plate.

I'm not against dairy, but in this day and age the dairy that is supplied to us is no longer true (unless you buy raw milk), as it is messed about with so much at the treatment plant that it is nothing like the milk that comes directly from the cow.  It's for this reason, (along with animal welfare and environment), that I have chosen to no longer consume dairy.

So the next time I see this Doctor I just might bring up the topic of dairy, calcium and osteoporosis.

Oh, and his comment about not knowing much about nutrition?  Very common in Doctors - I wonder why they still take the Hippocratic Oath as Hippocrates says: "Let food by thy medicine and medicine be thy food".

Happy Eating
Fee
website:  www.thevegetariancenter.com

UPDATE:  Have had the results back from the blood tests that the doctor wanted me to have ... you know, "just like to check that you're not lacking in certain areas"  Well, what'd know - all perfect, in fact, more than perfect!  Iron higher than a healthy meat eater .... calcium high - duh, of course it is.  hahaha - love it!