In Which I Become An Active Amateur Nutritionist: A Story, A List, A Few Questions

/ Ally Bean

Is this not so‽

DESPERATELY [SORT OF] SEEKING CALCIUM FOR STRONG BONES

You’re not a very good freezer spelunker.

Z-D said this to me when I couldn’t find a bag of frozen edamame, a bag that he found almost instantly after digging further down into the disorganized mess that is our freezer.

He was right about me. Our freezer is on the bottom of the refrigerator and looking down into it with my bespectacled eyes is the equivalent of 52 card pick-up. It’s a jumble of blurry stuff.

The thing is that prior to March 2020 in the Before Times we had an organized freezer. I had a place for everything and could quickly easily find what I was looking for.

However after March 2020 when Mr. Man began working from home all the time and we began making all our meals at home all the time I lost control of the contents in the freezer because, say what you will about Z-D, he knows food and likes to have lots of it on hand.

Nonetheless, getting to a point here, you may be asking yourself why was I searching for edamame?

Thanks for asking. Please allow me to explain.

• • •

Edamame, also called soy beans, are a good source of calcium which, as you probably know, is good for your bones.

If I am to believe the results of a recent DEXA scan that measured my bone density, I need more calcium so that my bones get stronger or at least remain as strong as they are now. I’m not into a full-on osteoporosis situation with brittle fragile bones, just a pre-osteoporosis situation that is called osteopenia.

There’s always some dodgy name for medical conditions.

And further if I am to believe my Primary Care Physician’s advice I need to eat more calcium in addition to taking a weekly little prescription pill called Alendronate.

My insurance company [inexplicably] covers the full cost of this annoying little pill. You take the pill on an empty stomach then without laying down you wait at least 30 minutes before eating or drinking anything. I’m a person whose digestive track is easily upset, so naturally the pill doesn’t play nice with my intestines.

There are issues.

Plus the ridiculous dosage regime means that after dragging myself out of bed to face the day there’s no coffee for me for a half hour. I resent this intrusion into my morning routine. Obviously this is not a good way to start my day and I’d like to get to a point where I don’t take this little pill even if it is weekly.

• • •

Admittedly I’m not thrilled with dairy products, a well-known source of calcium. I eat a few but to get the recommended amount of daily calcium [1200 mg] I have to think about taking dietary supplements &/or eating more calcium-rich foods.

Because I want to avoid the dietary supplement angle of calcium intake I’ve chosen to become the Queen of Non-Dairy Calcium Information. As an active amateur nutritionist I’ve researched the topic online, going so far as to put together the following list of sources of calcium-rich non-dairy foods that I would will eat.

I share it here because maybe you, too, are trying to eat more calcium because you, too, don’t like taking prescription medicine or dietary supplements. Thus without further ado I present for your edification this *at least it’s a place to start* list.

[Please note: the order of the foods means nothing more than how I wrote them down during my research.]

A NON-EXHAUSTIVE LIST OF SOURCES OF NON-DAIRY CALCIUM

SOY FOODS

  • Edamame
  • Tofu
  • Roasted soybeans
  • Soy milk [calcium fortified]

NUTS & SEEDS

  • Almonds 
  • Brazil nuts
  • Pistachios
  • Sunflower seeds
  • Almond milk [calcium fortified]

VEGETABLES

  • Spinach [low absorption]
  • Black-eyed peas
  • Broccoli
  • Acorn squash
  • Butternut squash
  • Cabbage
  • Celery
  • Green beans
  • Radishes
  • Sweet potato
  • Tomatoes 
  • Zucchini

GRAINS 

  • Oats
  • Corn tortillas

FRUIT & JUICE

  • Rhubarb [low absorption]
  • Pumpkin
  • Dried apricots
  • Orange juice [calcium fortified]

BEANS

  • Great northern beans 
  • Lima beans
  • Pinto beans
  • White beans
  • Hummus

SWEETENERS

  • Maple syrup 
  • Molasses [blackstrap best]

FISH & EGGS

  • Shrimp
  • Canned sardines 
  • Salmon 
  • Egg yolks

QUESTIONS OF THE DAY

Is your freezer in a jumble or is it organized? If organized how do you keep it that way?

What is your thinking when it comes to taking prescription meds? Or taking dietary supplements?

What is your opinion of dairy products in general? Do you like butter?

Do you love Steve from in_otternews like I do? Do his absurd thoughts, like the one at the top of this post, make you laugh out loud?

• • • • •

219 thoughts on “In Which I Become An Active Amateur Nutritionist: A Story, A List, A Few Questions”

  1. I’ve been down this road. It’s very hard to get enough calcium so you don’t need to take the dreaded pill (btw there is one that you only have to take once a month). My GI system didn’t like it either, making me grumpy on pill day. Eventually I evolved to Prolia, a shot every 6 months (there are other meds that are similar). For me no side effects and my GI system is happy. It actually builds bones (slowly). My non-dominant forearm is the only place that could use some build up. My femur and hips have improved considerably. Exercise is also great to build up your bones. I think it was a combination of my Fitbit nagging at me and the Prolia that helped but that’s just me. Everyone’s story is different. A lot of the items on your list wouldn’t find a home at my house. Some of them I like but come under the “occasional” category rather than an every day thing. Good luck to you.

    Liked by 3 people

    • Kate, there’s a monthly pill? Now that sounds more like it! I knew there was a shot version but suppose I’ll have to suffer with this weekly pill until I can prove it does me no good. I already know it makes me irritable, but docs don’t usually care about that.

      I knew that exercise was also a way to build up your bones and have decided to walk a bit more now. The whole issue of my bone health, or decline thereof, came as a surprise to me. If it ain’t one thing it’s another.

      Liked by 1 person

      • Boniva is a once a month pill. At this point there may be generic. My experience started with the weekly, then the monthly. Bad belly pains. I had to whine. After breast cancer I had to take Arimidex for 5 years which is not good for the bones and that may have helped justify the injection which costs a lot more. I was very happy with my dexa scan last year which showed considerable improvement (compared over time). None of my aunts seemed to have this issue (no dexas back then) or they had it but never broke anything. Always something.

        Liked by 1 person

        • I’ve seen TV ads for Boniva, but tuned out whatever was being said. Blah, blah, blah! I think about how my mother and her sisters never had DEXA scans yet seemed to do okay. One aunt broke her hip at age 89 which wasn’t great but not all that uncommon. I’m glad you saw improvement with your most recent scan. Ever onward.

          Liked by 1 person

  2. Good morning Ally!

    What? What? I am first? Wooo hoooooo!
    Alrighty, let me get myself back into rights. 😉
    I occasionally lose control of my freezer (both the fridge one and the chest). Less now as I am the sole digger for contents. But every now and again, I am too lazy to go downstairs into the big chest freezer and throw it into my fridge freezer. Eventually, that gets too full and I am forced to reorganize.

    As for the calcium, I am with you. I also “suffer” from osteopenia and my doctor said: “NOW will you start taking the calcium pills?” Which I did. And then stopped as I started getting more bumps on my knuckles. (My mother suffered the same thing so she refuses to ever take a supplement.). So, I too, have looked at the calcium content of foods and have increased my calcium-rich nutrients this way. Your list is wonderful. I won’t like. I’m not always good. Some days I am a better taker carer of my health than others. Human, yanno?

    Liked by 3 people

  3. So sorry to read about your less than perfect dexascan, Ally. Same thing happened to me.

    Just some words of caution from a former chemistry teacher:

    A lot of the dietary Ca supplements (and calcium-fortified products) contain calcium in a form that is not bioavailable. Look at the ingredients. Calcium carbonate is ground up oyster shells. It does contain calcium, but almost none of it is absorbed by your body. Look for a soluble form of calcium in the ingredients, like calcium citrate. Best is to get the calcium from foods, like the ones you mention.

    Same for iron, by the way. When iron is added to foods, you will often see the term “reduced iron” in the ingredients list. That means iron filings – ground up nails. The product does contain iron, but not in a form that your body can use.

    Sorry for the soapbox rant!

    Liked by 3 people

    • Laurie, thank you for the useful information. I knew that when I read labels on supplements I see different words after ‘calcium’ but didn’t know how to interpret those words. I did figure out that you don’t absorb 100% of the calcium in real food, so while you think you’ve nailed your daily calcium intake you probably haven’t.

      Didn’t know a thing about iron, but am filing this information away in my mind, too. So much quackery involved when it comes to supplements. 🤨

      Like

  4. Well, I love (low-fat) milk and yogurt, and I get plenty of vitamin D through sunshine, so I’ve never sought out dairy alternatives. I’ve never had a bone scan, but after a few significant tumbles that could have taken out a bone or two, I’ve decided to consider those alternative bone scans, and keep on trucking. (I still need to write the story of one fall that involved an isolated family cemetery in the middle of a Kansas maize field, where I tripped on a hidden rock and whacked my head on a gravestone.)

    As for dietary supplements, I’ve never taken any. I hold the old-fashioned belief that a balanced diet will generally provide all that’s needed, and so far, so good. The only prescriptions I take are an eye drop to keep glaucoma in check, and a low dose blood pressure medication. Shortly, I’m going to make an appointment with my doc to talk about getting off that one, since they say weight loss is one of the best ways to control blood pressure, and I’m down 25 pounds over the last six months thanks to a formula for two-pound a week loss offered up by the Harvard Medical School.

    Also: just to confirm what Kate mentioned above: weight-bearing exercise is important, too. I’m convinced that doing physical labor is part of what’s kept me so healthy.

    Liked by 3 people

    • Linda, you sound like you’ve got bones of steel. I’m sure your physical labor over the years, plus your adventures out in nature looking for plants, have helped you. I’d love to know about how you hit your head on a gravestone. How very Halloween-ish!

      Your prescription meds sound like they are helpful, but if you can drop the blood pressure one without any harm to yourself, I’d be like you and want to get rid of it. Good job on intentionally losing weight. It’s not easy to do, but can be a healthy thing.

      Like

  5. Question three first, I love butter, and we have always bought whole milk. If I had to look for non-dairy calcium from that list, I’d binge on pistachios, broccoli, cabbage, celery, radishes, shrimp and eggs over (medium with buttered toast). Our freezer is not well organized, but it’s at eye-level so easier to deal with. Good luck in your quest.

    Liked by 2 people

    • Dan, I can drink 2% milk but I find anything with more butterfat icky. I agree about your binge foods, those are the ones I like the most, too. I’m thinking this quest to eat more calcium need not be a burden, now that I have this list of food to intentionally eat. Guess I’ll find out eventually.

      Liked by 1 person

  6. I am also on the osteopenia band wagon. But my doctor, years ago, said the side effects of that weekly pill were such that he wouldn’t have his wife on it, so I didn’t go that way. So please be careful. I think most doctors are quick to prescribe pills when maybe you could do a similar thing with diet and exercise and supplements. My bones have not gotten better, but they’re also not worse.

    Liked by 2 people

    • Dawn, apparently I’ve joined the Osteopenia Club, a club I didn’t realize existed. Interesting about your doc’s take on that stupid little pill. I’m definitely into upgrading my diet and I can exercise more, but not sure about supplements. I like knowing you’ve not gotten worse, which seems like a victory to me.

      Liked by 1 person

  8. So ironic that you mention the bone density scan. Before I start my story I think it’s important to say that I would suggest a freezer that is on top, not the bottom. Bottom freezers become weird pits of freezer-burned foods that aren’t fit to eat. I run from fridges that have bottom freezers 🙂

    So-I do most of my medical stuff online thanks to my medical systems ability to schedule, make RX requests, track labs and appts., get reminders for preventative care… After just turning 65 a new “discuss your need for a bone density assessment with your PCP” notation popped up. I thought 2 things: 1. medical systems are programmed to automatically believe that at 65 your bones immediately begin to crumble, 2. because I now have Medicare I am going to get all sorts of these “reminders” popping up so that Medicare can be billed by my PCP.

    My answer to both of those is NO. I appreciate the reminders of aging but for me that means monitoring myself and my choices, at least for now. I eat many/most of the things on your list and there is calcium in my 55+ vitamin. I am not anxious to add anything else, especially not because of assumptions. I also will pass on the bone scans- for now -because of the laundry list of pre-requisites I must meet for Medicare to cover the cost.
    Oh, and yes. I love butter. The last time I had margarine was when I left my childhood home. I would eat an entire cube of butter, but it must be accompanied by warm bread.
    Secret: I have been known to grab 5 or 6 or 10 small wheat crackers, add a dab of butter and enjoy a lovely snack.

    Liked by 2 people

    • Deb, while I understand what you’re saying about bottom freezers, they are more energy efficient and thus Z-D, aka the Energy Tzar, likes them. I rather liked our previous side-by-side refrigerator, but that didn’t please him either.

      Yes, you’ve discovered exactly what we’ve discovered: with Medicare we *suddenly* need many diagnostic tests that heretofore were of no concern to us or our doctor. Connect the dots… funny how the reminders happen… the day after you celebrate your 65th birthday.

      I take a multiple vitamin [some days] that has calcium in it, but my ob-gyn told me it really does nothing other than give me peace of mind. Which isn’t a bad thing.

      I could eat your snack, my mother did that, too. Funny I’d forgotten about that.

      Liked by 1 person

      • Well I do applaud Z-D’s focus on energy savings but…I will just be grateful that I live alone and can organize to suit myself, and that my tiny kitchen and cheap landlords dictate the appliance purchases.

        Absolutely agree on the daily vitamin. I feel slightly more protected on the rare days I choose less than healthy food.

        I can see already that I will be questioning almost everything that is on the “you are now old so you must have…” lists that Medicare provides. I don’t approach my healthcare in that way and cannot afford hidden bills because some part of the recommendation isn’t covered. This journey into aging healthcare will keep me on my toes I think.

        Liked by 1 person

        • You’re right, on the one hand it’s good to conserve energy, but on the other hand our freezer is a mess.

          We got a phone call the other day from our health insurance company wanting to come for a home visit so that they could assess how safe our living arrangements are. Neither of us have fallen, shown signs of dementia, or are using canes to get around, mind you. We’re fine.

          Zen-Den yelled HELL NO! at the caller and that ended the conversation. But I gotta wonder who would be paying for this unnecessary intrusion into our lives. 🤨

          Liked by 1 person

  9. Very useful list, Ally. My husband and I are among the few adults who love milk and tolerate it well; we probably keep the dairy farmers in business! And I agree about the weight-bearing exercises helping keep your bones strong. But I still take quite a few meds for other things, without which I don’t think I’d be in very good shape. I’m a believer. When my thyroid stopped working on its own, I found out pretty quickly what a difference taking a pill made for allowing me to function fully.

    Liked by 2 people

    • Jane, I can instantly understand why you’re a fan of prescription meds, you’re smart to take the one you need to overcome your non-functioning thyroid. Science, gotta love it.

      I don’t tolerate dairy well, but can eat some, just not enough in one day to hit that magical number. If it’s not one thing it’s another!

      Liked by 1 person

  10. I’m an amateur nutricionist, too, mainly specialising in childrens’ iron deficiency and egg allergy, but now I’ve just started my kid on calcium, too. He hates dairy, as did I as a kid. I was hopeful to find something new on your list, but, alas, he doesn’t like anything on it! 😂 So supplements it is, then. (They are artificially sweentened, which bothers me, but what to do?)

    Liked by 2 people

  13. I have to admit that my freezers are pretty organized. The one at the bottom of the fridge holds certain everyday stuff like bagels, frozen orange juice, perogies, ice packs, ice cubes etc. the small deep freeze downstairs holds meat, boxes of blueberries etc. and to keep it organized I purchased a plastic shoe shelf that fits in perfectly and lets me have mentally assigned places for different proteins. What can I say, I am a little anal. I am not so bad that I label these spaces, I just like all my chicken in one place.

    When it comes to calcium, I am very lucky. I was a big milk drinker growing up and apparently, according to your list, still eat a lot of calcium rich foods. Plus ice cream. I will never give up my ice cream. So I guess that makes me pro dairy, especially since I do put butter on my veggies. Sorry to hear about your calcium issues. I hate pills that upset my stomach and try to avoid them at all costs. Actually other than Tylenol and Motrin, for general aches and pains, I try to avoid all medication. Hope you find a satisfactory solution.

    Liked by 2 people

    • Jenn, you have the freezer organization system of my dreams. A place for everything and then [miracle of miracles] things are in those places. I try to work with Z-D and show him where foods should go, but he is of a different mindset, one that just wants lots of food stuffed into the freezer… just in case. It is a bone of contention in our happy house.

      I’m with you. I’m not one to take prescription meds so for me to agree to try these stupid little pills is a big deal. I eat plain yogurt and drink 2% milk but apparently that’s not enough. I like all the foods on my list so I’m adding them into my diet and committing to walking a little more every day.

      Liked by 1 person

  14. Hi, Ally – I eat many calcium enriched foods (as you described here). I also take daily over-the-counter calcium supplements. On the advice of a nutritionist, I also take K2. Vitamin K2 activates a protein called matrix GLA which removes calcium from soft tissues and it activates osteocalcin, which holds calcium to bone.If you have a lot of calcium intake, you need vitamin K2 to direct it. In addition, I do regular strength workouts which helps with bone strength.

    Liked by 2 people

    • Donna, thanks for the information. I’ve never heard about taking vitamin K2, that’s new to me… as is this whole topic of discussion. I understand what you’re saying about pushing the calcium in the proper direction toward your bones. In the Before Times I did regular strength workouts, but that’s something that got lost along the way over the years. I suppose I should do them again.

      Liked by 1 person

  15. Ah yes, the quest for calcium. Sigh. I have been down this road because my kid isn’t a milk drinker and her pediatrician really wants her to have more calcium, as she’s in her prime bone-building years. Seems to me like most calcium-rich foods don’t have a whole lot of calcium, OR they are foods my kid won’t touch with a ten-foot-pole. Double sigh. I have come to the conclusion that it’s too hard to come up with enough calcium in non-dairy food alone, so we give her calcium supplements as well. I love dairy, and drink a smoothie full of yogurt and skim milk almost daily, so I feel like I’m on top of the dairy game. Good luck, Ally – I’m sorry you’re facing osteopenia and glad you are becoming a calcium expert to ensure you get enough!

    Liked by 2 people

    • Suzanne, I can only imagine how difficult it must be to get a child to drink milk when the child doesn’t like milk. I’m sure calcium supplements are a good solution. I like milk, a couple of times a week, not multiple times a day. And I eat plain yogurt occasionally but the idea of all that dairy every day turns my stomach. Hence, the list.

      Liked by 1 person

  16. I haven’t had a bone scan yet; but I’m sure I could up my calcium intake – preferable without a supplement; but based on your list there are very few foods that I would want to eat on a regular basis. I guess I need to bring on the milk. Which when am I going to have time for that since I’ve been told to up my water intake; so it seems like I’m drinking that every hour on the hour. I do love butter…maybe I’ll have The Husband start adding butter to everything!

    Our freezer is always a hot mess – but that’s because The Husband is in charge of it.

    Liked by 2 people

    • Gigi, the actual DEXA scan is easy and painless. You just lie on a table in a semi-dark room whilst a machine looks at your bones. It’s the results of the scan that seem problematic.

      I’m laughing about drinking water and then drinking milk. Yep, both are allegedly good for us, but you cannot live a real life and drink that much liquid in a day. Unless you never leave your house with the bathroom in it.

      Like

    • Marian, yay to a jumbled freezer, boo to fat ankles. I agreed to try this stupid little pill for 6 months, but am definitely adjusting my diet to include more natural sources of calcium too.

      Liked by 1 person

  18. Steve is a funny little guy😹
    I do not eat much dairy or drink milk so when I broke my leg in two places I had the bone scan and was diagnosed with osteopenia. I took some pill which I don’t remember the name of for a couple of years. Then stopped because I don’t like to take medicine. I just believe that my bones are good now from watching the grandkids. I got lots of physical exercise and weight bearing exercise.

    Liked by 2 people

    • Beth, I said I’d try this pill for 6 months then evaluate how I feel about taking it. It’s odd that insurance pays for it in full, I find that a red flag.

      Yes you get a lot of physical exercise with the grandkids. Who’d of thought they could be the key to strong bones!

      Like

  19. “Freezer spelunker” is kind of hilarious…until you learn that it was Z-D who turned the freezer into his messy man cave and that maybe, instead of making jokes, he should take charge of cleaning up his mess before some frozen edamame finds him?

    Liked by 2 people

  20. Oooh!! If you’re been advised to take calcium, be sure to take D3 and K2, as well! These will help usher the calcium into your bones, rather than create arterial plaque. Unfortunately, most doctors forget to mention this part. (My mom recently got her DEXA scan after a few years on this routine and, at age 68, her bone density has increased for the 5th consecutive year.) Maybe be less painful than buckets of veggies!

    Our chest freezer is semi-organized. I take everything out every 6-months and move the older stuff to the top. Otherwise, I try to keep raw meats on on side, frozen produce in the middle, and prepared meals on the other side. It’s not perfect, but it works. I used to keep a whiteboard listing the contents, but got lazy.

    I generally try to avoid prescription meds. I used to also avoid dietary supplements, but deficiencies associated with chronic illness made them necessary, at least for now.

    I’m not a fan of dairy, but mostly because have a casein allergy. I so like chai lattes, ice cream, and broccoli cheddar soup, but they often give me a hard time. Butter is also problematic, but I love ghee, which is clarified butter with fewer dairy proteins.

    Liked by 2 people

    • Erin, thanks for the advice. Another commenter mentioned K2 which was news to me. I knew that Vitamin D helped when ingesting milk. I’m delighted to read about your mother’s success.

      I thought about keeping an ongoing list of what’s in the freezer then decided I’d get more irritated writing and updating the list than I am just letting the mess be an ongoing mystery.

      I’m on the fence about dietary supplements. I’ve tried a few in the past with no apparent change in my health.

      I don’t do well with butterfat because I have no gall bladder anymore. Digesting butterfat is a game for me, sometimes I can, other times I can’t. Thus when I eat diary it is low-fat and not that tasty.

      Like

  21. I found out I had osteoporosis two years ago. This was after my battle with a kidney stone and being diagnosed with Hashimoto’s. I believe I qualify for a R.D. degree at this point, as I think I’ve done more research than a Ph.D. student in nutrition. I highly recommend Calcium Enriched Lactaid Milk. It tastes amazing!!! I avoid spinach and almonds like the plague (high oxalates=kidney stones) so I do get my calcium needs met through dairy products, with the added bonus of them containing protein.

    I’m on once-a-month Boniva. You do have to wait an hour to eat/lie down, but I’m used to that because my thyroid meds also make me wait an hour to eat in the morning, so that’s every morning for me. I have my next DEXA scan at the end of the month, so I’m hoping to have maintained what I have. I also do the recommended resistance training/weight lifting. Fingers crossed!

    Liked by 2 people

    • Bijoux, oh my, I’ve no doubt you deserve a R.D. degree. I’ve seen the Lactaid Milk but not tried it, so thanks for the idea.

      I know of Boniva, but don’t know anyone who’s on it. Once a month would suit me better than weekly, but I can understand how for you the dosage regime would be standard operating procedure. I haven’t done weight training in years, not a fan of exercise but I could give it a try again.

      Like

  22. Chiming in about the strength training. My mom does not like milk products and was told years ago she was at risk of developing osteoporosis. She’s taken calcium faithfully for years, but was told that now Vitamin D3 is equally important. It helps increase the strength of bones and I believe helps with absorption of calcium. (Of course milk tends to be D3 fortified now, but if you don’t drink milk products…D3 can be harder to get).

    I eat cottage cheese almost every day, but beyond that tend toward dairy-free alternatives, so this is all good information to know!

    Liked by 2 people

    • Elisabeth, I need to become more aware of my calcium intake and whether it’s going to be from supplements or real food remains to be seen. I pleased to read that your mother is doing well keeping her bones strong.

      I made the list for myself but then realized other people might like it. It’s hardly definitive, but it is a place to start which is where I am.

      Like

  23. My bones are fine it’s my blood sugar that is high again. Had gotten it down to manageable and even able to stop taking metformin but life and a lack of focus got me back up 40 pounds and now I have to start the meds again. It messes with my stomach too but I’m hoping that since I was on it before I won’t have that issue. Hopefully you can get your DEXA numbers back in good range. I don’t like a lot of the foods on your list so I’m glad I have my problem not yours – LOL Happy Tuesday!

    Liked by 2 people

    • Janet, you said it: life gets in the way. I can understand how you got off-kilter with your blood sugar. I hope your stomach can tolerate your meds again for however long you need to take them.

      I won’t know how my bones are doing for another year, which gives me a long time to learn to include more of the foods on the list. And Happy Tuesday right back at ‘ya!

      Liked by 1 person

  24. I had a DEXA scan at age 75 and my bone density was at the low end of the range for a 30 y/o. (30 y/o seems to be the baseline). Since I am lactose intolerant dairy products have never been a big part of my life. Meanwhile my husband, the dairy junkie, was diagnosed with osteopenia at age 74 after he fractured a hip. So – maybe it’s just as much genetics as diet. I have been taking a OTC calcium supplement since my early 70’s – is that a factor – I don’t know.

    As for freezers, I’ve heard people complain about bottom placed freezers because they are hard to organize. Now that I am alone my fridge and freezer are basically empty but in previous days my freezer (top) was very organized – I used wire freezer baskets – made things easy to find and allowed for more ‘stuff’. I do not think they would work very well for a bottom placed freezer.

    I’ve been eliminating supplements over the past year, some I’d been taking were useless, one was replaced with a prescription medication, which has saved me a boatload of money – the prescription med being free and the supplement being expensive. Go figure!

    Liked by 2 people

    • Grace, you raise an excellent point about how genetics play into this situation. I know that my mother had strong bones, but as for my father… I dunno.

      The thing about bottom freezers is you look down on stuff so it doesn’t matter what’s under the top layer you’re not going to see it. You just have to plunder the space.

      That is something that your prescription medication is free while your OTC supplement was expensive. Our medical system is so warped, but glad you’re getting what you need for free now. Yay!

      Like

  25. My freezer is very organized because I don’t have much in it; that makes it easy to find things. 🙂 That’s quite a list of calcium rich foods, many of which I like. Milk isn’t my favorite thing (except in my mochas) but I love cheese. I should eat more yogurt than I do. My bone density test was OK for my age; like every woman my age, I have some osteopenia. I think it’s normal. Is yours in the high range? I take a multiple vitamin and a calcium supplement and do a lot of walking. Weight bearing exercise is great for the bones.

    Liked by 2 people

    • Margaret, less in the freezer would lead to finding things easily. I could go that route, but Z-D loves his groceries.

      I know that many of the foods on the list I already eat so in my case it’ll be intentionally adding a few more. I need to walk more, I got away from it during the pandemic, but now have the luxury of going for a walk whenever. A new goal, perhaps.

      Like

  26. That Steve graphic is a hoot. My freezer is not at all organized. I have 3 freezer spaces and that is part of the problem. I’ve been known to freeze something and then forget about it. I recently had a edamame misfire . . . I ate the casings. I don’t advise. I love dairy, but currently am avoiding it as I’m following the low FODMAP diet to deal with SIBO. That’s a lot of acronyms to say I miss flavor and food and taste and feeling satisfied. I hope to try to eat other stuff soon. Oh, and part of why I’m doing low FODMAP is to stay off of the antidepressant that was helping me sleep, but not managing my symptoms. I dislike taking meds and I’m taking more than I care to. Something for my joints (arthritis) and something for the acid in my gut and something for high cholesterol, which I blame SIBO for – because high cholesterol can be attributed to SIBO. Good times.

    Liked by 2 people

    • Ernie, Steve always cracks me up. Whoever draws it has a dry sense of humor.

      3 freezers! I cannot keep up with one so I applaud you for even trying. I knew not to eat the edamame casings, I can only imagine what they did to your digestion.

      I know of the FODMAP diet but not why anyone is on it. I’ve never heard of SIBO before so looked it up. I’m sorry you deal with this.

      You’ve got a lot going on inside you. You may not like taking the meds but if they help you, then whatcha gonna do? I hope you get everything under control, as much for your mental health as well as your body’s health. Life can be complicated sometimes.

      Like

  27. Hi there, Ally Bean. I’m feeling your pain because I’m in the osteoporosis category and now taking an infusion once a year. Although I don’t have your morning routine with that, I do have to wait a full hour after I take my tiny thyroid pill before I can have anything to eat or drink. I’m so unproductive before my caffeine! I also felt put out that I had to do that. Other random answers: our freezer is a mess and was never organized. Had a bottom freezer and now a left-side – no improvement. I like butter. I hate milk, but I like cheese and drink calcium fortified OJ.

    Liked by 2 people

    • Barbara, I’ve read about the infusions but you’re the first person to talk about having one. I know that thyroid pills are worse [in the sense of waiting time] than the stupid one I’m taking. I’d feel totally unproductive without my early morning coffee, I feel your pain.

      I wonder if a disorganized freezer is just one of those things that has less to do with the machine and more to do with the family who stocks it! Some of us just can’t keep a freezer straight.

      Liked by 1 person

  28. I agree with Steve completely! I only use butter. In my twenties I read margarine causes cancer in test lab rats and that was margarine done for me in my life.
    The freezer…I try to get it straightened out a couple times a month after a Costco run. I like to rotate stuff we use all the time, berries for smoothies, a noodle meal we like for lunches and bread, etc. so, I put the new stuff on the bottom and make sure the stuff that was there already gets moved to the top and the expiration dates are still good. It still gets messy though. I had a hard time finding my frozen ice thingy that goes in my lunch box the other day. It was buried at the bottom. We have a French door fridge/freezer as well. I love it except when I have to bend over to do that kind of digging.

    I do take a calcium chew…when I remember, but I have yogurt a couple times a week, and use whole milk in my daily cups of tea, and I eat a lot of things on that non-dairy list quite regularly so I hope my bones are holding their own. I have steel cut oats 5 days a week. I fell on the trail a couple of weeks back and nothing broke, thankfully, besides my ego. re: supplements. I take a handful of them a few times a week. I’m not on any prescribed meds for which I am very thankful.

    Liked by 2 people

    • Deborah, Steve makes me laugh all the time. I follow him on IG.

      Your system for keeping your freezer organized is what I’m striving for. You are so right about how bending over to dig down into the bottom freezer is, shall we say, annoying. It gets to my lower back every time.

      I have some calcium chews now that I’ll be trying. I am also trying to learn to like milk in my morning coffee. I like milk in tea so why not coffee? That’s the essence of my pep talk. I was pleasantly surprised by all the foods I already eat on the list, but know I can do a few more now.

      I’m sorry you fell on the trail, but glad you didn’t break anything. That’s what we all are aiming for; to be clear, the not breaking anything part not the falling part.

      Liked by 1 person

      • LOL! I knew what you meant! I feel the same way -any fall I get up from without a broken bone or gear is great! I’ve slipped and fallen on trails more times than most people I know unfortunately and I’m not a klutz. This last fall was probably my fault I had my eyes on the sky looking at a bird while walking on a single track trail and tripped on a branch that was laying across the trail. I broke my own rule. STOP to look quit walking! You’d think I’d learn…apparently not. 😯

        Liked by 1 person

  29. When I lived and worked in the subarctic (NWT) for six years we had a big chest freezer, but M kept everything rotated and organised because he did all of the cooking. At that point he was retired and my job was very demanding, so he took it on. Now that we’re back in the south we have two bottom drawer refrigerator freezers that are in good nick. We don’t use much frozen food any more so there’s not a lot in them.

    I have kidney disease (well managed) and have a very odd diet as a result. I try to avoid anything that can put pressure on them (potatoes, tomatoes, avocados and oranges are at the top of the don’t list), and that includes dairy and meat. I am a 90% vegetarian as that’s the best option for maintaining kidney health. I take two meds for blood pressure (a longstanding issue and the biggest reason I have kidney disease) one for cholesterol and supplements recommended by a naturopath to reduce inflammation. My bones are fine so no need for concern at this point, anyway.

    As you can imagine my diet can be a bit of a challenge and I’ve been to a dietitian to sort it all. I avoid soy because of breast cancer in my family (two sisters). I could consume it but I want to eliminate the possibility of any link. I don’t want to unduly worry you though; here’s an article: https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/expert-answers/soy-breast-cancer-risk/faq-20120377

    The protein sources I turn to are egg whites, fish (not shellfish), brussels sprouts, and sometimes, chicken breast. Oats are a good source and I drink oat milk. Butter? I love butter (and cheese!) but have had to severely cut back because of cholesterol. Ugh. They’re now a treat, and that’s something I do from time to time. I love avocados but they’re not on my diet. Nevertheless I will eat one now and again. I think that whatever you eat or however you have to eat, it’s important to give yourself some leeway. We’re human, after all.

    Liked by 2 people

    • Lynette, I like the idea of systematically rotating foods in a freezer. That implies there is a system to begin with, which is what we’re lacking and is driving me bonkers.

      I don’t know much about eating for kidney disease but I know I’d miss potatoes, tomatoes, avocados, and oranges. Yet if not eating them makes you healthier then a small sacrifice. I also didn’t know about not eating dairy or meat which would narrow your food choices as well. I’m sure you’ve figured it all out, but it took some effort.

      I knew about the soy products/breast cancer connection, but thanks for the link. Very interesting. When it comes to soy I only eat edamame, maybe twice a month so I don’t worry.

      I’ve not tried oat milk, but I see it for sale. I love oatmeal so cannot tell you why I’ve not tried it. I’m not keen on butter, without a gall bladder it can be difficult to digest.

      I agree with your summation. You have to give yourself some leeway when it comes to diet, forcing yourself into only eating ‘healthy foods’ is a good way to end up in an unbalanced relationship with food.

      Liked by 1 person

  30. I hate the bottom freezer set ups. I reorganized ours 4 mths ago, meat and unopened bags of veggies on the bottom. Open veggie bags & bread on the top. My wife is always ready for the zombie apocalypse so wee have lots of everything – don’t get me started on our pantry and garage storage for nonperishables. Back to the freezer, 52 pickup. Plus we have 2 freezers in the garage…..

    Liked by 2 people

  31. I love Steve! I don’t know that me makes me laugh out loud much, but I’m sure he makes me smile knowingly. He’s a sensible guy, who knows how it is.

    Funnily enough, organize the freezer situation is on my list of aspirations for this week. Yesterday I got the pantry sorted, and although my husband made fun of my labels and bins, I don’t care. The librarian in me needs order. I completely understand how things got off track in 2020 and never really got back on. Wishing you luck.

    I’m sorry to hear about the cause of your nutritional research. I hate taking medications for something my body used to do all on its own. (I have to take something twice daily for acid reflux.) At the same time, I am glad we have medications that give us better quality of life for a longer time. (The reflux is no joke, and if I forget my meds I will almost certainly wake up at night with burning acid in my throat.) I was pleased to see that many of the items on your list are things I already eat pretty often. I hope you like lots of those things, too. I’d much rather modify my diet if that will do the trick.

    Liked by 2 people

    • Rita, yes Steve is sensible. I don’t know how I found him on IG but am glad I did.

      I like the idea of an organized pantry. Ours is organized by categories on each shelf but after that it’s another jumbled space. But it doesn’t bug me like the freezer.

      Now that I’ve delved into the wide world of calcium I’m ready to eat more foods with calcium and to walk more regularly and *fingers crossed* to ditch this stupid little pill at the first chance. I do agree though that having prescription drugs that help us live longer healthier lives are wonderful, even if I plan on muttering about all the meds whilst I live my healthier life.

      Liked by 1 person

  32. Oh Ally, you are so right – if it isn’t one thing, it’s another! I’m sorry you have to deal with this. I have no idea how my bones are doing! No one has suggested a scan as of yet.

    Is your freezer in a jumble or is it organized? If organized how do you keep it that way? I have an upright freezer which is easier to keep organized, I think.

    What is your thinking when it comes to taking prescription meds? Or taking dietary supplements? I’m fine with prescription meds, as long as they make my life better. Side effects are a deal-breaker, especially abdominal ones. I take a multivitamin for general principles.

    What is your opinion of dairy products in general? Do you like butter? I love dairy! I eat a lot of dairy, including butter! I feel lucky that it agrees with me.

    Do you love Steve from in_otternews like I do? Do his absurd thoughts, like the one at the top of this post, make you laugh out loud? Yes, I love Steve! So funny!

    Liked by 2 people

    • Michelle G., I agree about the upright freezer. When we had a side by side refrigerator we were more organized.

      I’m with you about prescription meds if they are doing what they’re advertised to do. Too early to decide if this stupid little pill is a keeper, despite the intestinal distress.

      If you eat a lot of dairy there may never be a need for you to have a DEXA scan, although I was sent off for one seemingly on the whim of the doctor. I don’t know what variables lead to the screening.

      Steve is funny but I’m not sure everyone gets his humor. Oh well, more for me to laugh about.

      Like

  33. fyi, your body needs adequate vitamin D in order to absorb calcium rich foods– so everyone should also check with their PCP to make sure they are getting enough vitamin D. ❤

    i have a bottom freezer, and also dislike it. but, i do keep it organized. i grocery shop weekly and tend to only keep enough groceries on hand for one week (this kinda bit me in the ass when covid first hit, but we survived!– and i haven't changed my ways).

    i love steve the otter ❤

    Liked by 2 people

    • ren, excellent reminder about the Vitamin D. Thank you.

      We used to be weekly-oriented shoppers but once Covid lockdown happened we began to buy more, worrying ahead. Hence the messy freezer.

      Steve is the best, isn’t he?

      Liked by 1 person

  34. I chuckled about the freezer wars. Paul is forever standing in front of the freezer bemoaning that I’ve moved his….fill-in-the-blank. My solution? He now had a dedicated shelf for his swanky ice cream bars and special “I can only make garlic bread if I use this” bread. I surrendered. But on the plus side, I think it’s easier for us because we don’t have a bottom freezer drawer thing-y, which makes locating whatever we’re seeking easier. Shelves always help, don’t they? And…last…thanks for the reminder that edamame is a good source of calcium. It’s my first line of defense when I’m out with sushi-loving friends and although I knew it was healthy, I missed the calcium aspect. And last, last? I love Steve and I’m not a big fan of dairy. Bring me soy milk any day. xo, Ally! Here’s to your health! 🥰

    Liked by 2 people

    • Vicki, I like your solution to the freezer wars, a good way to refer to the situation. Shelves are much easier to allocate and understand. But this bottom drawer thing, while it keeps things very cold, is impossible to organize— everything lays on top of everything so you have to go spelunking to find anything.

      I knew some foods on the list, like edamame, were calcium-rich, but others were a surprise. I’m now into eating them when possible because I’m not a big fan of dairy either.

      Steve is the best. Check him out on IG.

      Liked by 1 person

  35. I really don’t like our bottom freezer. We do have a garage freezer, but I hardly ever use it. Speaking of which, I should probably check in there…Our bottom freezer is pretty organized, though. Since I’ve started eating more whole foods and less processed stuff, I’m not in the freezer as often as I used to be.

    I love otters, so I’ll definitely check out that Instagram page!

    Right now, I’m only on medication for migraine prevention, but ideally, I’d love to be off it eventually. I also take magnesium and riboflavin supplements, as both can help with migraines.

    I’m a huge fan of dairy products (CHEEESE), especially butter, but I was raised on margarine and haven’t had that in years.

    Liked by 2 people

  36. I have the various items segregated on shelves, but the shelves are a jumbled mess. I take two types of prescription meds because I agree with my PC that they are needed. I also choose to take three supplements. I think supplements are a topic that can go either way. I love dairy products so no bone issues as of right now. I enjoy anyone who can make me laugh out loud.

    Liked by 2 people

    • Judy, our pantry is organized like you mentioned, segregated shelves but a jumbled mess on each. Somehow we can’t swing that with the freezer.

      If the prescription meds makes sense and do what they’re supposed to do, I’m all for it. But I’m leery of the little stupid pills I’m taking. Cantankerous, even.

      Good that you like dairy, good that you like Steve.

      Liked by 1 person

        • And the thing is if when I get another DEXA scan and there is improvement will the improvement be because of the stupid little pills alone OR really because I ate more calcium + went for more walks + took the stupid little pill? Its value might be in that it encourages me to live healthier, not in its actual chemical compound… says the cynical woman.

          Liked by 1 person

  37. I also have osteopenia. I can’t take that prescription pill because it gives me a two day migraine and nothing is worth a two day migraine. Luckily I love cheese and nuts. I hate my freezer – it’s a side by side with deep basket like drawers that contain God knows what!

    Liked by 2 people

  38. We bought a chest freezer for the garage during COVID and stocked it up before food prices skyrocketed. My husband was convinced prices were going to go up. Now it’s full to the brim and I wonder what we first put in there?

    Liked by 2 people

  39. I try to avoid taking prescription medication unless it can’t be avoided. (I take two.) I’m careful about supplements, but do take a daily multi-vitamin and calcium supplements. My OB/GYN had me start on calcium supplements about thirty years ago; he said I fit the textbook description of someone who would develop osteoporosis. I haven’t had a DEXA scan in several years, but I have one next week. I’m hoping for good results.

    As for my freezer, it’s only sort of organized.

    Liked by 2 people

    • Linda, I’m just now getting into the world of calcium supplements so this is rather new to me. I mean, I knew they were out there, just didn’t think they applied to me. Fingers crossed that the results of your DEXA scan are good. If you’ve been taking calcium supplements for as long as you have your bones should be solid.

      Liked by 1 person

  40. My freezer is currently a disaster… I stopped caring.

    You missed a ‘secret’ source of calcium… TUMS. I learned that at a RedCross platelet donation after get chills & shakey (something about the stuff they add to the return line)… 400mg of calcium per tablet. I have the peppermint ones and, for me, they’re almost an after dinner treat.

    Liked by 2 people

  41. My freezer goes through stages. Some weeks it’s very organized, others it looks like a tornado blew by. As for dairy, I’m all about butter and cheese. Doubt my calcium will ever be low.
    😉

    Liked by 2 people

    • River, I like your description of your freezer, it might just be how freezers are meant to be used. I wish I could tolerate butter and cheese better, but they sometimes do a number on me… so other sources of calcium it is.

      Like

  42. I am amazed by how much have changed in our eating arrangements since the pandemic. Eating at home during those two years changed our eating arrangements. Now, we take most of meals at home, but have very little stored in our freezer. Food costs have increased a great deal in Canada, so everyone is more strategic in their meal planning. A great thought on incorporating calcium into our daily routine, but I have learned important to balance calcium consumption with other nutrients, as excessive intake may lead to health issues such as kidney stones.

    A great post, Ally, and a most excellent follow-up discussion.

    Liked by 2 people

  43. I hear you on not wanting pills to intrude on your daily routine. I wish I didn’t have to take any. But I take a blood pressure pill and one for cholesterol. I need more calcium.
    I’m not on Instagram, so I’m not up on Otternews, I’m afraid.
    As for my freezer, it is too small to lose track of. 😄😄

    Liked by 2 people

    • L. Marie, if you need prescription meds and they help you then I understand taking them. I’m just not convinced this stupid little pill I’m taking is doing anything other than annoy me.

      Steve is funny in an absurd way that delights me. There’s something to be said for a small freezer where you know where things are. I’m kind of jealous.

      Like

  44. Mary deals with the freezers – one on the refrigerator up here, one on the refrigerator in the garage, and a standalone freezer, also in the garage. She never has any trouble finding anything in there, so I assume she knows where everything is.

    I take five (5) prescriptions in the morning, one of which is a potassium supplement. I take two of the five prescriptions at night as well. So far, they seem to keep me from any serious problems. I should probably take a magnesium supplement, because I get leg cramps.

    We like butter. Mary makes bread and slathers it with butter at breakfst time and occasionally at dinner. Butter is definitely better for you than margarine. The only other dairy product we deal with is ice cream, specifically Klondike bars.

    Liked by 1 person

    • John, I imagine that by having one person in charge of the freezer the person in charge would know where stuff is. Having two people in charge of the freezer leads to a different experience.

      As long as your prescription meds are working for you I think they’re wonderful. I am in awe of what medical science can do. I just don’t like the stupid little pill I’m taking. Perhaps I’ll get over it.

      I don’t eat much butter. I had my gall bladder out years ago and have never been able to consistently digest butter fat. Sometimes, yes, other times, no.

      As for Klondike bars, I grew up on them. Someday I might write about how I was friends with a girl whose grandfather invented them. Hence, many free Klondike bars were consumed.

      Liked by 1 person

  46. (1) I was on Fosomax (Alendronate) for 2 years and hated that weekly pill with a passion. I took the pill and then focused on morning ablutions (a shower, hair, and getting dressed). By then, I could then take my thyroid pill (before waiting another hour to have coffee). I can drink tea (black, no sugar) with my thyroid pill ~ I’m happy to wait an hour before breaking fast the other 6 days a week.

    After 2 years, I told my doctor that I was concerned about side effects from long term usage of Fosomax and would stop taking the dreaded pills no matter what the DEXA scan (my 3rd) said. And guess what??? The DEXA Scan report (2023) said: “This patient is at minimal to no risk for fractures.” YIPPEE!

    (2) So I’ll keep walking, biking, swimming, dancing, and keeping my bones strong with weight bearing exercise. I don’t eat much dairy . . . but I do eat butter, 1/2 and 1/2 in coffee, and . . . CHEESE! So I get some calcium that way! Tonight I made a Pumpkin Peanut Sauce for Pasta which includes lots of calcium options: Pumpkin, Peanut Butter, Broccoli, Celery, Tomatoes, and a splash of 1/2 & 1/2.

    (3) Our fridge, freezer, and pantry are all well organized.

    (4) At the moment, most of my freezer is filled with ice frozen before Helene blew through to keep things cold in the event of a power outage. Miracle of Miracles, we never lost power or internet.

    Two miles away, Anna Maria Island did not fare so well ~ every ground level house and building had salt water intrusion from the storm surge. Still no power or water on the island. We feel more than a little “survivor guilt” given the close proximity.

    Good luck with the pills. I hope they work for you.

    Do read up on long range side effects to make sure you believe the trade offs are worth it. I’ve seen articles saying that DEXA scans are flawed because they comparing our older bones to the bones of 30-year-olds. So of course our bone density is going to be less than it was when we were in our prime. But a little extra exercise . . . including balance exercises (to decrease the risk of falls) . . . might be enough for you to ditch the pills “down the road.”

    BTW: I believe this qualifies as the longest comment I’ve ever left on your blog. I think you gave my gray cells a real work out with this post. Lots to think about.

    Liked by 2 people

    • Nancy, I think you’re right that this is the longest comment you’ve left— and I love it.

      You took these stupid little pills for 2 years and improved which is good, of course. But I still have my doubts about them. However I’m not a fool so will temper my dislike of prescription meds with your amazing results.

      I am attempting to like half and half in coffee, plus I do eat cheese occasionally. Both those dairy products generally don’t cause me trouble. Yay calcium!

      I wonder about the DEXA scans, too. It’s possible that the paradigm on which they’re based is unrealistic. I ain’t no 30 y.o. anymore. To wit I am going to walk more, worry less.

      Liked by 1 person

      • Life is rarely transparent these days. When I chased Fosomax intel down various and sundry rabbit holes, I concluded (rightly or wrongly) that taking the pill for 2 years made sense to give a “boost” to my bones. But I never had complete confidence in that decision.

        Who knows where the truth lies, on this topic and SO MANY OTHERS. My mind is boggled!

        Liked by 1 person

        • Yes, yes! I agree, especially about meds. I want the stupid little pill to be helpful, but it may be my conscious decision to eat more calcium-rich foods that will ultimately help my bones… and the stupid little pill is for show more than anything else.

          Liked by 1 person

  47. Welcome to the osteoporosis/ostopenia stage of life. I had my first dexa scan about 12 years ago and the doctor gave me the infusion, which caused major problems. Then I was prescribed Fosamax (alendronate), which also was a no go for me. Currently, I take a calcium supplement with Vitamin D3 daily and I get a Prolia shot every six months. My insurance company only covers a dexa scan every two years so I can’t get another for a few months yet to see how effective the Prolia shot is, but I’ve had absolutely no side effects from the Prolia. I do have several prescription meds I have to take due to my funky immune system so I don’t mind so much taking supplements too.

    Unfortunately, it is impossible to get all the calcium you need in your daily diet, especially if you don’t drink milk. And while calcium citrate is more absorbable (as pointed out by another reader), it has less elemental calcium (26%) than calcium carbonate (40%), so the majority of supplements use calcium carbonate. I won’t use a supplement that requires more than two tablets/capsules per day to get the full dose. If you decide to add Vitamin K, be sure it’s K2 (MK-7) which comes from fermented soy beans.

    When I was a young adult all we heard was how bad butter was for our hearts and veins. They’ve since changed their tune and I’m glad because I love real butter. I changed to a low-carb lifestyle recently and butter, thankfully, is allowed.

    Liked by 1 person

  48. Thank you for sharing the results of your research, Ally Bean! I, too, could use help in getting more calcium from my diet. I don’t love dairy but I’ve recently grown fond of a certain brand of cottage cheese so I’m hoping that it helps. My doctor advised me to take a calcium supplement a few years ago when my blood test indicated I was low in calcium (I have not yet taken a bone density test but I’m fairly sure it will show my lack of calcium). But I hear the bad things associated with taking a calcium supplement so I have not been a good follower of the doctor’s advice. I am trying to eat more calcium-rich foods but I also should watch my cholesterol so I have looked at foods that are high in calcium that are not awfully high in fat content. But I do love butter — specially the Irish butter (Kerrygold) but I’m trying not to eat it so much to keep my cholesterol from going up! Sigh….

    Our freezers are always a mess. The only time they’re not a mess is when they’re practically empty! LOL We have one of those bottom drawer of the fridge in the house and a fridge with a freezer (top) in the garage. The garage freezer looks decent now since I have been trying not to buy much and use the ones in the freezer instead. It’s hard to get it all organized!

    Liked by 2 people

    • M, your take on calcium supplements is like mine. I know they’re out there and my PCP suggested them but I’m leery of what’s in them and whether what’s in them is of any value. I’ve never tried Kerrygold but see it on the shelf at the grocery. I can understand, though, how it might not be doing your cholesterol any good even if it tastes good. Ain’t it the way!

      You’re right about how hard it is to get a freezer organized, especially the drawer ones. I don’t know why disorganization in the freezer bugs me when I’m indifferent to disorganization in other areas of the kitchen, but I am.

      Like

      • We don’t do margarine at all so we are using whipped butter because it’s less dense and therefore not as much fat per serving. My cholesterol level has always been very good but it’s inching up so I need to watch it.

        Disorganization and clutter used to bug me so much — but I have had to force myself to be okay with it while raising a child and working and yada-yada….but I wish it would bug me a bit more now that I’m retired and can attend to it. Alas, it may have left for good so I remain indifferent to clutter and a certain amount of disorganization! 😦

        Like

        • I need to look into whipped butter. Thanks for the idea. I used to feel that being disorganized was somehow a black mark on me, so I was almost perfectionistic about being organized. Too organized in retrospect. Now I’m much mellower about being disorganized about most things, but somehow the freezer bugs me. Perhaps a lingering need to control my environment.

          Like

    • wordsfromanneli, I adore Steve. There’s something about the humor that gets me every time. I’m not overly fond of margarine, either. Yet not fond of butter either— unless it leads to peace. 😉

      Liked by 1 person

    • J, I don’t especially care for butter, but realize it does contain calcium. I knew that calcium could help my bones, but until the DEXA scan results I hadn’t done much about it. Now I’ll eat more foods with it in and take the stupid little pill… for a while.

      Like

  51. My freezer is on the side, so it’s easy to navigate.

    I love butter, and I don’t deny myself. Long ago my grandpa had a heart attack. His doctor told him to stop eating butter; to eat margarine instead. Many years after his second, this time fatal, heart attack, they learned that butter was better than margarine.

    I just take one small prescription med, but I take lots of supplements. I won’t say I’m a believer. I’ll say I’m a hope-er.

    I love your list of calcium-rich foods. I eat most of them, but there are some I should put on my shopping list.

    Liked by 2 people

    • Nicki, side freezers are much easier to organize. We’ve had a few along the way and I felt more in control with them.

      Your grandfather’s experience is eye-opening. I know that medical attitudes about butter have changed over the years. I wish I liked it more than I do, but will readily admit that margarine ain’t all that.

      I adore your idea that you’re a hope-er. That’s the perfect way to approach supplements. I printed off this list and made it readily available to myself so that when I write our shopping list I’ll remind myself to get a few of these items. Couldn’t hurt, right?

      Like

  52. I love dairy and also take supplements. Fish is a good source of calcium but I don’t like it.
    Recently we had a freezer crisis where someone ( one of the younger people in the home) left the freezer door ajar so I had to do an emergency cleanup. Now everything is nicely organized- but I’m sure it won’t stay this way for long. 😂😅

    Liked by 2 people

  53. Great info about calcium. As a vegan I find myself to struggle getting enough of it, that and potassium to be honest. But yeah, the simple answer is that I don’t enough Whole Foods to begin with. Luckily I supplement with a multivitamin and I also drink soy and oat milk daily which helps with it.

    Liked by 2 people

    • AM, I’m sure that a vegan diet presents the challenges you mention. Taking a multiple vitamin makes sense. I don’t care for soy milk but another commenter mentioned oat milk, too, so I’ll try it. Couldn’t hurt, right?

      Like

      • Yeah, I love soy and I almost prefer it today, but it takes a long time to get used to the taste. Oat milk is usually much easier to learn to love. Different brands taste different as well.

        I’ve found a brand of soy milk I love now, but it’s super expensive. I’d really would like to make my own, but a vegan milk machine is a bit expensive too and my roommate has said no to getting one. We don’t have that much space here, unfortunately.

        Liked by 1 person

        • I’m predisposed to liking oat milk, I occasionally enjoy oatmeal for breakfast. But soy milk… bleech!

          I didn’t know there was such a thing as a vegan milk machine and have no difficulty believing it is expensive and bulky. As long as what you’re already doing is working for you, why add clutter to your kitchen? I get it.

          Like

          • Yeah. I’ll buy one when I move out of here to save on money.

            I can make oat milk for like 2 cents and soy milk for like 30 cents with a machine like that.

            Now we pay over $2 each for the soy and the oat milk due to inflation and the stores haven’t lowered the prices either of the milk. It’s very tempting to afford a machine like that, because it makes milk in a few minutes without struggling with cheese cloths and cooking the milk yourself etc. Lot’s of money to be saved!

            The machines are kinda small, but this apartment lacks so much storage it’s hilarious. We’re gonna have to throw out other machines that we barely use to fit a new one in.

            Liked by 1 person

            • Clearly you could save a lot with one of those machines and when the time is right I’m sure you’ll get one. I appreciate the existence of cheesecloth, use it when I must, but if there’s a way to do something without it, yay!

              Like

  54. Our friend has a cat named Steve, so Steve the Otter gave me a chuckle in name alone. My freezer is organized, veg goes in lower left, fish and fruit lower right. Chicken, turkey ect up top, frozen fruit on freezer door. I primariily do all the cooking so nothing anywhere is ever in dissaray. My GP wants me to get a dexa at some point because my extra chomosome makes me a candidate for osteo which is quite rare for men 😒

    Liked by 1 person

    • M., a cat named Steve! I love it. In fact I may just love any animal, real or drawn, named Steve.

      Your freezer sounds like perfection. Well done, good job. If only we could get to that point and then stay there.

      The DEXA scan itself is painless. You lie on a table in a semi-dark room while a huge machine moves around you and looks at your bones. It’s the results afterward that cause the confusion and apparent need for calcium. Good luck if/when you get one.

      Liked by 1 person

  55. I have mixed feelings about prescription meds. On the one hand I’m grateful for eletriptan which effectively aborts my migraine headaches with no side effects, but there are other things like statins that have intolerable side effects for me. I was just diagnosed with osteoporosis this summer and am still weighing my options for treatment, very complicated because my digestive system is already damaged and plagued with radiation proctitis. I’m probably going to go the exercise and supplement route and hope for the best. Sometimes there are no good options. I wish you luck finding a workable diet full of the calcium you need!

    Liked by 2 people

    • Barbara, I’m with you and your mixed feelings about prescription meds. I’m sure having no migraines is wonderful so yay about that one, but the decision about the rest sound complicated like you mentioned. I think you’ve summed it up: Sometimes there are no good options. Yep, just options…

      Liked by 1 person

  56. I adore the otter image at the top of your post, but didn’t know (until now) from whence they came, so thank you for sharing that info.

    Our freezer has long been a horrible jumble (and horribly overloaded), which resulted in an accidental defrost recently. As a result, there was a mass clear out and we’ve both since been commenting how much nicer it is to have a less crowded and organised freezer. I can but hope that it lasts…

    I take prescription meds if I need to. But I have to be convinced of that need and that’s not an easy task. I’ve taken dietary supplements in the past after tests showed I was short – in particular iron when I was severely anaemic, but I generally prefer to get them the normal way, through food.

    My view on dairy is if you’re going to consume it, to have full fat, as the low fat stuff is loaded with sugary carbohydrates instead. I’ve previously tried to cut it out but ended up dreaming about yoghurt (I know, weird huh? Any sensible person would’ve dreamed of cheese). I took that to be my body telling me I need proper dairy, so I got back to it.

    I hope you find a solution to your calcium situation which doesn’t make you grumpy or mess with your digestion.

    Liked by 2 people

    • Deb, yes, Steve is a hoot over and over again. Glad you can source him now. I do what I can to make the www more interesting! 😁

      Your less crowded more organized freezer is my goal, granted without an accidental defrost.

      I’m with you, if you can make a cogent case for why I need to take a prescription drug, then I will. But this calcium issue seems to be more shifty than concrete. I dunno about this stupid little pill.

      I like your logic about eating full fat dairy, which might help me like the stuff a little more. You dreamed about yogurt‽ Whilst I am laughing, I think that’s a definite sign that your body was telling you something useful.

      Liked by 1 person

  57. I adore butter, but I have to watch my cholesterol. Sigh. I now use a butter & olive oil spread, and olive oil exclusively for veg. Oh, how I suffer!

    I’ve been on a D3 supplement since my dangerously low D illness years ago. You live in Ohio; you know we are Sunshine Deficient. I escaped a calcium problem, thankfully. That stuff is a problem. I feel your pain.

    I have a separate freezer in the basement, an upright one. It’s semi-organized, but it gets out of hand quickly. I’ve had to go spelunking to check dates often. Not fun. But it does help me save money by buying specials and stocking up.

    Hang in there, Ally. Keep your pills by your bed and just sit up and read for a half hour. THEN get up for real and have your coffee and start your day!

    Liked by 2 people

    • nance, I like olive oil, prefer it to butter, so when it comes to the cholesterol angle of fats I’m doing well.

      I remember your low Vitamin D illness which was scary to learn about, probably more scary for you though who was going through it. Sunshine Deficient is a worry that I think about every February. You understand.

      Having a basement [or garage] extra freezer would be an excellent way to take advantage of grocery specials. Obviously we don’t have one and overstock our refrigerator freezer which bothers at least one person in this house.

      Good idea about the pills by the bedside and then reading. Thanks for the suggestion.

      Like

  58. Our freezer has like five things in it (frozen chicken breasts for the dog, frozen berries, peeled ginger, frozen cookie dough, and frozen zucchini) so it’s quite organized. And that’s how we keep it organized – by not really using it very much!

    I take so many pills all day long, including Citracal with D and a daily multivitamin for calcium. Also, I like dairy, so give me all the cheese and Greek yogurt. I know my diet doesn’t get me enough protein or calcium and I use supplements with no shame to get to where I need to be.

    I feel like this comment is of absolutely no use to you. Sorry for my lack of helpfulness!

    Liked by 2 people

    • NGS, I get what you’re saying about how to keep a freezer organized. Less means it’s easier to keep track of stuff. I’d say food for thought, but too pun-y?

      I’ve seen Citracal for sale, but never stopped to look at it. I’ll check it out. I take a multiple vitamin already so I’ve got that going for me [I guess].

      Your comment is perfect because it’s a comment from you. Thanks for joining in.

      Like

  59. I have a side-by-side refrigerator, so my freezer is easy to organize. (Which still doesn’t mean it always is organized.) I don’t think I could handle a bottom freezer, as I’ve have to dig through everything. We also have an extra fridge in the basement with a freezer on top, where I store things that don’t fit in my side freezer in the kitchen. I’m also a bit low on bone density (but not at the osteoporosis stage), so I take a Tums daily (1,000 mg of calcium carbonate.) My doctors all know about it, and say that it does help, so I’m not sure about the statement that it isn’t absorbed by the body. I hate butter, and am not fond of milk, but cheese is one of my favorite foods, as is ice cream, sour cream, yogurt, etc. So far, I’ve managed to fend off real problems. I also do weight resistance exercises, which helps.

    Liked by 2 people

    • Ann, we lived in a few houses with side by side refrigerators and I liked them, easier to see things at a glance. You are organized in a way that makes sense.

      Another commenter mentioned taking a Tums for calcium and I thought that was genius. I’d never heard of doing that but will start doing it.

      I’m not much for butter but drink milk occasionally. And I like yogurt and sour cream but rarely remember to eat them. I’ve been walking more lately so that’s gotta help in my quest for stronger bones.

      Liked by 1 person

  60. Ally, I like this cartoon of Steve the Otter, who is not only profound, but also very dignified with that tie. I like the new internet sensation, the baby pygmy hippo at a zoo in Thailand. She is very cute and people line up at the zoo, just to see her frolicking in the water or her pen. Her name “Moo Deng” means “bouncing pig” – if I were her, I’d ask to be renamed. 🙂

    It’s just me going in/out of the freezer so it doesn’t get messy or disorganized – I can’t say that for the fridge though.

    I do like milk products and eat/drink them regularly. I have perused lists of calcium-based products and I know the fortified cereals are a good source, but I have hot oatmeal every morning and have for decades. It sticks with me more than cold cereal. I do eat salmon several times a week and the canned northern beans I buy from Meijer are low sodium …not all beans are low sodium and I try to watch my sodium intake as everything has sodium in it. I put them in crockpot meals. Even milk is surprisingly loaded with sodium. I have never tried any of the soy products you have on your list.

    I only take One A Day Women’s 50+ Complete Multivitamin and two cod liver oil capsules daily. I have taken cod liver oil since I was a child, when my mother gave me cod liver malt, which was thick like honey and not very appealing. I order these cod liver oil capsules from Amazon as you can only find them in health food stores otherwise. They have Omega 3s and Vitamin A and D3, the latter two which are good for bone health.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Linda, I saw an article about the cute baby pygmy hippo but didn’t know her name. I’m with you, her name seems a little off. Around here we have Fiona the hippo whose name is more in keeping with her zoo status.

      I didn’t know that some cereals are calcium fortified, but many foods are now. IF I eat breakfast I go for corn flakes or oatmeal. I knew canned beans can be high in sodium and look for the low/no sodium ones. I read the side of the milk carton one day and was surprised about the sodium content in it, too.

      I’ve never taken cod liver oil in any form but know at one time it was the gold standard for good health. I don’t think I’ll start taking it now, but will stick with a multiple vitamin most days when I remember to take it.

      Liked by 1 person

      • I didn’t know there were pygmy hippos. This is her fifteen minutes of fame. 🙂

        I believe Total cereal has a high calcium content – I read that one time. I eat Swiss cheese as it has the lowest sodium content of any cheese. It’s difficult not to have sodium in any foods.

        My friend has dry eye syndrome and was taking Red Krill fish oil for a long time and tried to persuade me to switch, but I’m sticking to cod liver oil capsules.

        A lot is made about balance when you get older. Older person’s center of gravity is not so great and that’s why they take falls, often breaking a hip. So, a former walker at the Park, I’d guess to be her mid-50s, walked with another woman my age. They race walked, so I never walked with them, but would chat from time to time in the parking lot. I haven’t seen the younger woman in ages but saw the older woman at the grocery store yesterday and she told me Maggie broke her pelvis and won’t be walking for a long time. She has an administrative job, was at work, someone asked her a question, she turned around quickly, lost her balance and fell onto the floor and broke her pelvis. That’s pretty scary in my opinion. I know I’m going to be more mindful about a quick turnaround inside/outside the house going forward.

        Liked by 1 person

        • My mother liked Total cereal but I never thought it tasted like anything, so never took to it. I knew of red krill oil pills but am not inclined to want to take it, my eyes are good enough as is.

          I agree that the story of the woman breaking her pelvis in such an innocuous way is sobering. I knew a woman who worked in an administrative job who did something similar, moving too fast in the office while wearing clogs she fell and broke her foot. I give clogs the evil eye now. With you about being more mindful of my movements.

          Liked by 2 people

  61. Organized! We used to have a chest freezer in the basement that was, by nature, a jumble. Got rid of it and purchased a small upright freezer to replace it. HUGE difference. Never, ever get a chest freezer. It is the black hole of (what will eventually become) freezer-burned foods (because you can’ never find anything and even if you could it’s so difficult to reach it anyway). I feel for you with the coffee thing. That stinks. You should probably get 2 cats and a rabbit. When I get up, I tend to their needs (food, hay, litterbox scooping, etc.) first, so it ends up being a good half hour before I get to my coffee anyway. Just a thought. (But a great thought, if I do say so myself.) Oh wait, don’t you have cat allergies? Well, there are prescription meds for that I think. Haha. I’m on Team Butter all the way.

    Liked by 2 people

    • The Travel Architect, I remember chest freezers. My parents had one for a while and it was ridiculously impossible to find anything in it. Our refrigerator bottom freezer is about the same, just smaller. I like the idea of a small upright freezer that might help us be more organized. Maybe.

      Yes I’m allergic to cats and probably rabbits, too. Wasn’t tested for that specifically. While I adore your clever idea about how to fill the first 30 minutes of my day, it ain’t gonna happen. I’ll just be sitting around and muttering instead.

      Team Butter is the most popular one among the commenters here. Wish I liked butter more, even though I’m not really a fan on margarine either.

      Liked by 1 person

  62. I love that we both mentioned freezers in our most recent posts.

    Is your freezer in a jumble or is it organized? If organized how do you keep it that way?

    Up until Sunday, a jumble. I was forced into making room for Tara’s cooler full of South Dakota goodies, though. I threw away one and a half garbage bags’ worth of stuff, some of it dating back to 2020. If it’s that old, there’s no way we’ll miss it! (Side note: we also have edamame in our freezer. I know exactly where to find it now.)

    What is your opinion of dairy products in general? Do you like butter?

    I live in America’s Dairyland, so I may be biased, but I LOVE dairy products…especially butter! We go through a lot of butter.

    Liked by 2 people

  63. My freezer is a complete mess. It’s one of those things I don’t feel like dealing with ‘right now’ (or ever). My problem with it and with every closet in my house is that I hold onto things that I might use, never making the call that I will NEVER likely use it. Should toss a lot of it out. Recognizing the problem is half the battle, though, right?
    I believe in butter. I want to use butter. But my genetic battle against high cholesterol wins out and I reluctantly use margarine.
    Also, genetically, my body often has obscure, ‘never seen that before’ reactions to medicines and supplements, so I try to keep those things to a minimum.

    Liked by 2 people

    • Gwen, I understand why you don’t want to deal with your freezer contents. That’s my husband’s approach to it. Normally I’m mellow about mess but for some reason this bugs me.

      I grew up in a family where you never threw anything out in case someone might need it, the opposite of Marie Kondo. By being strict with myself I’ve done an okay job of de-programming myself, so I get what you’re saying about the closets. Ours are getting lighter every year.

      I hear ‘ya about a body having some obscure reaction to meds, I fear that. So far I’m just normal in my negative reactions to meds, like this stupid little pill.

      Liked by 1 person

  64. That’s a lot of comments. Someone else may have already said this.

    In theory, eat your nutrients is ideal. In my experience, it’s hard to get everything you need from our imperfect diets. But calcium? You. said you are having tummy issues. Do you take tums? Tums are a good way to easily supplement your diet and address some of those stomach upsets.

    My freezer tends to be semi organized. I’m usually more organized in my chest freezer. The drawer is not well organized right now and needs to be fully emptied to chase some rogue blueberries.

    I love dairy products. I believe this whole explosion of nut milks is detrimental to people who may not really need to give up dairy. Like gluten, there’s a lot of good in dairy. On the other hand, they keep saying we’re running out of land to grow our food. Soon enough we’ll be eating pills for meals, eh?

    I love Steve the otter. Going to add him to my comic feed. That’s another thing I’ll never catch up one.

    Hi! *wave*

    Liked by 2 people

    • Zazzy, I like the idea of taking a Tums a day to add calcium to my diet. EZPZ. Thanks for the suggestion.

      I’m laughing about you chasing a rogue blueberry. Once they break free they are sneaky little buggers to find. Same with cranberries. All those little round fruits have attitude.

      I’ve tried a few nut milks and am ambivalent about them. I realize they may be helping me get my calcium but I dunno… they seem contrived rather than authentic. But that’s my take on them, if other people like them then have at it.

      Steve is one of my favorites. Whoever draws him has a dry warped sense of humor that calls to me. Plus Steve is so handsome! 😁

      Great to see you around, “HI!” right back at ‘ya.

      Liked by 1 person

  65. My freezer is not what I would call organized, nor would I call it disorganized. The problem is, it can’t hold a lot of food because we have so many ice bags in it. I keep wanting to throw them out but that would be a major mistake during hurricane season. When we think we might lose power, we move the ice bags from the freezer to the refrigerator to keep everything cold, or at least cool. Still, these are bag that I probably should toss and replace … most of them come from a meal delivery service we use occasionally.

    I do not like taking prescription medication unless it’s been proven to have no side effects and to do what it’s supposed to do: which is why I do take Gabapentin, albeit a low dose. It helps with my arthritis and my anxiety. I will definitely take prescription pain medication because I hate being in pain, but I wouldn’t want to do that regularly. I do take calcium supplements daily. I’ve been doing that for years. I had a total hysterectomy in 2001 and was advised to take calcium supplements to maintain my bone density. So far, so good.

    I love dairy products, including butter. I also like your list, except for the soy products. A doctor advised me against eating soy when I had endometrial cancer (also the reason why I had the hysterectomy). Per the research literature, endometrial cancer can develop when there’s too much estrogen in the body, and soy has estrogenic properties (source: https://nutritionsource.hsph.harvard.edu/soy/). Also, for that reason, I couldn’t take any estrogen supplements to assist with my rather rapid descent into menopause. Lucky me, that didn’t last long 🙂

    I knew nothing about Steve from in_otternews until now. I will have to follow him 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

    • Marie, we don’t keep bags of ice in the freezer but I understand why you do. Like you if we did keep bags of ice in it there wouldn’t be room for much else.

      Your success with calcium supplements is encouraging. I’m new to this entire idea of upping my calcium intake but am not overjoyed about taking this stupid little pill. However if it helps I may be happier about it.

      Thanks for the informative link. I knew that soy products have gone from being the best thing ever to danger, danger! While I like edamame I eat it maybe once a month and the other soy products even less often. I figure it’s all about balance, it’s not like a get a craving for tofu that I must attend to.

      Steve makes me laugh. Over and over again. Not too many comics do that so I love Steve.

      Liked by 1 person

  66. First of all, Otters might be the cutest critters on the planet!

    I too, was diagnosed with osteopenia last year. My Dr. advised to eat more calcium rich foods (while also avoiding cholesterol—this might be impossible) and taking a calcium supplement. I do take the supplement and I try to eat a fair amount of your list up there. I did find though, in my research that dried prunes are calcium rich. Who knew? Wait, I see you have Dried Apricots on the list, so that is the same? Or almost the same? Not sure, but I actually enjoy the prunes—and they don’t have the adverse affect that I was worried about. 🤣 The only downside of the prunes is that they are sticky and I don’t love stickiness.

    WOW, as I was writing this comment, I got a notification that you left a comment on my post. I love serendipity moments.

    Liked by 2 people

    • Suz, interesting about dried prunes. They didn’t show up in my research which was more fly-by-night than in-depth and academic so not complete. Thanks for the tip, I’ll add them to the list even though, like you, I’m not happy about their stickiness.

      I’ve had that experience with blogging serendipity and it is cool. Makes you feel like you’re really part of something good.

      Liked by 1 person

  67. Dietary supplements (and vitamins) YES, prescription meds NO (unless there’s simply no alternative). We have a bottom freezer as well so I totally relate to your frustration. Every now and then I go spelunking (great word) and find treasure (ground beef!) or trash (cauliflower rice!) A deep enough search is never without its surprises. Some sort of drawer insert would be a wonderful invention for the sake of organization. Finally, my wife feels your morning pill frustration. She has to take the same pause with her thyroid med, while I sit right in front of her with my coffee. One of these days she’s going to put a lock on the coffeemaker until we’re both allowed to have a cup.

    Liked by 2 people

    • Dave, I agree about no prescription meds unless absolutely necessary which this stupid little pill may [or may not] be. I like your descriptions of your finds in the freezer, it can be wonderful or weird.

      I watched Z-D drink his morning coffee whilst I could not the very day I published this post. I gotta say that if your wife puts a lock on your coffeemaker I totally understand.

      Like

  68. 1) My freezer is far from organized, but not a jumble. It’s just the two of us, so that keeps the jumble down. 2) Prescription meds when absolutely necessary (I only take 2), and supplements are a good thing. 3) I love dairy products, because they taste good and they’re good for you. As my wonderful MIL said, everything in moderation. That includes dairy. When it comes to butter, Hubby won’t let me butter his toast because I’m heavy handed. 😀

    Liked by 1 person

    • Jennie, the attitudes about freezer organization have been across the board here. There’s only two of us here, yet ours is a mess. I’m taking the prescription stupid little pill for the moment, but considering I’m also upping the calcium in my diet, I don’t know how I’ll tell if the stupid little pill is working or not.

      I know that some dairy products taste good to me sometimes, but unlike you I don’t love them. You like butter too! I’m laughing at your husband’s toast, not buttered by you.

      Liked by 1 person

  69. I think supplements are good if you’re deficient. If you can correct a deficiency by changing your diet, then do that. (I had iron deficiency anemia before and I HAD to take a supplement for a while but I am not maintaining normal levels with it).

    I go down the rabbit hole of internet research frequently, so good for you for seeking out all this information.

    Liked by 1 person

    • San, I’ve had inconclusive experiences with supplements so I’m reluctant to take them if I can change my diet instead. Plus like you I easily can go down rabbit holes of research so once I put this list together I felt like it was worth sharing here.

      Like

  71. Pingback: Calcium quest! | Questions of the day – A weirdo with…

  72. We have the fridge that came with our house and she is circa 1980 something and she is a stupid side-by-side, so her freezer is lacking to say the least. As a super organized person, I must choose not to fill her to prevent wonky. I despise the fridge and were you here, I would whisper that to you, because if she hears us talk about replacing her, she immediately causes something else to break instead. But I know she can’t read, so I’m okay typing it.
    My calcium is high enough that I don’t take calcium. Ice cream, yogurt, oatmeal, salmon, broccoli, tomato, and eggs make up a significant amount of my diet. Like I eat yogurt every single day. I am a butter person. Grass fed. Cause nutrients. Time will tell for me. My mother battles osteo, but she is and has always been a lither version of little old white lady than I. Maybe being more compact will pay off in the bone density realm.
    I do not like starting new meds and the one that is most helpful, but the worst to take is the thyroid one I have to take upon rising and then wait an hour to consume anything, including coffee. One day on vacation this year, I did not. I said I WANT COFFEE NOW! I have to take it for the rest of my life, but I cannot deny how effective it is, and we should all start our day with hydration, so yummy, water, for an hour, every day, forever.
    I take 5 supplements, mostly because of the thyroid issue. Plus pills to reduce risk of macular degeneration, pills to keep my lip from exploding, and pills to combat hereditary cholesterol issues. Morning pill, afternoon pills, evening pills. And so much yummy water. :/

    Liked by 2 people

    • joey, I remember those ’80s refrigerators with almost no freezer space. It’s amazing how you still have one that is working. When you go to buy a new fridge, which eventually you will of course, be prepared for sticker shock. And enough bells and whistles to start your own kitchen band.

      Your diet sounds wholesome and reminds me that I need to eat more yogurt and oatmeal. Not together, of course, just every day instead of my current random way.

      A couple of other commenters have mentioned thyroid pills and waiting an hour before morning coffee. I didn’t know about those pills that sound more problematic than the stupid little pill I’m supposed to take. At least with yours you know they’re working in your favor, you have proof.

      I can understand how much yummy water you must be taking in during the day to get all your supplements into you. I’m glad you have ones that are doing you well, but I’d never leave the house if I had to drink that much water daily. Of course being a healthy hermit isn’t a bad thing!

      Liked by 1 person

  74. I hate taking pills, they make me sick and shaky!
    There was a time that I drank soooooo much milk and it made me cough a lot when I was talking, which I do a lot for my job so I had to give that mess up well for the most part.

    Liked by 2 people

    • Belladonna, I’m the same way about pills. I find them unnerving and resist taking them. I’m trying to drink more milk, but am leaning more into eating calcium-rich foods other than dairy. We’ll see what happens with my bones.

      Like

    • da-AL, nice to meet you and thanks for the invitation to guest post. It’s been my policy to not do guest posts elsewhere or accept guest posts here. I appreciate the offer though. Sending good wishes your way.

      Liked by 1 person

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