Don’t fool yourself into thinking that eating cheese is necessary because it contains beneficial calcium. The calcium found in cheese comes with a heavy toll – harmful saturated fats that clog and damage your arteries.
Adults should consume about 1,000 mg of calcium a day (which is about 1 cup of skim or fat-free milk). We can get the calcium we need from a variety of healthy sources. Calcium is found naturally in leafy greens, beans, salmon, oats and nuts. It’s even in many fruits, like dried figs and dates. Another benefit from these options is that they also contain heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids and filling fiber.
The bottom line in the “Prescription for Life” plan is to forgo cheese forever and only choose skim and fat-free dairy. If you are concerned about your calcium levels your doctor can easily check. But, I would bet that most people’s levels are fine. You would wise to also have your cholesterol checked for the real culprit that full-fat dairy brings to the table!
“Cheese” photo courtesy of mistergc at www.freedigitalimages.net
