Hi everyone this is Monica Reinagle and you're listening to the

nutrition diva quick and dirty tips for eating well and feeling fabulous and

this is the second installment of a two-part show on calcium.

Last week, I pointed out that calcium's importance extends way beyond just maintaining healthy bones.

And the fact is that falling short in your calcium intake isn't likely to cause any

symptoms, at least not for a long time.

Today I want to talk about how to be sure you're getting enough calcium and also what the

best sources are. Now you may have gotten the

impression that getting the recommended amount of calcium from your diet alone is next to impossible

and that calcium supplements are essential.

I don't agree.

As I'll show you in a moment, it's really not that difficult to get the required amount of

calcium from foods.

I also think you're better off getting your calcium- from real foods than from supplements

because calcium-rich foods tend to provide

other nutrients that enhance your body's ability

to absorb and use calcium.

So what foods are high in calcium? Fish such as sardines and canned salmon

are a great source of calcium because they contain tiny bones that are so soft

you'd never notice them but they're a potent source of calcium.

As a bonus, these fish are also among the few natural food sources of Vitamin D.

Getting tons of calcium is not nearly as effective as simply getting the recommended amount of calcium and

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