Resolving to treat your body better in 2011? Karolina Starczak, founder of FitCentrik.com, is back to share some of the surprising benefits of calcium, just how much you need, and where you can find it.  (And while you’re at it, throw in a few arm curls with that gallon of milk!)

Calcium: More than Bones

By  Karolina Starczak, RD, ACE-CPT

Unless you’re reading this while sporting a delicious milk moustache, chances are you are not getting the calcium your body needs.  The truth is about 78% of women aged 20 years or older are not meeting the recommended 1,000 milligrams of daily calcium and according to the U.S. Surgeon General’s Report on Bone Health and Osteoporosis, by 2020, half of Americans over the age of 50 will be at risk for fractures from osteoporosis and low bone mass. Currently ten million people over the age of 50 suffer from osteoporosis in this country alone.

Shocking isn’t it? Especially since calcium is needed for much more than strong, healthy bones and teeth. It also plays a vital role in muscle contraction, hormones and enzyme secretion, and nervous system function. So how can you use the New Year to separate yourself from the crowd and up that calcium intake?  It’s a lot easier than spelling osteoporosis. Read the rest of this entry »