Are you getting enough calcium?

Adults should drink about three-and-a-half glasses of milk each day to get the necessary amount of calcium. However, drinking a plain glass of milk isn't your only option. Some creative ways of incorporating milk into your daily diet include mixing it with some fresh fruit and a little honey in the blender to make a refreshing smoothie, and adding it to quiches, puddings or your daily cup of coffee.

Calcium: it helps more than just bones
Although 99% of the calcium you get helps to form bone, the other one per cent is crucial for:

• Helping blood clot
• Transmitting nerve impulses through your body to your brain
• Helping muscles function
• Maintaining a normal heart beat
• Stimulating hormone secretion
• Regulating blood pressure
• Activating digestive enzymes

If you don't get enough calcium in your diet for these important functions, your body will take the calcium it needs from your bones, leaving them porous and fragile. Ultimately, this will put you at risk for osteoporosis.