Most of us are aware that calcium is an important nutrient that must be present in our daily diet. That is because this nutrient is an essential building block of our bones. Calcium keeps our bones dense and strong, and it prevents us from sustaining serious injuries.
However, if you are training to be part of the elite Navy SEALs, it is a must that you implement a diet program that is rich in calcium. The physical training involved in becoming a SEAL is very demanding, and you need to have both strength and endurance to withstand the intensity of this training.
Why Navy SEAL Candidates Need Calcium in their Diet Program
As mentioned above, if you are preparing to qualify for the Navy SEALs, you need to have calcium as part of your diet program. Your bones need to be strong enough to last through the BUD/S, which involves a lot of strenuous physical activity, the least of which is running at least six miles daily.
Many SEALs wannabes neglect their calcium intake. The downside of this is that they develop stress fractures during the course of their BUD/S training. As it happens, stress fracture is the most common injury suffered by SEAL candidates, affecting around eight of every 100 trainees. If you acquire stress fracture during your BUD/S, you will be made ineligible to complete the program.
How to Add Calcium in Your Daily Diet
If you are serious in wanting to qualify for the Navy SEALs, you need to include calcium in your daily diet at least one year before you enlist. Your daily intake should be no less than 1,000 mg and none of these should come from dietary supplements. Dietary supplements of any kind are prohibited in the military.
But even without dietary supplements, it is easy to consume 1,000 mg of calcium daily. Among the ways to do it is to drink at least four glasses of skim milk everyday. You can also get your calcium from other non-fat milk products like yoghurt, cheddar cheese, mozzarella cheese, Swiss cheese and ricotta cheese. Other food items that you can eat to keep up your daily intake are figs, almonds, broccoli, rhubarb, oatmeal, fortified orange juice, salmon and sardines.
Avoid Substances that Can Deplete Calcium from Your Bones
When you are trying to build up the calcium reserves of your bones, it is important that you avoid substances that can drain you of this nutrient. Among these substances that you should avoid are soft drinks and cola drinks. Soft drinks and cola contain phosphoric acid, which prevents calcium from building up in the bones. The effect is even worse if the drink contains caffeine, which means that you should avoid drinking coffee and energy drinks as well.
You also need to quit smoking and to limit your alcohol intake to less than three in a day. The chemicals in tobacco can leach the calcium from your bones. The same applies to alcohol.
If you want to qualify successfully for the Navy SEALs, it is important that you add calcium in your diet program. Otherwise, you would not be able to survive the BUD/S training for long.
This Article is written by James Kara Murat
