Simple Food and Diet Nutrition Remedies for Your Common Health Ailments

Author: Sandra Kim Leong

You are what you eat is a simple, time tested adage that still holds true today. There are non-medical remedies that can help with many of today’s most common illnesses and conditions. In fact, making simple changes to your food diet to cure your common cold, acne or constipation problems is a much better choice than resorting to drugs. For one, natural food and diet remedies most often do not give you harmful side-effects that western allopathic medicine can bring.

Here are some health ailments that can be easily treated with a simple food and diet remedy:

Allergies. More Americans suffer from allergies than ever before. Perhaps the best remedy for allergies is drinking at least 8 glasses of water a day. Garlic and cayenne pepper have been used for years, and a good intestinal cleansing has been shown to provide relief. Almonds and walnuts, as well as sunflower seeds, reduce symptoms, and make sure that you are taking a multi-vitamin with the recommended doses of vitamins C, A, E and zinc.

Acne. Acne in both teens and adults is also becoming more and more common. There are many natural dietary changes that you can make to help clear up your skin. First, drink water. It flushes out the impurities. Soy protein helps, as does increasing your consumption of whole grains, fresh fruits and root vegetables. Have three servings of oily fish weekly and add some cold pressed seed oil daily.

Constipation. To help constipation, increase your intake of folic acid. Apple pectin can help relieve constipation and add fiber to your diet. Try drinking some ginger tea or yerba mate in tea form. Cod liver oil is a tried and true, but hard to swallow, remedy. Warm dandelion tea also helps.

Stress. Holy basil, also known as Tulsi, has been used to relieve stress and normalize cortical levels. Limiting caffeine can help the body to reduce the level of adrenaline. When you’re particularly stressed out, eat carbohydrates and fresh vegetables. They help the body release serotonin which produce a feeling of well-being.

Cancer. Consuming the trace elements that are plentiful in seafood has been shown to help cancer patients. Broccoli, mustard greens, cabbage and turnips have been recently touted as not only preventative maintenance but perhaps even cures for different types of cancers. Limit your fats.

Help your body cure itself by trying some of these simple food and diet changes. By also including them in your regular diet, you also help in the prevention of these health problems and to build a strong immune system.

Sandra Kim Leong publishes information on food diet and nutrition remedies for common health ailments. For free articles and resources, please visit http://www.food-diet-remedy.com

Simple Food and Diet Nutrition Remedies for Your Common Health Ailments, Nutrition, Nutrition articles, Nutrition information, about Nutrition, what is Nutrition, Nutrition Information

There are basically four major components, or essential molecular components that the body requires for what we call good health.

We know about amino acids and proteins, that’s category one. We know about fatty acids and nucleic acids, that’s category two. We know about vitamins and minerals and trace elements that are required, that’s three. And then we’ve always known about carbohydrates, whether its rice, potatoes, corn, wheat, whatever - that you eat it, as category four. We’ve always known that those are the four necessary components for the human body.

Carbohydrates are consumed and broken down into simple sugars and then burned up at a cellular level as fuel, or gasoline. So this one category has always been known for the fuel side, for energy. And then the other three have always been known as critical for how the body functions.

Read about The Story of Ambrotose

What Mannatech found is that the carbohydrate chain is not just some interesting molecules that are used as fuel. They researched and discovered that there are some unique molecules, eight of them, which they actually physically isolated, that are used as building blocks or raw materials. These eight molecules are known as monosaccarhides or glyconutrients.

Let’s say these glyconutrients are Legos. One of them is a red six dot Lego, one of them is a black two dot Lego, one of them is a white narrow, single strip flat Lego and so forth. All eight of these little Lego pieces somehow, in the body’s synthesis and physiological process, multiply and combine and build configurations that build the phone lines, or communication mechanism, that allows one cell to talk to another cell.

In other words, we have trillions of cells in our body and cells need to properly communicate to one another. They need to be able to ask each other questions such as: are you friendly, are you an enemy, how does this affect my organ, how does this affect this system or that system? This communication process helps them to ultimately determine whether the cells are properly functioning. Mannatech found out that these phone lines, or glyconutritional components, were used to allow these cells to communicate at a cellular level.

Unfortunately we might be deficient in these essential glyconutrients so the phone lines can’t be properly built. This is due to things such as green harvests, processing, preservatives, increased toxins, limited variety of grocery store foods we eat, and gradual soil depletion. The key here is that what was once able to convert from one molecule to another may have been interfered with because of contaminates, the environment, and everything else around us.

So you have this very critical group of plant based molecules that the body has to have so it can build phone lines, so that cells can communicate. If the cells communicate properly then the tissues function, the organs function, and the systems of the body function. If that’s ever violated, or if those components are not put into the body, or the body is adversely affected because of environmental and diet issues and all the things that are around us in the 21st century, then those phone systems and those molecules can’t built.

Now, all of a sudden, you have a body and a group of systems that aren’t properly communicating. They are malfunctioning and misunderstanding each other. This miscommunication can take years for the physical signs to manifest and become recognizable. This miscommunication is why the body then isn’t able to heal itself, isn’t able to repair itself, or it blatantly malfunctions and miscommunicates on itself and causes an autoimmune disease.

Mannatech took these isolated molecules and created a glyconutritional blend consisting of all eight of the monosaccharides. This nutraceutical supplement is known as Ambrotose Complex. It gives the body the glyconutrients it is missing so that the body can turn around and create the phone lines necessary to have proper cell-to-cell communication.

You can learn more about Ambrotose and glyconutrients at:
Advanced Ambrotose AO Information and Purchase Website

Independant Mannatech Associate and glyconutrients consultant

Author: Deborah Caruana

Bye Bye Holidays

Hoping everyone had a fun, fantastic, exciting and relaxing mix of Holiday eventfulness or lack thereof. Whatever it was that you did, that it most suited your moods and needs. Since the holidays were shortened into one compact week, Saturday to the next weeks Sunday, there was no time to languish. You had to seize that holiday time with both hands and feet to get the most out of it.

Holidays for me mean visiting family, since they live in another country (Canada) this is only a biannual event and therefore more meaningful. I have to inhale everyone to their essence and then painfully let go. Because it’s a large family it takes concentration and a lot of energy, especially because there are a growing number of children and I certainly don’t want to miss any of the details of their development. I also want them to remember me meaningfully until the next time I see them in six months. Holiday shopping helps.

With family being the central focus of the holidays all the other holiday concerns melt away. Though in the end after we arrived back in New York and I stepped back on my weight scale and I realized something very important. I’m sure you remember my first “diet” experiment which was ‘ Atkins’ and its terrible results. I have since brought the carbs back into my daily regime focusing once again on healthy, whole grains, veggies galore plus lean proteins. Also I am trying to eat more meals with smaller portions for blood sugar regulation, meaning no blood sugar spikes that trigger insulin which triggers cortisol causing fat storage around the abdomen. I can usually make time for four meals a day. So this years results from Holiday foods were astounding because my weight hadn’t changed at all. Whereas last year when I had stopped the Atkins I had gained four pounds over the holidays. Here’s the reason why I had such different results. It wasn’t because this time around I was more disciplined and controlled. It also wasn’t because I avoided food. It was because my body was used to the carbs which are a necessary component of daily nutrients so I didn’t have this overreaction with water retention to the extra carbs.
I have to tell you here that my brothers wife Bonnie is an amazing cook. I strongly adviced her to share her gifts and take up her talents professionally. Anything she made I had to try because I knew how fantastic it would be. Though I admit she uses sugar and some kind of white flour and butters I allow anything she makes into my stomach because it is glorious and therefore has to be good for me. I know its not rational but the scale doesn’t lie and I gained not a pound. I also had only a few days of eating these foods but enough to have done damage last year.

Another part of the mysterious weight patterns is that once my body got used to the carbs again with a healthy balanced regime, my metabolism found its homeostasis, a set point where the body wants to stay. Yes it’s a couple pounds over where I was when on Atkins but it is now healthy and balanced and amazingly easy to maintain as my Holiday experience showed. Workouts? Well okay I squeezed in a couple, I wasn’t sedentary and walked outside with my mother in eight inches of snow and howling winds for an hour one day. Which I couldn’t have done while on Atkins due to lack of energy.

Now I’m not telling you to go out with reckless abandon and eat whatever tastes good. In your day to day routine discipline and control tempered with regular exercise are your mainstays to health, fitness and keeping young. The good thing about eating carbs is that during Holidays you can kick your feet up, enjoy yourself, relax and make the most of what life has to offer.

DEBORAH is a highly respected authority in personal training for overall health and fitness, with more than 22 years of experience and success. Her credentials include…

Currently licensed Registered Nurse specializing in Rehabilitative Nursing Medical Exercise Therapist: certified by AAHFRP, an internationally recognized physical rehabilitation certification
Maternity Specialist Pre & Post Natal certified by Maternal Fitness Personal Fitness Specialist: certified by NASM, an internationally recognized certification Yoga Teacher Professional Health Member, National Organization of Fitness Instructors (IDEA), a leading membership organization of health and fitness professionals Deborah Caruana RN, AAHRFP, NASM, ACE.
http://www.vitalsignsfitness.com
email deb@vitalsignsfitness.com
call 212-677-3185
Get Free Fitness Tips, Strategies and Secrets from a recognized expert at my web site: http://www.Vitalsignsfitness.com

Rick Gallowsky

Our body needs magnesium. There are more than 300 biochemical processes that involve the use of this very important mineral. Our heart, our bones require magnesium, many of the body’s most fundamental systems and structures could be damaged without it. For healthy life adequate quantity of daily taken magnesium is necessary.
Where is magnesium? Mostly in our bones, there is half of this mineral.

Functions of magnesium

1. In bones, magnesium assists to production of the hormone calcitonin, necessary to raise the height of calcium in the bones.

2. Magnesium controls the acidity of the blood, also protecting bones which can be weaken by high acid levels.

3. Magnesium has a part in controlling the neuromuscular activities of the heart and contributes to maintain the heartbeat steady and regular.

4. Holds blood pressure within the normal range.

5. Magnesium is required for insulin secretion and function and has a huge contribution in controlling blood sugar. Magnesium aids in turning blood sugar into energy.

6. It is very important to the health and functioning of the body’s neurological system and muscular system, serving to make possible the contraction of muscles and nerves.

How much of magnesium we need?

Serious health problems can originate from lack of magnesium. That’s why we need adequate amount of this mineral:

- adult men about 350mg of magnesium per day:

- adult women 280mg daily with an increase of up to 420mg per day in time of pregnancy or breastfeeding:

- children, depending on size and weight, between 130mg to 240mg per day.

Which are the consequences of lack?

Deficiency in magnesium can cause many troubles, as:

- significant calcium loss;

- heart spasms;

- irregular heartbeat;

- nervousness;

- confusion;

- loss of appetite;

- nausea;

- vomiting;

- muscle contractions and spasms;

- fatigue;

- feelings of weakness of the whole organism or of the muscles.

Author: pH-health.com

THE RISK

The primary symptom of acid reflux is obvious to those who have
it. During the digestive process, acid flows up into the throat and causes a burning
sensation. This is caused by a breakdown in the valve that separates the stomach from the esophagus. It’s an indication that the acid-alkaline balance in the digestive tract has been disrupted. Unless that balance is restored, any attempt to treat or correct the acid reflux problem will provide nothing more than short-term relief.

The accumulation of acid in the digestive tract is often the result of eating the wrong types of food. Acid is not caused only by excessive consumption of junk food. Anything processed or overloaded with additives can upset the acid-alkaline balance in the digestive system. Even foods that you think are healthy can be highly acidic.

In a digestive tract that’s already out of balance, something as simple as cooking your food can lead to further problems. Cooking destroys natural enzymes in the food that assist with digestion. When your digestive system is unable to produce the necessary enzymes for digestion, the loss of natural enzymes makes the problem worse.

Lifestyle also contributes to digestive disorders. Stress intensifies hyperacidity. Blood is diverted away from the stomach to the heart, lungs and muscles for the “fight or flight” response. The stomach is deprived of necessary oxygen and nutrients and cannot form sufficient enzymes for proper digestion.

THE DAMAGE

Acid reflux irritates and swells the mucous lining in the throat, esophagus and stomach, which disrupts the digestive process. The irritation can form ulcers. The acid-alkaline balance of the digestive tract is also upset, leading to further accumulation of acid.

The intestines are affected even more severely. Unlike digestion in the stomach, the intestinal digestive process is meant to be alkaline, not acidic. Therefore, the intestinal walls do not have a thick mucous lining that protects from acid as the stomach does. The intestinal walls are meant to facilitate the absorption of nutrients into the bloodstream.

When acid inflames the intestinal walls, it disrupts the acid/alkaline balance of the digestive tract. It kills off the friendly bacteria that aid in digestion - friendly bacteria that are no longer present in much of our food supply. The intestinal inflammation also slows down peristalsis, the contraction of the colon that pushes food along the intestinal tract. Undigested food particles putrefy and lead to greater accumulation of acid.

The liver and gallbladder are also affected. When the liver becomes overloaded with acidic waste that it can’t eliminate, it crystallizes bile and acid waste into gallstones. The gallbladder has difficulty releasing bile, which inhibits proper digestion and further slows peristalsis. Acid levels continue to rise, the liver becomes damaged, and all other body organs become vulnerable to deterioration. Degenerative disease sets in.

THE BENEFITS OF A BALANCED pH

The best way to restore pH balance to your digestive tract is to eliminate foods that cause acid reflux. This also means identifying and eliminating foods that cause an allergic response.

Certain raw foods and whole foods and the right combination of vegetable juices can heal the digestive tract lining and eliminate further accumulation of acid waste. They can heal and prevent the
formation of ulcers.

Supplements that replace the friendly bacteria and the digestive enzymes destroyed by acid can also help.

If you truly want to change and help your body heal itself you need to take a proactive approach. Don’t expect to feed your body processed foods, not exercise, then pop a pill and be all better? it just doesn’t work that way. If you want to bring your body into pH balance then you need a complete approach. A great place to start is the Immersion Kit, you can learn more by going to http://www.pH-health.com

THE RISK

When you consume food that’s high in acid or heavily processed, or food that causes an allergic response in your digestive system, the food will not be absorbed properly into your body as nutrients. Instead, some of the food will be absorbed into your bloodstream as acid waste. The remainder of undigested food will linger in your intestines and putrefy, causing further release of acid into your bloodstream. The result is a degeneration of all your body’s systems, including the cardiovascular system.

Improper digestion also creates the perfect environment for bacteria to thrive. When the bacteria move into the cardiovascular system, the arterial walls become inflamed. No amount of treatment will help, unless the root cause - excessive accumulation of acid - is removed.

THE DAMAGE

When acid lingers in the bloodstream, it attaches to the artery walls and reduces blood flow just as easily as “bad” cholesterol does. Vital nutrients and oxygen do not reach the body’s cells as easily, and all major organs including the heart become vulnerable to degenerative disease. If the acid plaque breaks off and clogs the bloodstream, it can cause a heart attack.

Bacteria that move into the cardiovascular system increase the risk of heart attack. In trying to fight the bacteria, the body’s immune system causes the arterial walls to become inflamed, by sending greater blood flow to enlarge the tissues and trap the germs. The increased blood flow and inflammation causes the acid plaque to break off more easily, and also increases blood pressure. Unless the acid accumulation in the body is reduced, your risk of heart attack and cardiovascular disease will continue to increase.

THE BENEFITS OF A BALANCED pH

Fortunately a reduction in body acid is possible through proper diet and supplements. As you focus on a “heart healthy” diet, you need to take a look at the bigger picture. This includes a “pH healthy” diet as well. You need to reduce your intake of acid-causes foods and increase your intake of foods and supplements that neutralize the acids already present.

It’s also important to increase your production of digestive enzymes, to stabilize the acid-alkaline (pH) balance in your digestive system and to reduce and eliminate the accumulation of acid through the digestive process. The right natural foods and supplements can help boost your body’s production of digestive enzymes.

If you truly want to change and help your body heal itself you need to take a proactive approach. Don’t expect to feed your body processed foods, not exercise, then pop a pill and be all better? it just doesn’t work that way. If you want to bring your body into pH balance then you need a complete approach. A great place to start is the Immersion Kit,

you can learn more by going to
http://www.pH-health.com

Author: Kevin Lynch

Nutrition facts have become a part of everyday life because just about all of the consumable products purchased today from drinks to desserts have labels listing important nutrition information. Nutrition facts that can be found on any number of products will include serving size, servings per container, calories per serving, total fat, calories from fat, saturated fat, polyunsaturated fat, sodium, cholesterol, potassium, carbohydrates, dietary fiber, sugars and protein amounts. Most products display nutrition facts for individuals based on either a 2,000 or 2,500 daily calorie diet. Additional nutrition facts can be located in the ingredients, which will list starting with the most abundant ingredient in the product and ending in the least.

Nutrition facts are based on the scientific knowledge of foods and the nutrition they possess as well and the way they work within the body including in digestion, ingestion, absorption, metabolism, transport and excretion. A nutrition fact that is often confusing for consumers because of media attention is that the carbohydrates in food provide a good deal of fuel for the body and every cell. Carbohydrates are made up of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen and can be found in foods that contain starches, fiber and sugars. Nutrition facts on food like vegetables, fruits, milk, honey, table sugar, syrups and grains will have clear indications of the amount of carbohydrates contained in each product.

Nutrition facts list proteins as an important component of any consumable product because protein is a main structural part of the body. All of a person’s muscles, organs, blood, cell membranes and immune system are all made up from protein. Protein is composed of individual units that are called amino acids and can be found in foods like meats, eggs, dairy products, fish, soy and legumes (fruit or seed of any of various bean or pea plants consisting of a two-valved case that splits along both sides when ripe and having the seeds attached to one edge of the valves).

Additional nutrition facts can include minerals, which are solid homogeneous inorganic substances occurring in nature having a definite chemical composition. Other nutrition facts can show a number of vitamins, which are any of a group of organic substances essential in small quantities to normal metabolism.

About The Author: Kevin Lynch is the owner of Nutrition N’ Diet website, which has tons of resources with a variety of information, news, blogs and more.

Author: Andie Klein

Do we really need a home water filter? Can’t we just assume the water that flows from our kitchen and bathroom tap is sufficiently treated for contaminants by our municipal water facility? In order to answer these questions, we need to obtain a little more background information.

Next to air, water is the most important element for our survival.

Water is an integral part of our life and we use it for many household tasks throughout the day, such as: drinking and brushing our teeth, steaming fish and vegetables, washing salad greens, face and hand washing, showering and bathing, feeding the pets and watering our plants.

Most of us take it for granted that our tap water is safe to drink and use for common household tasks. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), however, estimates that 45,000,000 people drink tap water that is polluted with chemicals, lead, germs, parasites and other impurities.

A large majority of the major U.S. cities still employ the same basic water treatment technologies that have been used since before World War I. In cities such as Atlanta, Boston and Washington, D.C. consumers are relying on pipes that are, on average, over a century old. Many people don’t realize that our municipal water treatment plants are not designed to remove synthetic chemicals and as a result we find traces of health threatening contaminants in most of our public water supplies.

Situations arise when our tap water is polluted with more than the usual amount of contaminants. Municipal treatment plants have breakdowns that take time to repair. Lead leaches into our drinking water from old pipes and private wells. Smaller water-supply sources can become contaminated from agricultural and other environmental pollutants.

It is difficult to be sure of the exact amount of toxins in our water supply. The EPA has estimated that, in our modern society, we use in excess of 75,000 toxic chemicals and more than 1000 new chemicals are developed each year. The Ralph Nader Research Group? after reviewing thousands of pages of EPA documents acquired through the Freedom of Information Act? concluded that to date more than 2100 toxic chemicals have already been detected in U.S. water supplies.

Our planet earth reuses the same water over and over again, which means there is no “new water”. Every single chemical used in our society, eventually winds up in our water supplies. As the use of synthetic organic chemicals increases, so does the toxicity of our water. The earth’s natural filtration process is not effective at removing these toxic synthetic organic chemicals.

The human body is made up of over 70% water. The proper function of each organ system, as well as every healing process that happens inside our body, takes place with water. Optimal functioning is only possible when water, our body’s transport medium is clean. Wastes form during the body’s metabolism and if these wastes are allowed to accumulate through insufficient water intake, fatigue and even illness results.

If we drink water that contains chlorine or other organic and inorganic chemicals, we force our liver and kidneys to act as a filter for these contaminants. The liver purifies and detoxifies the blood of waste products and toxins. In addition to regulating the body’s water balance and maintaining optimal pH, the kidney also removes metabolic waste products from the bloodstream.

By providing the liver and kidneys with water, a universal solvent and transport medium, they are assisted in their role as a natural body filter. Bombarding these organs with water that contains traces of additional toxins only hinders the body detoxification process and delays waste removal.

Water may not cure every ailment, but it is a primary ingredient that allows our body to dilute and eliminate toxins that have accumulated over time.

What Can We Do To Provide Healthy Water For Our Family?

The simplest, most effective and also the most economical way to treat municipal tap water is a home water filter. Multi-media water filters that combine activated carbon with iron exchange media such as KDF are an excellent choice.

Carbon and KDF work together to remove or reduce traces of contaminants such as chlorine, lead, Cryptosporidium and Giardia cysts, synthetic chemicals, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), MTBE, pesticides (lindane, atrazine), chemicals linked to cancer (benzene, TTHMs, toxaphene) and hundreds of other chemical contaminants that may be present causing bad taste and odors in your drinking water.

The result is healthy, great-tasting water that still contains natural trace minerals that are beneficial to optimal wellbeing and health.

© Copyright 2005 Andie Klein

Article courtesy of Home-Water-Filter-Guide.com, where you can get the answers you need about comparing home water filter systems and filtration methods, drinking water contamination, the health benefits of drinking water and more.

Related articles from Home-Water-Filter-Guide:

http://www.home-water-filter-guide.com/facts-about-water-pollution.html

Understanding how traces of contaminants in your drinking water can affect your health.

http://www.home-water-filter-guide.com/water-filter-comparison.html

Compare the pros and cons of home water filtration systems.

Author: Karin Witzig

I spent a few days at a resort in Mexico this past summer for a friend’s wedding. I’ve known her since the 2nd grade and it was a really fun time hanging out with familiar faces.

It was also hot, so very hot. I took sweating to a whole new level. During the afternoon wedding in full sun on the beach, I discovered parts of my body that I didn’t know could sweat. Toes, chins, elbows, you name it… I was drenched. Despite the intense heat, it was undoubtedly the most beautiful and moving ceremony I have ever had the privilege to witness.

It took some strategic eating to keep my sensitive body cool and comfortable. Not only in what I ate, but how I ate. I was in a different country and yet I had every type of food available to me. When you are in a contained environment, such as an all inclusive resort, with many different nationalities represented, there is food for all types of tastes and appetites. Being a naturally curious person, fascinated by other cultures, I kept my eyes peeled.

Culture Curiosity

As I walked by the all day buffet and grill, I noticed something rather special. Families, many of them, quietly and peacefully eating together. They would sit down at a table, have selected an array of fresh foods, chosen the ceramic plates, knife, fork, and a glass for their beverage. They were looking at their food, casually taking in their surroundings, eating relatively slowly and seemingly with care and attention. There was a definite appreciation of the food before them. It was subtle, but it immediately caught my eye. I always like to see what people like to eat. It is, after-all, my favorite subject.

Upon closer inspection, (that’s right, I snooped) I noticed they didn’t speak English. I heard German, Spanish, French and even Russian. Day after day, I noticed the same thing. Families, eating together peacefully and they were not American.

At first, I didn’t know why I was looking at these families. Something about them was attractive to me. Something about the way they were being and eating during their mid-day meal that seemed so pleasant. They actually seemed to be enjoying each other’s company and tasting their food. Ah! That was it!

My eyes darted from table to table with curiosity. Where were my fellow Americans? There they go! Drive by eat-n-run; grab a paper plate and fix some food to-go; take-out for pool side munching or for seascape snack. Busy! Busy! Busy!

Sometimes, I actually saw families sitting together, and oddly enough usually with one or more family members looking away, squirming in their seat or, I silently giggled, trying hard to control an energetic child running circles around their table. There was a distinct if not subtle energy in the way American families were eating their lunches and the way European families ate. A cultural lab experiment, if you will. And I found it fascinating. What IS that about?

Food American Style

Have we gotten so busy that even during vacation time, we’ve forgotten the pleasures of dining together? Do we have so much going on that we can not pay attention to what nourishes us? Are we so plum tired from every day life that we can’t be bothered? I say, bring on the Slow Food Movement and let’s sit down and hang out over delicious treats that also happens to fuel our life energy. Bring on the broccoli revolution! Vote yes for two hour lunch hours! (that IS on someone’s campaign promises, isn’t it?)

It’s not just what you eat, it’s also HOW you eat.
How you may ask? Well let’s not omit the obvious benefits of eating consciously: the pleasure and enjoyment factors. That IS nice. But did you also know…

- I’ve had clients get rid of Tums and other digestive aids by simply slowing down enough to chew their food well

- you’ll eat much less when you pay attention to your food: given half a chance your body will get it’s nutrients much more easily and effectively when you give it time to assimilate and concentrate on food digestion vs. your next “to-do”

- the presentation of your food, just like a gift, is part of the satisfaction, wouldn’t you say? - do you pay attention to how your food looks on your plate or do you slop it on? Is it visually appealing and attractive? Is it colorful and vibrant? Your cravings will actually decrease

- eating on-the-go all the time can cause malabsorption of essential nutrients and constant cravings

- connecting with the people you dine fills you up on real-nourishment, it just doesn’t come on your plate

Mindless, Frenzied, Stand-Up Feasting

A Beverly Hills plastic surgeon from the new reality show (yes, this is the quality stuff I watch) “Dr. 90210″ showed the viewing audience his daily morning routine. He takes 2 dozen, hard-boiled eggs onto his patio and proceeds to choke down each egg white, discarding the yolk. (His wife makes him eat outside due to the smell) You can see his body reflex gag and he winces as he forces himself to eat what keeps him full and trim. I nearly puked just watching this. It wasn’t pretty. Nuts I tell you!

Borrowing from the author Geneen Roth(www.geneenroth.com), “when you eat at the fridge, pull up a chair.” We could all put cameras on our refrigerators and see what we look like in our frenzied, mindless, stand-up feasts. I imagine I look like a lost little girl, when I stare into the fridge, hoping and praying I can spot some chocolate-wrap foil twinkling in the florescent glow. No such luck!

Here’s an idea: Try having ONE meal a day in peace, even if it’s just a mini-meal snack, sit down without television or reading. It may feel difficult at first. Whether alone or with someone, choose to make that meal enjoyable. Breathe… Just check yourself and see how you’re eating. Is it always on the go? Hurried? Distracted? Worried? Could our way of eating be affecting our health concerns? Yes, consider it possible. Trust me, you will crave less junk and your digestion will be much better.

Now is the perfect time to enjoy slowing down. Pull up a chair and enjoy your meals.

Karin Witzig of Wild Woman Wellness? Health Coaching has been in a private practice and a Speaker in the New York metropolitan area for nearly five years and has a national clientele of courageous women breaking out of their food ruts and energy-lulls. She specializes in making getting healthy highly pleasurable, practical and fun. She can be reached via http://www.wildwomanwellness.com

Author: Charlene J. Nuble

We’ve heard it not only once or twice or even thrice but a lot of times. If you want healthy bones and teeth then pack up on the Calcium intake. While it is true that calcium is absolutely necessary to the health and strength of bones and teeth, this essential mineral also serves several other important purposes in the body. Yet, many people still routinely fail to consume enough calcium in their daily diets.

In addition to the benefits to teeth and bones, calcium plays a role in blood clotting, muscle functions, and the cell membranes maintenance. It is also important to the prevention of debilitating bone diseases, such as osteoporosis.

Despite the known importance of consuming adequate amounts of calcium daily, some research have found that as much as 75% of Americans do not have a sufficient daily intake of calcium. Comprising most of these numbers are those who are following strict vegetarian diets.

Fortunately, there are several varieties of calcium supplements available on the market. Adults need between 1000 mgs and 1300 mgs of calcium per day and should not exceed beyond 2500 mgs as overdose in daily calcium intake can cause other health problems. Your health care professional can help you to choose the amount that you need daily as preexisting conditions, such as bone loss or damage due to previous deficiencies, can make a difference in how much you should be taking daily. The most common calcium supplements include calcium citrate, calcium carbonate, oyster shell or bone meal based calcium supplements, coral calcium, and calcium gluconate and calcium lactate based supplements.

In choosing your supplement, you should be aware of how to read the label to ensure that you are getting the amount of calcium that you think you are. Elemental calcium is the term used for the calcium that your body will be able to absorb. Some supplements have this and other types of calcium, but it is only the elemental calcium that can count towards your daily intake. Calcium is absorbed best in acidic circumstances, which is why many supplements are recommended for use after meals, when the stomach acids are at higher levels.

Current research has found that calcium citrate is the most efficient of the supplements because it can be absorbed easily by the system. However, although it is absorbed easier and can be taken at any time of day, whether or not there is food in the stomach, this type of calcium supplement often contains less of the elemental calcium, and thus more pills daily will be needed. On the other hand, calcium carbonate is the most common over the counter calcium supplement. It has a special instruction though and that is it should be taken only after meals when there is increased stomach acid production. These, however, should be watched for sodium content.

Calcium is needed by our system to enable us to live healthy and normal lives. Insufficient daily supply of this mineral in our body can lead to numerous health problems causing not only a lot of damage in the pockets but also an abnormal lifestyle. To avoid these complications and inconvenience, it is therefore essential to intake the right amount of calcium needed daily by our body. A little research and consultation with a nutritional specialist can help you to plan your daily diet so as to be able to obtain the healthy amount of daily calcium.

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Charlene J. Nuble 2005. For up to date links and information about Vitamins, please go to: http://vitamins.besthealthlink.net/ or for updated links and information on all health related topics, go to: http://www.besthealthlink.net/