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Calcium and Women: For More Than Just Bones
By: Stacelynn Caughlan
For women, calcium is one of the most important nutrients required during all stages of life. It is essential to the health of our bones, teeth, skin, heart, muscle, nerves and for proper blood clotting. Between age 12 through 35, the body accumulates most of the calcium it will use to prevent bone loss common in post-menopausal women. During this time intake should be between 1000 and 1500 mg/day (adolescent and pregnant woman requiring the most). Meeting these requirements through our diet can be difficult. Vegetarians tend to assimilate calcium more efficiently therefore their daily requirement may be lower. Factors such as a diet high in phosphorus and refined sugar (pop, junk, and convenience foods) and high protein intake lead to calcium depletion. Caffeine tends to interfere with absorption as does hormonal changes such as a drop in estrogen during menopause. During pregnancy, a woman's body ensures that the baby receives an adequate amount of calcium. Throughout weeks 20-40, the fetus will accumulate up to 28g of calcium daily. Luckily the body develops the ability to retain greater amounts of calcium from our diet as well as absorb more through the intestinal lining. Well known for preventing bone loss, this mineral also has a relaxing effect on muscle. Leg cramps, menstrual pain, and back problems all benefit from calcium. Some studies show that it lowers blood pressure and helps to strengthen the heart beat. It also strengthens the transmission of nerve impulses and can there fore be used in the treatment of stress-related illnesses and nervous disorders. It has a very calming effect and works well when taken at bedtime for insomnia. Good vegetarian sources of dietary calcium include broccoli, kale, almonds, blackstrap molasses, sesame seeds, kelp and tofu. Non-vegetarian sources include dairy products, salmon (with bones) and sardines. Because dairy may contain residual amounts of hormones and antibiotics, and fish has a possible risk of heavy metal and toxic chemical (PCB's, DDT) contamination, vegetarian sources are recommended, (especially during pregnancy). Calcium supplements can help protect against deficiency. Look for calcium citrate on the label and avoid bone meal, dolomite, and oyster shell as these may contain high lead levels. Liquid supplements are absorbed well and are recommended if you take calcium to prevent cramping and insomnia. Make sure it contains equal or half the amount of magnesium. The addition of vitamin D is good, but don't exceed 400mg of it per day. For best absorption, divide doses of calcium throughout the day and take no more than 500mg at a time for best absorption. It is important to look toward good nutrition to provide the bulk of your daily requirements, then supplement the remainder. 1 cup broccoli, 1/2 cup tofu, 1/4 cup almonds, 1 tbls basil, plus a 600mg supplement furnishes enough calcium for one day - and your body benefits from the countless additional nutrients your meal provides! Stacelynn Caughlan is a Clinical Nutritionist and Certified Herbalist who specializes in pregnancy, birth and childhood. She is currently the editor of http://www.motherandchildhealth.com an online resource for women looking for information on natural health and healing for themselves and their families. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/
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How to Benefit from the Mind-Body Connection
(excerpt)
You are about to gain insight into the
mind-body connection. The number of
people who truly understand these principles on our
planet are relatively few.
There is an undeniable connection between our minds and
bodies, you can learn
to use this fact to your benefit.
Dr. Bernie Siegel, author of "Love, Medicine and
Miracles" was once a
distraught cancer surgeon until he
began to understand the greater principles
of the mind-
body connection. He felt dragged down by the artificial
barriers
that existed between patient and doctor, and the
helplessness he often felt as
a result of his inability
to effectively serve those patients. Eventually, those
barriers
were disintegrated by Dr. Siegel's recognition
and growing understanding of the
mind-body connection and
how it could serve his patients and himself.
Dr. Siegel, or Bernie as he began to have his patients
refer to him, had some
startling realizations as a cancer surgeon. He found that
there were actually
quite a few people in the world that successfully beat
the statistics on cancer
survival. He began to recognize that a patient's ability
to defeat something as
serious as cancer had to do with the patient's mind and
attitude about their
disease.
If you would like to see the rest of
this article, please go here:
http://www.tobeinformed.com/repository/mind-body.html
copyright 2004 - David Snape
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