In addition to keeping our bones strong and teeth healthy, calcium also promotes good sleep, relieves heartburn, reduces the risk of colon cancer, and lowers high blood pressure. Thus, it becomes very obvious that calcium is imperative for total body health.

Sources of Calcium

1000mg to 1200mg is the required daily intake of calcium for people over 19 years of age. Which brings us to the most important question: "How do you get enough calcium to meet your needs?

Well, there are two main ways you can find all the calcium your body needs:

of calcium-rich foods
Calcium supplements

The list of foods rich in calcium

Below is a list of foods rich in calcium and their calcium content, which can be very useful in determining the daily intake of calcium.

1)Dairy Products: Milk and dairy products are by far the best sources of this essential mineral. An average American gets as much as 75% of all his calcium from these foods rich in calcium.

o Milk (1 cup milk has about 300mg of calcium)

o Cheese (1 ½ oz has 300 mg of calcium)

o Yogurt

o Cottage Cheese

All the above dairy products are excellent foods rich in calcium.

2) Pasta: For those who avoid dairy products, pasta is a very good source of calcium. Combining different types of pastas, instead of having just one type, can give you a real calcium increase.

3) Greens and Vegetables: Most vegetables and plant foods are foods rich in calcium. Of these, some are more loaded with calcium than others. Such vegetables and greens are:

o Cooked Broccoli (1/2 cup has 47-50 mg of calcium)

o Cooked Kale (1/2 cup has 90 mg of calcium)

o Cooked Bok Choy (1/2 cup contains 79 mg of calcium)

4) Miscellaneous Foods Rich in Calcium: Some other foods that are excellent sources of calcium are:

o Tofu (3 ½ oz has 204 mg of calcium)

o Commercial orange juice calcium fortified (1 cup for 300 mg calcium)

o Figs

o Almonds

o Arugula

o Soy beans

o White beans

o Soy nuts

o Bananas

To maximize your benefits from foods rich in calcium, you should decrease your intake of salt and salt rich foods. Too much salt can cause your body to lose calcium, which can result in bone loss.

Taking Vitamin D is also essential for optimum absorption of calcium that you get from foods rich in calcium. Being in the sun for 15 minutes daily is enough to make your body produce the required amounts of Vitamin D.

If you cannot expose yourself to the sun, taking a Vitamin D supplement is your best option.

Foods Rich in Calcium: Are Foods the Only Source?

Although you can get all the calcium that your body needs through food, it rarely ever happens so. An average American only gets about half the required quantities of calcium from food sources.

People who do not have dairy products (due to lactose intolerance, a vegan diet etc) are more at risk of diseases because of calcium deficiencies. With the use of many preservatives in modern farming and cultivation methods, foods are losing a lot of their natural minerals, including calcium content.

Because of all these reasons, it becomes vital that people not depend only on foods for their daily calcium needs, but look towards calcium supplements as their source.

How To Choose the Best Supplement

Buy only those calcium supplements that are made in accordance with pharmaceutical GMP standards, to ensure safety and quality.

Do not buy any product that has been made from oyster shells, dolomite, or bone meal, as these have very high lead content, which is toxic for the human body.

Vitamin D and magnesium is necessary for the proper absorption of calcium. Else it will just be passed from the body. Thus, you should look for a supplement that also contains Vitamin D and magnesium.

A good supplement that most people are familiar with is a multivitamin supplement that contains a range of different nutrients crucial to your health and well-being. That is what I use myself and recommend to my friends and family.

From France we have quiche, split pea soup, and the crepe; from Mexico, the burrito, rice and beans, and from Italy we have pizza, and pasta. Many of these foods have become apart of the American daily diet. As an American I have heritage from all over the world. I am Spanish, Irish, Native American, and Swedish. The great thing about living in America is that we get the chance to explore all the best of ever ethnicity out there. America is a place where one can explore other religions and ethnicities, in order to find what is best for them as a person.

Two:

Food is a great example of this. There is a great variety of different foods found in the U.S. which then represents countless countries and nations based off their traditional dishes. Like said before, I am a romantic, I was brought up in a very old-fashion house hold. My mother or father will make a home-cooked meal every night, and we as a family will sit down and eat together. However, according to CBSNews.com 30% of Americans do not cook their own meals because they don’t know how. This to me is extremely shocking. Like stated above, Florence is known more so for its beautiful contemporary art sculptures and historical monuments, I feel as though culinary arts is a huge part that makes Florence, Italy a desirable vacation destination.

Three:

While studying abroad in Florence, I made it a point to make sure I came back with more knowledge about the world of culinary arts. I strive to be a strong and independent women, and I feel like if I can express myself through cooking, it will allow me to be more prepared for my life in the future. I have always disagreed with the old fashion idea of a women always having to cook. However, I think it is extremely important for a mother and a wife to have a strong foundation in providing their family with healthy meals. This is why everyone should have the knowledge of what is healthy for their family to eat. Become educated, diet is important.

For this reason, you may want to get a few opinions before you start buying hypoallergenic dog food. You can start by asking your vet which brands are the best to use. In some cases, you might be able to buy the dog food right there from their office. But if not, don’t worry. As canine food allergies become more known to the public, hypoallergenic dog food products are beginning to flourish in stores, becoming almost as present as traditional brands.

You can also get opinions from dog food ratings and product reviews. Many of these are available online, though sometimes you can also find them in printed publications, such as newsletters or pet magazines. Either way, depending on who is giving the rating or review, you get a chance to evaluate hypoallergenic dog food through the eyes of the customer. Yes, a vet’s opinion is very important, but they may not think about price as much as a customer would. With them it’s all about nutrition. But if you can’t afford a particular brand, you need to have other options available.

Finally, as weird as this may sound, you also have yourself and your dog as reviewers. How so? Well, remember, canine food allergies tend to be different for each animal. So, if you’re willing to try different types of hypoallergenic dog food brands, you get a good idea of which foods work the best for your animal. Of course, you will still need to take into account the opinions of others, especially if they contain specialized knowledge. But don’t let third-party opinions sway you so much that you forget about what is best for your situation.

Over 2,500 years ago Plato and Socrates condemned the eating of animal flesh. 2,000 years ago, so did Seneca, tutor and advisor to the Roman Emperor Nero. Later Hippocrates, the father of medicine, understood that diet prevented disease and said “food should be our medicine and medicine our food” during his time, 460-357 B.C.

In the 1800’s a few scientists continued to shape our view on nutrition. One of those scientists was Dutch Chemist Gerhard Mulder, who discovered protein in 1839. Carl Voit was a German scientist in the late 1800’s who discovered that humans needed only 48.5 grams of protein per day, but recommended 118 grams. Voit mentored a few young scientists, including W.O. Atwater who later developed the Unites States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Atwater continued to over-exaggerate the need for protein, which became synonymous with meat in the 19th century even though protein can be found in plant foods as well. This has led to classically misguided question posed to vegetarians and vegans still today of “Where do you get your protein?” (The Chins Study, T.C. Campbell and T.M. Campbell). This is also about the same time that Dr. Weston Price published his findings on the excellent dental health in primitive peoples vs. the horrible dental health in civilized peoples. He determined that processed foods were the culprit for the deterioration of dental health, even with hereditary traits such as dental arches and facial structure (Nutrition & Physical Degeneration, Dr. Weston Price).

At the same time, the medical field was being shaped by a few pioneers. Louis Pasteur, a famous French chemist in the late 1800’s, supported the germ theory of disease. The Germ theory remains the corner stone upon which vaccines, parasites, viruses and antibiotics were created upon in the medical field. It states that the immune system is a victim to such insults. His theory was very controversial and many disagreed with him. One of his opponents to the theory was Henry Lindlahr, author of “Philosophy of Natural Therapeutics”, who believed that lowered vitality weakens the immune system to fighting disease. He concluded that the well-being of a man depends on normal nutrition and wholesome surroundings and that normal nutrition allowed for proper, drainage and enervation. Dr. Rodemon further demonstrated that Pasteur was wrong by smearing his body with small pox and going out in public. Nobody got small pox. Although dramatic, he had demonstrated a very important point.

Scientists began to classify the quality of protein in animals, which contained all necessary amino acids, vs. the quality of protein in plants, which contain bits and pieces of amino acids. They concluded that animal protein was of higher quality than plant protein, but did not bother to factor in which protein was healthier for human consumption or the fact that eating a wide variety of plant foods does provide all the necessary amino acids (The China Study, T.C. Campbell and T.M. Campbell).

After World War I (1914-1918), an allied blockade cut off the supply of food to over three million residents of Denmark, causing them to have to ration the food supply. One measures taken was to re-allocate grain used to feed livestock for the people. During this time, the death rate dropped by 34% (The CHina Study, T.C. Campbell and T.M. Campbell).

During World War II (1939-1945), the Norwegian government was forced to ration their food, especially meat, while the country was occupied by the Germans. Norway experienced a drastic drop in death from circulatory diseases during this time. Death rates rose again when the Germans left and Norway returned to their former diet. Britain and Switzerland also experienced an increase in health while food was rationed during World War II, where infant and post-natal death rates as well as the occurrence of anemia dropped to the lowest recorded at that time. What rose during this time? Growth rates and dental health for children. After World War II, the National Heart Institute investigated why plaque in heart disease develops and how it leads to heart attacks. A comparison of the medical records of 5,000 residents from Framingham, Massachusetts enabled the research team to develop risk factors such as cholesterol. blood pressure, physical activity, cigarette smoking and obesity. More than 1,000 scientific papers were produced from this study that showed a strong correlation between high blood cholesterol and heart disease (The China Study, T.C. Campbell and T.M. Campbell).

In 1950, North Korea invaded South Korea and over 30,000 American soldiers were killed. Military medical investigators examined the hearts of 300 male soldiers and published their results in the Journal of the American Medical Association finding 77.3% of the hearts examined showed “gross” evidence of heart disease.

Many scientists have contributed to the development of true scientific understanding of nutrition in relation to disease since then. Dr. George Macilwain, a prominent surgeon of the 1800’s and a vegetarian, has contributed fourteen books on medicine & health popularizing “the constitutional nature of disease.” Dr. John McDougall, author of ten books on nutrition including “The McDougall Plan,” also advocates a whole-foods, plant-based diet. Dr. Dean Ornish, Harvard graduate, is famous for his Lifestyle Heart Trial where he enforced stress management, meditation, three hours of exercise per week, breathing and relaxation exercises as well as cutting out almost all animal products from their diets. He found that 82% of his patients who adopted the lifestyle changes experienced a regression of their heart disease in one year.

Dr. Caldwell B. Esselstyn Jr., aka “Dr. Sprouts,” was a surgeon at the Cleveland Clinic and at St. George’s Hospital in London, president of the American Association of Endocrine Surgeons and voted one of the best doctors in America in 1994-95. Dr. Sprouts began studying nutrition and found that diets rich in meat, fat and highly refined foods caused disease. He began experimenting with his patients putting them on a vegetarian and had the greatest success ever recorded on treating heart disease. Never before has their been such a compelling mountain of evidence recommending a whole-foods, plant-based diet. This stacked up against the equally important and pressing issue of the record deterioration of American health with correlation to the Standard American Diet.

Many of us are unaware of these studies because there is no agency or industry with the motivation to share them with. As a Biology major graduate and a nutritional educator, I am not interested in what is popular, but what is believed to be true by the standards of the most well-respected scientists in the field. We cannot be held responsible for what we do not know, but hopefully, now you can make an educated decision on where to go from here. Stepping out into the unknown is scary. And often times people switching to a vegetarian or vegan diet, fill themselves with the wrong replacement foods. It is necessary to fill your diet with smarter food choices, ones that promote health and wellness. Start learning by reading as many articles and books you can written by reputable and unbiased resources and begin applying what you learn to buying food at the market. Sunrider International makes the most pure and concentrated whole food products that are so convenient to use. They are made from Chinese herbs, which have the backing of over 5,000 years of empirical knowledge of the Chinese royal family on their people. The owners of Sunrider are members of the royal family and have been handed down this ancient knowledge. Dr. Te-Fu Chen is a world renowned herbalist and pharmacologist. Dr. Oi-Lin Chen is a licensed western medical doctor. Together, they make the best foods on the planet! Their factories are pharmaceutical-grade and their quality control is unmatched by any company on the market today.

If you have visited South America you might have sampled alfajor cookies, or alfajores. These are sandwich cookies which have a filling of dulce de leche. Dulce de leche is a sticky sweet caramel which is as popular in traditional Mexican desserts as in the cakes and cookies of South American countries. If you want to make your own alfajores, you could sandwich them together with jelly, peanut butter, jam, cream or even ice cream.

Fruity Mousse Recipes

Another popular South American treat is passion fruit mousse. The most common mousse flavor might be chocolate but passion fruit adds a delicious tang to mousse and fruit mousses are more common than chocolate mousse in most South American countries. This mousse can be eaten as it is or used to fill cakes or sandwich cookies together.

Actually there are a lot of tropical mousse flavors which are well loved throughout South America. These light, refreshing desserts are ideal when the weather is hot and when you want to cool down.

Savory Ingredients in Sweet Recipes

Picarones are donuts made with sweet potato and pumpkin. These would make a wonderful Halloween recipe and these delectable morsels are deep fried so they come out crispy and hot. Sweet potato and pumpkin are often used in savory dishes like soups or stews and picarones are not that sweet. They are, however, served with a spiced molasses syrup which is extremely sweet and sticky.

Brigadeiros are Brazilian fudge truffle balls which are usually served in paper cups. Brazilian coconut flan and alfajor cookies are also traditionally served in these little paper cups, as is the Peruvian candy called mana.

Mana is a bit like marzipan and you can color it and mold it into fruit shapes. Mana is made with sugar, milk and eggs and it was invented when the conquistadors came to South America. There were no almonds to make marzipan so they experimented with available ingredients and came up with mana instead. It is like fondant and can be rolled out and used to frost cakes.

Peruvian Recipe for Gingerbread

This gingerbread is easy to make and has a wonderful flavor. It is a popular snack in Peru and some other parts of South America. Serve it with whipped cream or by itself.

What you will need:

1/2 cup white sugar
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 egg
1/3 cup shortening
1 cup hot water
1 cup molasses
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon salt
How to make it:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a nine by nine inch cake pan and sprinkle flour over it. Combine the baking soda, flour and spices. Mix the hot water and molasses together. Mix the sugar and shortening, then add the egg and mix again.

Add the molasses mixture and the dry ingredients to the shortening mixture and pour the gingerbread into the prepared cake pan. Bake the gingerbread for forty five minutes, and then let it cool in the pan for five minutes.

According to ensure that childrenHealthy.com, young children (1-3) needed 300 mg of calcium per day, or 2 cups of milk. At the time they are in preschool (4-8) children should have 800 mg of calcium or three glasses of milk a day. Older children of school age (9-18) requires approximately 1300 mg of calcium or four glasses of milk a day. Until the maturity of the child is more important to him by the requirement of calcium. Since the efficiency of calcium absorption increases during adolescence, and mostbone is produced in this period.

A 2004 survey showed that only 13% of children between the ages of 12.19 met daily calcium recommendations. Other voluntary survey was administered this year to 227 16/10 years. (120 boys and 107 girls) participated in the summer session in NYSP Vernillion, South Dakota to evaluate their options for daily fluid intake. 55.5% said they had consumed at least one can or bottle of soda a day. 33.9% stated thateat at least one drink per day with 24.2% of the sports shows that sports drinks do not drink. 48.4% said they drank at least two bottles of water a day. 61.2% said they drank two glasses of milk or less a day. 70.9% admitted to drinking a glass of juice a day.

(Source: http://www.dentalgentlecare.com/pop, _kids_ and _obesity.htm)

The first child to meet the daily requirement of calcium in their age can be difficult. More children are developing or have developedmilk allergies or lactose intolerance. Sometimes children do not like the taste of milk. If you have these problems with children, here are some foods rich in calcium, which can be added to the diet of the child. Show a good example and drink milk. Adults require a large amount of calcium per day for women. Avoid juices and sodas. Soon the child will be a requirement of calcium.

Alkaff Mansion is pre-war luxurious bungalow located on a hill that overlooks a beautiful park enjoying a spectacular view of Singapore Habour and sea.

It is a 2 storey Mansion Restaurant with nightly live music, good food and great service.

The Mansion was owned by the wealthy Alkaff family whose ancestors arrived in Singapore from Indonesia in 1852. It was used as a retreat house for the Alkaff family and a place to

entertain their guests with songs, dance and food.

The Mansion was later abandoned after World War II. It later caught the attention of the Singapore Tourist Promotion Board in 1986 and was restored its past glory. The Mansion was later converted into a restaurant and yet retaining the old world charm of the Alkaffs.

2) Jewel Box

Jewel Box is bar cum restaurant over 90m above sea level, located at Mt. Faber, it is a popular place frequently by courting couples.

You can enjoy the privacy and tranquility of nature surrounded by flora and Fauna as you overlook the beautiful city and harbour scenary. Jewel Box is just a few minutes cable car ride away from the popular Singapore resort island Sentosa.

3) Sky Dining on Cable car

This is yet another unusual way couples spend their evening. Onboard of a cable car where candle light dinner is prepared for you, dine at 70m above sea-level, have total privacy inside a cable car as you dine and admire the beautiful harbour and city view of Singapore.

4) CHIJMES

CHIJMES is a formal girl’s convent with a spacious and stylish courtyard. Located right in the heart of Singapore busy city, this place is a popular wine and dine area with more than 20 restaurants, pubs and clubs with live band performances.

Sit at its breezy courtyard under the starry night sipping glass of wine after a sumptuous meal is a wonderful romantic experience.

5) One Fullerton

Dinner by the bay enjoy the night breeze and watching the busy bumboats ferrying people around.

Here you can find a few restaurants with perfect ambience to blend with the bay. The Esplanade, Theatre by the Bay is just across the sea, you may even hear the faint music coming from the outdoor stage from the Esplanade.

Choose a restaurant that is slightly further from the Merlion (landmark of Singapore) will help to provide you a quiet dinner away from the tourists.

To learn more about Singapore and what it has to offer, visit http://www.best-singapore-travel-guide.com

Early in the morning, your stomach is raring for action and your digestive juices are ready for feeding. Always make sure that you eat well with plenty of fruit, natural yoghurt and a bowl of porridge oats for the ultimate healthy breakfast.

Missing out on your breakfast will increase the chances of you binge eating later in the day and having too large a dinner because of your low energy levels. You are essentially missing out on the required energy that is needed to get you through the day, and instead you will find yourself consuming extra unnecessary calories through the later part of the day.

Also, going without breakfast will cause your metabolism to slow down, as your body will have no food to get its energy from. Your metabolism will slow down to preserve energy.

Having an irregular daily eating schedule will also lead to loss of muscle, as your body will extract energy from elsewhere in your body in the absence of any food when you arise in the morning.

All good nutritionists will advise you that a high fibre diet is a great way of keeping off any excess weight, and your daily breakfast gives you a good way to increase your daily fibre intake. Always opt for high fibre cereals, or some wholemeal toast, or even any type of seeded bread that is available on the market nowadays.

It all comes down to creating a routine that you must follow religiously every morning when you get up, making sure that you leave yourself time for preparing a healthy breakfast, and giving you enough time to consume it in a timely manner before setting off to complete your daily activities.

In order to manage your stress relief food plays a very important role. If you feed yourself high energy and nutritious foods potentially stressful situations won’t bother you because you have the energy and stamina to cope.

On the other hand if you eat poorly or irregularly your energy levels will be depleted and potentially stressful situations will become stressful. While in the monastery I worked as the kitchen manager and cook for several years. I spent a lot of time learning about different food groups and which ones were good for health. I share below a few of the things that I learned.

Stress Relief Foods

Below is a list of the top ten stress relief foods that we can eat on a day to day basis:

1. Bananas

Bananas really are a magical food supply. They not only give you a boost of energy when you most need it but they are also so quick and easy to eat. You don’t need to cook anything; just peel and enjoy!

If you find yourself lagging in energy and need a boost especially in the afternoon then bananas are the food stuff to do it.

2. Nuts

A favourite of mine. When I worked for an American multinational I used to keep a tub of nuts and raisins on my desk. When I felt stressed or was falling asleep I would munch on the nuts to get me through it. By having something healthy on my desk it meant that I didn’t indulge in the unhealthy foods.

3. Quinoa (Pronounced Keen Wah)

This is a super-food from South America. Looks like couscous and can be used as a substitute for rice. Is high in amino acids which humans need to build protein. Cooks in about 20 minutes and is full of nutrition. It will keep you going when more unhealthy foodstuffs will have failed you.

4. Brown Rice and Pasta

Brown rice and pasta are well known as wonderful health foods. The macrobiotic diet, which is a well-known health diet, is mainly made up of eating brown rice. These are complex carbohydrates which mean that they will give you a sustained amount of energy throughout the day. Great for maintaining high energy levels in stressful situations.

5. Fruit

Fruit in general is great for snacking in the office or at home. It is a stress free way of getting some healthy food inside you quickly. If you have lots on at work, fruit is great for keeping you healthy and full of vitamins and minerals.

If you feel peckish grab some fruit rather than chocolate or crisps. The latter might taste good but will leave you feeling tired after the chemical and sugar rush. It doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have unhealthy foodstuffs but just be aware of they make you feel.

6. Ginger Tea

Although not a food itself, ginger tea is a wonderful remedy for settling a stressed stomach or controlling a cold. It is a Chinese medicine remedy and I learned it from a Western doctor trained in Chinese medicine.

How to make ginger tea:

Boil an inch of ginger root in 2/3 cups worth of boiling water for 5-10 minutes. Add brown sugar to taste.

7. Porridge

Again high in protein this is a wonderful way to start the day. Not only will it warm you up on an early morn but it will also give you a settled stomach with a sustained energy release. Great for kick starting the body in the morning and putting it in top form for relieving stress.

8. Hot water

Now this might seem like a strange stress relieving tool but it works. I have been drinking hot water since my time in the monastery and have since found out that the Dalai Lama drinks this regularly.

You prepare hot water by boiling water and then topping up your cup with some cold water. It is excellent for settling a stressed or queasy stomach, and for relaxing and cleansing the body.

A simple magical remedy which works despite its simplicity.

9. Vegetables

An important stress relief food group, vegetables are full of vitamins and minerals – vital for keeping a healthy and stress free body.

Vegetables stir-fried with garlic, ginger, sesame oil and soy sauce is not only delicious but a really healthy way of eating vegetables.

10. Salad

Salad can be a great way of giving the stomach a rest from rich food. Stomachs can really feel our stress so salads made up of lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers and grated carrots can help settle a bloated stomach and give you much needed nutrients.

But remember to use this advice with kindness. Don’t overdo it. May you be well and stress free.

Of the numerous species of shrimp sold worldwide, saltwater

shrimp are generally designated as ‘cold water’ or ‘warm

water’ species. Cold water shrimp are caught in the North

Atlantic and northern Pacific waters while warm water shrimp

are caught in tropical waters. The majority of warm water

shrimp available in the United States are harvested from the

waters of the Gulf of Mexico and the South Atlantic. These

shrimp are generally classified by the color of the shells

(i.e., pink, brown and white shrimp). The differences in

appearance and flavor are difficult to distinguish but it is

thought that the Gulf white shrimp (although the most

expensive) are the most desirable.

Shrimp come in a wide range of sizes; naturally, the larger

the shrimp, the higher the price. Size classifications range

from Tiny (150 to 180 shrimp per pound) to Colossal (10

shrimp or less per pound). Although larger shrimp may cost

more per pound and be easier to prepare (because you will

have less of them), they don’t necessarily taste any better

than the smaller ones.

BUYING AND STORING SHRIMP…

Shrimp are not inexpensive, so you will want to be certain

that the shrimp you buy are the best quality. Follow the

guidelines below when purchasing and storing shrimp:

When buying shrimp:

Copyright ©2005 Janice Faulk Duplantis