MyPyramid Tips to Help You Eat Calcium-Rich Foods

From HealthCastle and Lauren Girdler:

Calcium is an important part of a healthy diet, especially for women. Adults should consume three cups a day of dairy, or a dairy alternative. (Children should consume two cups.) Most people get their calcium from dairy products, but there are still plenty of other food sources of calcium that can help keep your teeth and bones strong.

Choosing the Right Kinds of Dairy

Whenever you have a calcium-rich dairy product, make sure it is either low-fat or fat-free.

If you drink whole milk, gradually switch from a higher-fat (2%), to low-fat (1%), and finally to fat-free (skim). Other ways to include milk in your diet include:

• Drink milk as a beverage at meals.
• Prepare coffee and tea with milk instead of cream.
• Add milk instead of water to oatmeal and hot cereals.
• Use milk when making condensed cream soups (such as cream of tomato or cream of chicken).
• For dessert, make chocolate or butterscotch pudding with milk.

Yogurt is another great source of calcium that also contains beneficial probiotics. Some ways to include more yogurt in your diet:

• Have yogurt as a snack.
• Make a dip for fruits or vegetables from yogurt.
• Make fruit-yogurt smoothies in the blender.
• Top a baked potato with yogurt.

Low-lactose/Dairy Alternatives

Milk, cheese, and yogurt all have lactose-free alternatives. In fact, some regular cheeses are naturally low in sugar and lactose-free! Always check the sugar content on the Nutrition Facts label - the lower the sugar level, the less lactose the product contains. In addition, there are many other lactose-free, calcium-fortified foods:

• Eat soy products, including cheese, yogurt, milk, tofu, and tempeh.
• Drink calcium-fortified beverages such as rice milk and orange juice.
• Choose a variety of fish that are high in calcium, including sardines, salmon, perch, and trout.
• Leafy, green vegetables are not only low in fat, they are also a good source of calcium. Select from collard greens, kale, and bok choy.

Bottom Line

There are many great ways to get your daily required amount of calcium, from dairy and non-dairy sources. Even if you have no problem consuming dairy foods, many of the dairy alternatives are healthy and delicious additions to your diet. Always choose a low-fat or fat-free calcium source.

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Is the Economy Stressing You Out?

These tough economic times are stressing people out. According to the American Psychological Association, the economy is a top source of stress for eight out of 10 of us. What's happening to people nowadays, as huge companies go bankrupt, and jobs, homes and nest eggs are crumbling? Psychologists say that we’re:

• Preoccupied by worries and unable to focus on work
• Irritable with family members or even pets
• Pessimistic
• Unable to sleep
• Self-medicating with food, sweets, or alcohol

If that sounds like you, try this survival guide from MSN Health:

• Keep your friends close. According to George Howe, a professor of psychology at George Washington University, it used to be that people got security from their families and communities - but that safety net isn’t as strong today. Some people feel embarrassed and don’t want to share their problems with other people, but Howe says it’s important to build up that protective network.
  
  
• Talk to your boss. Mitchell Marks, a management consultant and psychologist, says if you’re worried about your job, you should talk to your supervisor to make sure you remain a valued employee. Find out exactly what your priorities should be on a weekly basis.
  
  
• Focus on your relationship. Facing hard times together brings people closer. So, don’t hide your worries or problems from your spouse. Men in particular tend to shut their spouse out when things go wrong financially or on the job. However, you need to look at your financial situations long-term, and come up with goals together.
  
  
• If you’re really freaking out, turn off the TV news. Many programs talk about the worst possible scenario, and that can cause your blood pressure to spike – even if you just have it on in the background. According to the Duke University School of Medicine, watching more than 30 minutes of television news per day can give people clinical levels of psychological stress. Instead, turn off the TV and focus on what YOU can control, in YOUR economic situation, right now.
  

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My Own Grandfather

By Mark Twain:

After long years as a bachelor I was tired of being alone and married a widow with a grown daughter. My father fell in love with the daughter and took her as his wife. This made me my own son-in-law and my stepdaughter became my mother. After a year my wife gave birth to a son. Now, my son was my father's brother-in-law and at the same time my uncle, since he was my stepmother's brother. But my father's wife also gave birth to a son. So this was my brother and also my grandson, since he was the son of my daughter. This meant I'd married my grandmother, since she was the mother of my mother. As my wife's husband, I was also her grandson. And since the husband of a grandmother is always a grandfather, I am my own grandfather.

Do-It-Yourself Health Cures

Here are do-it-yourself tricks that can help you relieve certain health problems...found in Woman’s World Magazine.

• The first health problem: Restless legs. More than 12 million Americans are kept awake by the creepy, crawly feeling in their legs known as “Restless Leg Syndrome” – or RLS. So what’s the fix on this? Try drinking TONIC WATER. Researchers found that quinine - the compound that gives tonic water its bitter taste – cuts the number of muscle cramps in HALF for 80 percent of RLS sufferers. So if RLS is keeping you awake at night, try drinking a 6-ounce glass nightly. Know this: Quinine can interact with some medications, so talk to your doctor before drinking tonic water regularly.
  
  
• The next health problem: Smoking. I don’t have to tell you about how bad smoking is for your health. If you’re ready to quit, grab your cell phone and start TEXT MESSAGING. A study found that sending daily text messages more than doubled the chances that wanna-be quitters would succeed at tossing their cigarettes. Why would text messaging help you quit smoking? According to lead researcher Dr. Anthony Rodgers, it’s a great distraction that lets you do something else with your fingers. If your cell phone isn’t nearby when you get a cigarette craving, find other ways to occupy your hands – like knitting. Just like with a food craving, if you can distract yourself and keep your hands busy for 10 to 15 minutes, it’ll pass.
  
  
• The final do-it-yourself health cure is for nighttime heartburn. Try sleeping on your LEFT SIDE. How can this stop the pain? Lying on the left side relaxes a muscle in the lower esophagus, allowing less acid to come in contact with delicate tissues and cause burning. Plus, it creates more room in the stomach for acids to pool, making it less likely they’ll come back up and bother you.