Who Needs Calcium Supplements?

This special guest article is by Adrienne Carlson of Pharmacy Technician Certification. Adrienne brings a passion for producing reliable and informative pieces, while also exploring the latest in technology and resources. Enjoy the article!

Who Needs Calcium Supplements?

It’s one of the most important minerals that our body needs, because the strength of our bones and nails depend on it. Calcium is found in various food sources, most significantly in milk and other dairy products, salmon and tofu. Some of us need much more of this mineral than others, and this is why we need supplements to meet our daily requirement. In general, the recommended daily allowance (RDA) for adults and teenagers is between 800 and 1200 mg, for children between the ages of four and ten is 800 mg, and for newborns and kids under the age of three, the RDA is between 400 and 800 mg. Calcium supplements are generally needed by:

• People who are allergic to dairy products: When you’re allergic to the proteins found in milk and other dairy products, you do not get your required dose of calcium. This calls for supplements so that your bones do not become brittle and prone to injuries and fractures.

• People who are vegans: When you don’t eat dairy or meat products voluntarily because you believe in not harming animals for your food, you lose out on the goodness that milk and fish have to offer. More importantly, you don’t get your daily requirement of calcium and have to depend on substitutes like orange juice, cereals that are fortified with calcium, tofu, and supplements.

• People who have lactose intolerance: When you have lactose intolerance, your digestive system does not have the required enzymes to process the sugar in milk. You could either take supplements or try yoghurt as a substitute. Since there is no sugar in yoghurt, you’re safe from digestive problems.

• Pregnant women and nursing mothers: When you’re pregnant or breastfeeding, you require more calcium than normal because you are eating for two. Your RDA is about 1200 to 1500 mg. This means you must drink more milk or take supplements to meet your daily requirement.

• Women who have stopped menstruating: When you cross the age of 40 or 50, you stop menstruating. This decreases the production of the hormones estrogen and progesterone in your body, and your bones become weaker and more brittle leaving you prone to osteoporosis and other ailments. Calcium supplements protect you from aches and pains in your joints and unnecessary fractures.

People who already have high levels of calcium in their body are prone to kidney stones and other complications if they take supplements because their bodies cannot process the extra amount.


Author By-line:
This guest article was written by Adrienne Carlson, who regularly writes on the topic of pharmacy technician certification. Adrienne welcomes your comments and questions at her email address: adrienne.carlson83@yahoo.com

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What do you Think About Your Age? - by George Carlin

Please read this to the end. Written by the late George Carlin, American comedian, author and social commentor. Thanks George! Enjoy. .../Paul

George Carlin’s Views on Aging

Do you realize that the only time in our lives when we like to get old is when we’re kids? If you’re less than 10 years old, you’re so excited about aging that you think in fractions.

‘How old are you?’ ‘I’m four and a half!’ You’re never thirty-six and a half. You’re four and a half, going on five! That’s the key.

You get into your teens, now they can’t hold you back. You jump to the next number, or even a few ahead.

‘How old are you?’ ‘I’m gonna be 16!’ You could be 13, but hey, you’re gonna be 16! And then the greatest day of your life! You become 21. Even the words sound like a ceremony. YOU BECOME 21. YESSSS!!!

But then you turn 30… Oooohh, what happened there? Makes you sound like bad milk! He TURNED; we had to throw him out. There’s no fun now, you’re Just a sour-dumpling. What’s wrong? What’s changed?

You BECOME 21, you TURN 30, then you’re PUSHING 40. Whoa! Put on the brakes, it’s all slipping away. Before you know it, you REACH 50 and your dreams are gone.

But wait!!! You MAKE it to 60. You didn’t think you would!

So you BECOME 21, TURN 30, PUSH 40, REACH 50 and MAKE it to 60.

You’ve built up so much speed that you HIT 70! After that it’s a day-by-day thing; you HIT Wednesday!

You get into your 80’s and every day is a complete cycle; you HIT lunch; you TURN 4:30; you REACH bedtime. And it doesn’t end there. Into the 90s, you start going backwards; ‘I Was JUST 92.’

Then a strange thing happens. If you make it over 100, you become a little kid again. ‘I’m 100 and a half!’

May you all make it to a healthy 100 and a half!!!

HOW TO STAY YOUNG

1. Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight and height. Let the doctors worry about them. That is why you pay ‘them.’

2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down.

3. Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever. Never let the brain idle. ‘An idle mind is the devil’s workshop.’ And the devil’s name is Alzheimer’s.

4. Enjoy the simple things.

5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath.

6. The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person, who is with us our entire life, is ourselves. Be ALIVE while you are alive.

7. Surround yourself with what you love, whether it’s family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge.

8. Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.

9. Don’t take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, even to the next county; to a foreign country but NOT to where the guilt is…

10. Tell the people you love that you love them at every opportunity.

AND ALWAYS REMEMBER :
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away

Good Manners are a part of Good Health

This sign is posted at a golf club in California:

10 Food and Nutrition Affirmations

In my previous posting about Using Self Talk to Conquer Any Goal, I revealed how positive affirmations can combat and eliminate negative thinking. This article looks at how you can harness the power of affirmations and create positive food and nutrition habits.

When you have "convenience" food bombarding you from every direction, it can be difficult to choose healthy options and give your body the nourishment it needs. Too often we make the negative choice.

When you have positive daily reminders and effective self talk tools at your disposal, you will find that eating the right foods and feeding your body the best fuels becomes a lot easier.

Of course, there will always be temptation, but when you equip yourself with anti-temptation tools, you will be able to quickly re-focus your mind on your greater goal of getting healthy!

Using Affirmations to Make the Healthy Food and Nutrition Choices

When everyone around you at the office is indulging in burgers, fries, and sugary drinks, it's awfully tempting to join in, isn't it?

But what if you could stop that temptation in its tracks and actually choose to make a healthy choice? You don't need me to tell you that fatty and sugary choices are not the kinds of food that your body needs - you need to tell that to yourself!

It can be hard in moments of temptation to make the right choice, but with the help of positive affirmations, you can re-train your brain to replace the desire for junk food with a desire for healthy choices.

Affirmations help you stick to your diet, say no to temptation and eat nourishing and satisfying foods. How? By replacing the negative spiral of thoughts in your mind with powerful, positive ones.

But first you have to believe that it is possible to gain control over your thirsts, desires and cravings. The first step in making a lasting change in your life is to make the commitment to success. Are you committed? Do you believe that you can overcome your cravings?

Once you've set your commitment in stone, you're ready to learn these 10 affirmations to get you through moments of weakness.

10 Food and Nutrition Affirmations

Before reading the list below, you should know that affirmations are most successful when you internalize the saying by repeating it frequently. Whether you're having a good or bad day, you need to be constantly repeating these positive statements in your mind. Temptation will strike when you least expect it, so it's better to be prepared! Also, affirmations will not change your habits in a day. It took all of your life to get you they way you are today, if you want real change you will commit one month to repeating these positive affirmations at least three times every day... out loud.

1. I can neutralize my bad habits with good food, exercise and healthy living.
2. I am proud to reach out to my support network instead of leaning on food for comfort.
3. I am losing weight for me because I love me.
4. I set aside time just for me.
5. My good health and productivity are the rewards for the nourishing foods I eat.
6. Weight gain happens over time, so my weight loss equally requires time, patience and lifestyle changes.
7. I use self-care, not self-control.
8. The more I take care of myself, the better I feel.
9. I am firmly committed to staying active and healthy.
10. I deserve a healthy body and mind.

When you look at these food and nutrition affirmations, they may seem like ideals - behaviors and thoughts that you only wish you could have - but each time you affirm them to yourself by saying them aloud, you're slowly changing your mindset. Over time, these ideals will become your reality through your thoughts and actions.

But remember, you must first believe you can change. Once you make the commitment to your success, you will change your attitudes about food and you'll be thankful you did!

... and just imagine what you will be capable of doing next...

Using Positive Self-Talk to Conquer Any Goal

Do you feel you sometimes talk yourself out of success? Just as you start to set goals, do you get nagging thoughts about how you aren't up to the task or how you simply aren't qualified to carry it through? Are you paralyzed by doubt?

If you have ever experienced any of these situations, you need to change the way you respond to your inner dialogue. Your inner dialogue is what you say to yourself. Instead of telling your mind to obey your negative commands, you can use positive self-talk to counter the negativity and overcome nearly all anxious thoughts.

You don't turn away from the negative... you run away!


Setting Goals and Sticking to Them with Positive Self-Talk

Are you initially filled with excitement when you first set goals for yourself? Are these thoughts then followed by self-doubt and self-defeating thoughts that stop you in your tracks before you even get started? You are excited, then scared, then pumped, then nervous, then gung-ho, then doubtful... and that's the first five minutes.

It can be difficult to make the most of your life when you are constantly talking yourself out of being a success. It can be frustrating and discouraging to have these thoughts constantly plaguing you. Many of us, in fact, don't even realize we have them! All we know is that we don't have the confidence to stick to our plans and reach our goals.

But there is another way!

Positive self-talk is an effective way to set goals and ensure that you stick to them, even if you have never been able to do this before. The way this works is that you decide what goal is important to you, and then you plan the logistics of how you are going to attain this goal. When self-doubt starts kicking in, you will respond with affirmations that prove your success without surrendering to the negative pressure. Since you're reading this article, it's clear that you're no quitter and you're certainly not a failure, so start believing in yourself! I believe you can accomplish anything you decide to do.

Re-Programming Your Mind

Affirmations are essentially positive statements that re-program the mind for positive outcomes. The moment you have a self-defeating thought you counter that negative with a motivating statement. An example of a positive affirmation is: "I am worthy of great success," or "I see myself in the winner's circle." What this does is replace negativity with thoughts that will help you move toward your goals instead of further away from them.

Positive self-talk is easier to implement than you might think. Right now you may not be aware of the severity of the negative dialogue within your mind. However, once you begin with positive self-talk, you will realize how you are self-sabotaging your goals right from the minute that you make them. The self-talk process will open your eyes to exactly how much this inner conversation has been interfering with your life. You'll begin feel hopeful that you can now set goals and surpass them.


Through positive self-talk you will be able to set long and short-term goals for yourself. And when you use affirmations, you'll have a proven tool to help you push yourself further than ever before. Learning to quiet negativity with positive thoughts is a great move toward setting and attaining future goals with ease.

In my next article, I'll give you some affirmations for better nutrition. See you then!

Marlise Karlin offers Five Tips for Living Life Well

Being healthy isn't only about how we treat our bodies. Marlise Karlin has a unique ability of rebooting people through their experiencing The Simplicity of Stillness®. In this guest article, Marlise offers us five simple tips for living life well -- that cost nothing, but are invaluable in making the journey of life more enjoyable and balanced.

Millions of people find themselves overloaded with responsibilities and distractions in their complicated lives, and although they try to stay healthy from a physical standpoint by eating well, exercising and getting enough sleep, they are only nurturing their bodies, but neglecting to nurture their minds and spirits as well.

Marlise Karlin offers Five Simple Tips for Living Life Well
Reboot Yourself by Nurturing Your Body & Mind

#1: Breathe Into the Moment

In the midst of a busy day, take a few moments to find stillness. Slow your pace, breathe deep, and refocus your attention away from the mind-chatter. Instead, reflect on what is most meaningful to you in life, and carry those inspirational thoughts with you throughout your day.

#2: Take Inspired Action

Being in constant reaction mode will leave you feeling exhausted & unfulfilled. After taking a moment of reflection and stillness, follow through with the necessary steps to achieve the goals you set forth for the day. If a disruption occurs, acknowledge it and look for a solution, rather than allowing it to derail you. Notice how your new focus helps you to stay on track with greater ease.

#3: Water Your Garden

Truly acknowledge the people in your life for the value they bring to you and the world. As with a garden, relationships need to be nurtured and appreciated. With even a sprinkling, the relationship will bloom – and the beauty of what is given will return to you tenfold.

#4 Be Aware of Your Attitude

Notice how you feel and how you radiate those feelings outward. If you have a positive attitude, people will not only gravitate to you, but it might even help change the attitude of others from negative to positive. If you are projecting love, generosity and hope, others may follow your lead. Realize how what you give comes back to you!

#5 Make Choices

Acknowledge that you have the ability to make choices that will keep you moving forward toward your overall vision, rather than letting other people, or life’s circumstances distract you from staying focused on what matters most. Choose what moves you toward your goals that give you the greatest rewards – inside and out.

“People are running at a hundred miles an hour, racing with the clock, trying to squeeze in ways to stay healthy and fit,” said Marlise Karlin. “It’s important to realize it only takes a few minutes a day to completely reboot ourselves by nurturing both mind & body to become more balanced and healthy.”


ABOUT MARLISE:

Marlise Karlin is a person just like you and me who focuses on rebooting people by experiencing The Simplicity of Stillness. After a series of profound experiences shifted her perception of life, Marlise developed simple methods for people everywhere to reboot themselves so the journey of life can be more enjoyable.

Countless people from every culture around the world have attended Marlise’s Programs and are attesting to the extraordinary benefits that her Stillness Sessions® have brought to their lives, from experiencing a sense of peace rarely felt, to finding balance and wellbeing, from releasing years of road blocks, to discovering what they really want out of life and how to create it. Marlise’s authentic personality allows her to connect with people at a real level to bring balance to their lives through The Simplicity of Stillness.

See www.marlisekarlin.com

By The Numbers

Stephen Wright said, "I'm writing a book. I've got the page numbers done."

We all become complacent about our bodies and our health as we rush around living our busy, complicated lives. Pause for just a second and ask: Do I have my "numbers done"? Just some healthy lifestyle facts we all must keep in mind:

10-20

The number of pounds we could lose to lower our risk of developing heart disease.

less than 100 mg/dl

Your bad cholesterol (LDL) should be below this number... unless you've been diagnosed with a heart disease, then keep it under 70 mg/dl. LDL leads to heart attack or stroke by clogging the arteries.

more than 40 mg/dl (Men); more than 50 mg/dl (Women)

The levels your good cholesterol (HDL) should be to unclog those gridlocked arteries.

less than 150 mg/dl

Is the ideal level for blood fats in your system. Also known as triglycerides, high levels can increase the risk of heart disease developing.

between 70-100 mg/dl

This is the range your blood sugar should be measured at. Over 140 mg/dl you are a Diabetic and your life will change but not for the better.


Get your blood work done, have a physical and find out your numbers. If they aren't where they should be you are in need of a lifestyle adjustment.