Question:  For years I’ve seen ads claiming that calcium helps weight loss.  Is this true  or just more marketing hype?

Answer:  Most of us are deficient in calcium, particularly women.  An estimated 70% of American women have a calcium deficiency, which can lead to sleep problems, impaired immune systems, PMS or menopausal symptoms, and bone density issues including osteoporosis.

Studies show that 1,200mg of calcium daily can alleviate the deficiency.  In one recent study, women who took a daily dose of 1,200mg of calcium, balanced with magnesium, lost six times as much weight as the control group following the same diet and exercise plan. 

To get the calcium you need, include almonds, dark green leafy vegetables (Popeye knew what he was doing), and citrus fruits in your daily diet.  It is tough to get enough through food sources alone, particularly while dieting, so it is a good idea to include a daily calcium supplement.  For most people, 1,200 mg daily is plenty.  There is no health benefit to taking more, in most cases.

Be sure your calcium supplement is balanced with magnesium.  Your body needs magnesium to absorb and use calcium, and even more of us are deficient in magnesium than calcium!  We have several forms available with the right balance of calcium and magnesium.  So even if you have had issues digesting calcium, chances are we have a form you can use.  Best of all, even the best calcium and magnesium supplements are inexpensive to use.

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Here are some tips to better health in the New Year.  These are basic things that anyone can and should consider for improving overall health and well being.  Today’s topic is walking.

Beginning each day with a short walk can work wonders for your overall health. The best time to go is just after rising in the morning, before you do anything else.  Just pull on some comfortable clothes, grab your water bottle and head out the door.  No need to make this hard, just walk at a normal pace away from home for 10 minutes, then turn around and walk back. That’s it.

Doing this first thing in the morning jump-starts your day. It increases your metabolism naturally so you burn more calories throughout the day.  Many have lost 1-2 excess pounds per week just by adding this short routine to their morning.

A morning walk also wakes you up and helps to regulate your circadian rhythm, the pattern of sleeping and waking cycles, telling your body when its time to be awake.

You can also improve sleep.  Better sleep helps your body to fight illness, repair and rebuild itself, and reduce the signs of aging.  Not bad for twenty minutes a day, three or four days a week (or a little more, if you like).

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I LOVE Oolong tea, but i would like to start trying some herbal teas…mainly to get the healing affects of the different herbs for different things, like stress relief, or headache relief. What would you suggest for a good herbal tea to start off with?

Sure. Chamomile tea or valerian tea is really good for the calming effect and stress relief. For mild headache relief try some rosemary tea. For more severe headache relief try white willow bark tea with some green tea added for caffiene to make it work faster.

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