Calcium Citrate versus Calcium Carbonate

According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, approximately 8 million women over the age of 50 in the U.S. now have osteoporosis and this number is on the rise yearly. Experts have chalked the rise in the disease up to our poor diets and lack of exercise. Americans are no longer getting enough calcium in our diets, we are not doing enough weight-bearing exercise, and we are consuming too many colas, which leach the calcium right out of our bones!

We all know great food sources for calcium include low-fat dairy products, tofu, leafy greens (think kale, swiss chard), canned salmon, almonds, and sesame seeds. But what about supplements? Which is better of the two leading types of calcium supplements - citrate or carbonate? Really, it's a personal choice.

Calcium is best absorbed in an acidic environment and calcium citrate is acidic based. So, citrate is the best absorbed supplemental form of calcium. It doesn't require any extra stomach acid for absorption, so we can take it at any time of day, with or without food. However, it usually provides less elemental calcium per pill than the carbonate form. So if your citrate supplement says 500 mg, only 200 mg of that may be elemental calcium, which is the amount of actual calcium in a pill available to our bodies for absorption. This all means you would have to take more pills of the citrate form than of the carbonate form for the same amount of calcium.

Calcium carbonate, on the other hand, is alkaline based. It requires extra stomach acid for better absorption, so it is best taken right after a meal or with a glass of an acidic juice, like orange juice. Calcium carbonate is also more easily available and less expensive.

Whichever type you choose, aim for 1000 mg to 1300 mg of calcium per day through a healthy diet and supplementation, and never consume more than 2500 mg of elemental calcium daily.

Allergies and Your Diet

More and more often, research is showing a direct link between our diets and our allergies. When diets lack in essential nutrients and fiber and are instead full of highly processed ingredients and sugars, allergy symptoms seem to be worse. Certain nutrients are essential for keeping our immune systems strong and regulating our allergic responses. If you suffer from allergies and you do not get enough of the following nutrients through diet alone, you may want to consider supplements.

~Probiotics.......replenish beneficial bacteria in our intestines. Studies show that there is a link between unhealthy gut flora and allergy symptoms in the lungs. Food sources include: yogurt, fermented foods, probiotic-fortified foods, which there are more and more of on our shelves these days.

~Quercetin & Bromelain.........are a powerful pair that work together to support healthy histamine response. Quercetin is a bioflavonoid antioxidant which aids in reducing inflammation. Bromelain is an enzyme derived from pineapples. Quercetin food sources include: onions, apples, green tea, red wine, and leafy veggies.

~Vitamin C...........plays a role in regulating the release of histamine. Food sources include: peppers, citrus, watermelon, and dark leafy greens.

~Vitamin E............has been associated with a reduced risk of hay fever. Food sources include: wheat germ, whole grains, expeller-pressed vegetable oils, nuts and seeds, dark green leafy vegetables, eggs, sweet potatoes, and brussel sprouts.

~Omega 3 Fatty Acids.........are vital for numerous functions in the body, including keeping inflammation at bay. Food sources include: certain fish like salmon and tuna, flaxseeds, walnuts, and dark leafy greens.

If you are an allergy sufferer, ragweed may be doing you in this fall, at least in Indiana where it is at an all-time high. In addition to adding the above nutrients to your diet, reducing or eliminating dairy and meat can also help keep allergies at a minimum.

A Yummy Homemade Granola Bar Recipe

You need:

2 cups old fashioned or instant oats, uncooked
1 cup flour
2/3 cup dried cherries/blueberries/craisins/raisins (your choice)
1/2 cup chopped almonds/pecans/walnuts (your choice, or none if allergies)
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup toasted wheat germ
3/4 cup ground flaxseed meal
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup honey (I used agave nectar, and a bit less than 1/2 cup)
2 cups finely chopped apples or pears
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 large egg

Preheat oven to 350. Grease or spray a 9x13 metal baking pan. Glass works but the bars may be a bit harder to cut. In a large bowl, mix together the oats, flour, dried fruit, nuts, brown sugar, wheat germ, flaxseed, cinnamon, and salt until well combined. Stir in the oil, honey, apples or pears, vanilla, and egg until blended. Get your hand damp and use it to pat the mixture into the baking dish. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes or until the edges are a pale golden color. Cool completely in the dish on a wire rack. When cool, cut into 12, 18, or 24 pieces. Wrap the pieces in plastic wrap or foil, put in ziploc bags, and freeze. To eat, unwrap, and thaw in microwave on high for 1 minute.


servings based on 24 bars: 1 bar = 180 calories, 6 grams fat, 10 mg cholesterol, 55 mg sodium, 29 g carbs, 3 g fiber

Frozen Fun

Freezing is a great way to preserve food because it changes food the least. According to the Purdue Extension, you should freeze only the highest quality produce and preserve berries, beets, asparagus, green beans, broccoli, corn, and leafy greens the same day you pick them. Pick tomatoes, apples, and peaches when they are ripe but still firm, and allow them to ripen a bit more for a few days before preserving them. For better veggies, blanch them in boiling water or steam before preserving them to stop the action of natural enzymes that cause produce to spoil and lose nutrients. To blanch: use at least one gallon of water per pound of vegetables. Bring water to a vigorous boil, then place veggies in a wire basket and lower them into the water, making sure they are covered. Put a lid on the pot and set your timer according to info below based on what veggie you are blanching. Keep the heat on high while blanching.

*asparagus - cut or leave whole - blanch 3 minutes
*lima beans - shell and sort - blanch 3 minutes
*snap, green or wax beans - cut in 1 or 2 inch pieces - blanch 3 minutes
*broccoli - soak in salt water for 30 minutes to drive off insects. Cut stalks lengthwise, leaving one inch florets for even blanching - steam for 5 minutes
*carrots - leave small carrots whole, slice or dice large carrots - blanch 3 minutes
*corn - freeze clean cobs or cut corn from cob after blanching - blanch 4 minutes
*peas - shell only what you'll blanch and freeze immediately - blanch 1.5 minutes
*sweet peppers - trim, cut out stems and seeds - blanch 3 minutes
*summer squash - cut in 1/2 inch slices - blanch 3 minutes
*apples - place slices in solution of 2 tbsp salt to 1 gal water for 15-20 minutes, drain, blanch 2 minutes and cool in cold water
*berries - steam blueberries for 1 minute to tenderize skin and make for better flavor, or just wash and freeze
*rhubarb - cut into 1 to 2 inch pieces - blanch 1 minute, cool promptly
*herbs - wash, drain, chop, and freeze. Herbs will be limp when thawed so use in cooked dishes.

What NOT to freeze: foods with very high water content, such as lettuce, cucumbers, and watermelon; celery; potatoes; raw vegetables (must be blanched first).

Ummm...wow

Ingredients in McDonald's Frappe՛

Mocha Coffee Frappe Base
Water, cream, sugar, milk, high fructose corn syrup, coffee extract, natural (botanical source) and artificial flavors, cocoa (processed with alkali), mono- and diglycerides, guar gum, potassium phosphate, disodium phosphate, carrageenan, carob bean gum, colored with (red 40, yellow 5, blue 1).

Ice
Ice

Whipped Cream
Cream, nonfat milk, water, corn syrup, sugar, high fructose corn syrup, mono-and diglycerides, carrageenan, polysorbate 80, beta carotene (color), natural (dairy and vegetable source) and artificial flavor, mixed tocopherols (vitamin E) to protect flavor. Whipping Propellant (nitrous oxide).

Chocolate Drizzle
Corn syrup, water, hydrogenated coconut oil, high fructose corn syrup, glycerin, nonfat milk, cocoa powder, cocoa (processed with alkali), food starch-modified, disodium phosphate, potassium sorbate (preservative), xanthan gum, artificial flavor (vanillin), salt, soy lecithin.

A Stolen Snack Girl post

So it's back to school time and we all know you should send your kiddos out the door with a healthy, non sugar filled breakfast. Cereal is popular, but its hard to find good cereal. My favorite website, managed by Snack Girl, recently posted the following that I thought I would share. Everyone should check out her website at www.snack-girl.com. She's full of great info!


"Back in March, I wrote Candy or Breakfast? Evaluate Your Cereal and since then I have been on a search for cereals that pass my, "Healthy or Crappy Cereal Test" (patent pending :)

The sad thing isn't that I couldn't find hardly any that I both liked and passed the test! The biggest problem with my test was the second ingredient measure. If the second ingredient was sugar, high fructose corn syrup, molasses, etc., I had decided the cereal failed.

Well, that turned out to be quite a high bar and I think it ruled out some healthy choices. I asked my new pal Cheryl Forberg what she thought. She thinks that if it has 5 grams or less of sugar per serving it is a good choice.

So here is a new version of the test using Kashi's Heart to Heart Cereal:


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Healthy or Crappy Cereal Test
1. Is the first ingredient whole grain? Yes! The first ingredient is whole oat flour.

2. Is there 5 grams or less of sugar per serving? Yes! There is 5 grams of sugar per serving.

3. One serving must provides at least 4 grams of fiber. You can remember this one with Four Fiber. Yes! It has 5 grams of fiber!


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Great! Kashi's Heart to Heart passes!

Previously on Snack Girl, I slammed Kashi for Kashi GoLean, which has 10 grams of sugar per serving. That stuff really tasted like Captain Crunch.

But, Kashi's Heart to Heart cereal is pretty tasty and has less sodium than Cheerios, but more sugar (aah, trade-offs). My kids don't love it, but I can serve it with some other cereal mixed in (like Rice Krispies) and it becomes more palatable.

Give it a try and let me know what you think!"