Are you getting all your calcium?

Tag : calcium
Are you getting all your calcium? August 26, 2008

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Dr. Mike Roizen and Dr. Mehmet Oz
N otice anything missing from your soy latte this morning? We did:Your favourite way to wake up may have less calcium than youexpected. Research shows that a large percentage of the calciumthat's added to beverages settles at the bottom of the carton, soless of the bone-building mineral ends up in your glass (unlessyou're the lucky one who polishes off the container).
How much calcium falls to the bottom depends on whichcalcium-fortified beverage you're drinking. In one study, calciumin orange juice stayed in suspension best (although differentbrands tended to have different separation rates). About 8 per centto 50 per cent of the calcium separated out of the juice; moresettled out of soy and rice milk.
The fix? Shake the carton before drinking. Even so, one study foundthat vigorous shaking didn't resuspend all the calcium. If you'rereally concerned about calcium, go to natural sources. Only about11 per cent of the calcium in skim cow's milk separates out.
And don't forget vitamin D, the nutrient that helps calcium getabsorbed into your body. We recommend 1,000 IU of vitamin D ifyou're under age 60 and 1,200 IU if you're over that age. We alsorecommend 300 mg of magnesium a day to prevent constipation fromthe calcium.


FRESHEN THE MESSAGE: Losing weight can be easier than losing your car keys."Right," you say. Just follow us for a few moments (trustus, we're Docs).
⬢ "Don't let the clock tell you when to eat." Eating atregular intervals throughout the day helps you eat less overall,burn more calories, have less lousy LDL cholesterol rooming in yourblood vessels and have improved glucose tolerance. Skipping mealsor eating at random times can slow your metabolism and cause yourbody to hoard fat and calories.
Keep your energy and metabolism in full gear by eating a smallamount of healthy foods every two to three hours. (Of course, ifyou're absolutely not hungry, eat just a little piece of fruit or avegetable.)
Ideally, pair a high-fibre snack with healthy fat or protein, suchas a handful of plain Cheerios (no sugar added) with six choppedwalnuts.
⬢ "Don't weigh yourself every day." Researchers foundthat people who weigh themselves regularly after reaching theirgoal weight do a much better job of keeping the lost pounds offthan people who step on the scale only when the planets align in acertain way. But the operative word here is "after."
While you're trying to lose weight, however, a bathroom scale maynot be your best friend, since it's easy to read success or failureinto every natural fluctuation.


SKIMPING ON SLEEP? Stay away from Vegas ... or shopping, or anywhere else you'll beasked to make decisions that could cost you. Too little shut-eyeprompts you make bad choices and it takes a toll on the part of your brain that helps you learnfrom those mistakes.
Researchers saw less learning and more mistake-prone behaviour whenthey scanned the brains of sleep-deprived people who were gambling.Weary people made riskier decisions and had higher expectations ofwinning. On top of that, they had less activity in theorbitofrontal cortex, an area in the brain that helps you learnfrom a loss or a bad decision.
Sleep loss short-circuits your brain's ability to process emotionsrelated to loss and regret. What's not good when you're gambling isalso especially dangerous when you're dating, trying to ace a newproject at work or just sitting in front of the gallon of mintchocolate-chip ice cream that mysteriously jumped into your cart atthe supermarket.
The right amount of sleep, however, helps you stay slim and lowersyour risk of developing diabetes, so you feel and are youngerinside.


OUTWIT CANCER: In some ways, cancer is like pests in your house