From Peruvian maca root to Indian turmeric, here are five interesting superfoods from around the world that you can add to your smoothies for added nutritional boosts. High in minerals, antioxidants, and vitamins, prepare for these powders to help you feel energized, invigorated, and cleansed.
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Willow Jarosh and Stephanie Clarke are registered dietitians and founders of C&J Nutrition. We consulted them to see if certain foods or beverages prevent calcium absorption and what you need to know to fulfill your daily dose.
FitSugar: Can food or beverages block calcium absorption, and why does this occur?
C&J Nutrition: Yes, certain foods/beverages can inhibit calcium absorption. Foods that contain oxalate can reduce the amount of calcium you absorb because the oxalate binds with calcium in your intestines. So, not as much calcium can be absorbed from your intestines and therefore passes right through you.
FS: Which foods block calcium absorption?
C&J: Foods that contain oxalates are rhubarb, beets, okra, spinach, Swiss chard, sweet potatoes, tea, chocolate, and soy products. Foods rich in phytates can also block absorption, and they include fiber-containing whole-grain products and wheat bran, beans, seeds, nuts, and soy isolates. But, it's not recommended that people stop eating these foods. As long as you eat a varied diet and get adequate calcium intake each day, the small amount of calcium absorption inhibition from phytates or oxalates shouldn't be a problem. In fact, the small amount of inhibition from these foods is even accounted for in the dietary reference intakes! Alcohol intake can reduce calcium absorption, but the amount of alcohol it would take to create an effect on calcium status isn't known.
FS: Which does the body absorb better: calcium from food or calcium from supplements?
C&J : Either. But keep in mind that our bodies can only absorb around 500-600mg of calcium at a time, so don't take your calcium supplement with a glass of milk. Bottom line: Don't avoid foods that contain oxalates or phytates, but be sure to get the recommended amount of calcium each day (1000mg for women between 19-50 years of age), and eat a daily variety of fruits, veggies, whole grains, beans, lean protein, and healthy fats.
Pregnancy is full of surprises! This post was submitted by Beaner in The Pregnancy Posse group.
Before I became prego, I was running regularly about three or four times a week, for a few years. In December when I got pregnant, running didn't feel so good. I was tired the first trimester, and would get subtle cramps in my lower belly, so I thought I should take it easy and started walking instead.
Now that I'm in my second trimester, and the weather is warming up, I was inspired to start running again. The past few times I've tried running, I feel this subtle pulling in the muscles in my lower abs. I'm wondering if any of you moms-to-be have experienced this or have any suggestions to help prevent it. Physically holding my belly in with my hands helps a lot, but I can't do that for an entire run! Thanks for your help!
Talk about motherly things on your mind at The Pregnancy Posse group over in the LilSugar Community.
Men's Health is making a name for itself by telling us to "Eat This, Not That." Most recently, the magazine compiled a list of the 10 worst sandwiches in America, based on the nutritional information available at various chain restaurants. Do you think you know which sandwiches are the worst? Take my quiz and find out.
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Most mamas gets an earful about ear infections from her tot's pediatrician. Some kids are more prone to the common ailment, and doctors often suggest ear tube surgery as a treatment to the problem. No parent wants to put their child under the knife, but the procedure is not as scary as it sounds. Take the quiz to see how much you know about ear tubes in children.
With cold and flu and swine flu season upon us, it's imperative to get into the healthy habit of washing your hands. But this everyday activity has plenty of facts and fiction tied to it. Do you know your hand-washing facts? Take my quiz and see if you clean up.
We don't always feel 100 percent all the time, and it's normal to feel a little nauseous, tired, or sniffly every once in a while. These are minor symptoms though, and usually go away on their own. But there are a few red flag signals our bodies flash to warn us of serious medical conditions, and they're symptoms you shouldn't pass off as nothing. WebMD spoke to the authors of Your Body's Red Light Warning Signals, and here are some symptoms that require a doctor's visit or emergency care.
To see the other red flags keep reading
Check Out the New FitSugar Health Guide FitSugar's motto is "healthy happy you," so we have just added a great new feature to emphasize your health — the Health Guide, of course. Knowledge is power, and we now have plenty of health information to keep you in the know about your body and heath-related news.
I know it might seem silly to non-animal lovers – with so many humans without insurance of their own – but pet insurance is out there, available, and useful in some situations. If you have a purebred dog that can be prone to more (known) health problems, investing in insurance may be a smart move for her health and your financial future. I've heard one too many horror stories about owners neglecting to go for checkups, or opting out of necessary care their pets need because they can't afford the treatment. It's a sad cycle that affects humans and animals alike.
How do you feel about pet health insurance? Is your pet covered for those times in need?
