Calcium Rich Foods

ABOUT CALCIUM:

Calcium is necessary for forming and maintaining healthy bones, teeth, nails and hair. Calcium helps to nourish the nervous system, which  helps  to prevent anxiety and keep your brain function up to scratch.  Calcium is a natural tranquillizer.
Magnesium is Important:  For the body to absorb and use calcium appropriately, it is important to include plenty of Magnesium-rich foods in the diet. The other  essential ingredients for maximizing your Calcium absorption are   Zinc, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, and Vitamin K.

Health worries which may result from a diet with insufficient calcium are:

irritability, insomnia, and mental disorders,

irregular heart beat, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, numbness and tingling in the legs, muscle cramps, and slow blood clotting,
osteo-arthritis, osteoporosis, calcium growths, eye cataracts,

colon cancer.

Calcium helps to keep the heart muscle healthy.  Lack of Calcium is linked also to high cholesterol and high blood pressure, which, in turn affect the heart muscle:  some people with these conditions have been helped by increasing their Calcium intake through diet and additional Dolomite supplements.

Adequate Calcium intake is thought to help prevent sunburn and skin cancer.

Milk is the best food source for calcium, although many people have an intolerance to milk. There is a link between protein and calcium absorption:  It could be that some high protein diets consume large amounts of calcium in the digestion process, thereby robbing the body of the  dietary calcium in Vitamin C-rich fruits and vegetables. But the reason could very well be that people who consume large amounts of animal pretein simply do not eat enough of  the Vitamin C-rich, magnesium-rich, fresh fruit and vegetables.
It has been found that vegetarians process the calcium from their food better than  those meat-eaters do, which is perhaps why vegans, who often do not take any meats or dairy products,  still manage to maintain
healthy calcium levels. Vegans and vegetarians  might also be inclined to use Dolomite powder as a supplement: this is highly concentrated in Calcium and Magnesium.
However, Dolomite should be used in moderation, as it sometimes contains traces of lead and asbestos.

The RDA, or recommended daily allowance  of Calcium is 800 mg daily, but this amount seems conservative in the light of several studies which show that a higher intake of calcium does protect against many diseases:
Peope who have an abundant intake of calcium-rich foods in their diets tend to have less colon cancer than those whose intake of calcium  is less than 800 milligrams daily: Of course, the lower rate of colon cancer in this group would also be attributable to the high-fiber content in the foods which are high in calcium, with the exception of milk and cheese.

It is recommended that you try to have more than 1000 milligrams  of calcium daily, half of which should come from your high fiber greens, to help prevent colon cancer.

Expectant and breastfeeding mothers and growing teenagers need a minimum of 1300 mg daily.

You get 600 mg of Calcium per every 2 cups of milk which you drink – nearly the RDA of Calcium. However,for those who
cannot take milk, there are many other excellent sources of calcium which rate very well in their calcium content:
Dolomite powder is the richest source of calcium, beating milk by far. One teaspoon of Dolomite equals 2500 mg of calcium, which, on its own,  would give you more than the needed recommended daily allowance.

One cup of cooked broccoli yields about 160 mg of Calcium. If your meal were to include 3/4 cup of baked beans, then you would have another 80 mg of easily-digested Calcium.

All the brassica family contain high amounts of calcium:   These are: brussels sprouts, cabbage, kale, and that trojan of vegetables,  broccoli.
Parsley is high in Calcium and in other minerals and vitamins.
It is easy to see how you can make up your calcium intake just from eating healthy, calcium-rich, ,magnesium-rich  vegetables.
Adding Dolomite powder to a meal ensures that your Calcium intake is more than adequate.
You might like to try the home-made calcium and magnesium-rich tonic made from egg shells:  see the recipe below.

If your diet is too rich in fats (but we DO need fats – it is best to eat a range of the different fats, but of course, in moderation),  or you eat a diet high in protein, or grains, cocoa/chocolate, spinach/silverbeetsoy bean products, then you need to increase your broccoli-brussels sprouts-cabbage intake.

These foods listed directly above can impair your calcium absorption if other foods are not used  to compensate Calcium lost through the digestion of these foods.

Cocoa, spinach and silverbeet contain high amounts of oxalic acid
This latches on to Calcium in the body, robbing it of some food Calcium. However, the effect of oxalic acid in some food items,  such as silver beet
and spinach,  can be negated if you eat baked beans and an egg with these foods, or some oily fish, or follow the meal with some fresh fruit,
a glass of milk, either dairy milk, or soy milk, or a nut milk such as almond or cashew milk.

Remember to include Vitamin D in the diet if you are relying on vegetable sources for your intake of Calcium:
Vitamin D is necessary for the assimilation of Calcium in the body.

You can get Vitamin D from the sun’s rays directly falling onto your skin, and also by taking foods such as oily fish, cod liver oil, butter and eggs. Dolomite Powder, which has high concentrations of both Calcium and Magnesium, is usually enriched with Vitamin D to aid its absorption.

HOME- MADE:   CALCIUM-Rich, MAGNESIUM-Rich  TONIC:
Crumble the dry egg shells of two free range eggs into a small glass jar. Cover with apple cider vinegar and leave the mixture for 24 hours. Keep  it in the fridge so that it does not spoil.  Take a teaspoonful morning and night, or more if you have a condition such as osteoporosis where
you need to take more than a maintenance dose. The acid in the vinegar is neutralized by the calcium in the egg shell, and so the  combination should not upset those delicate stomachs which cannot normally take cider vinegar.

Chlorine in Water

CHLORINE

Chlorine is a necessary part of our cell make-up. It forms part of the hydrochloric acid in our stomachs.
Fish, meats, eggs and vegetables all contain naturally occuring chlorine. We get additional chlorine from table salt, which is known as sodium chloride, which is really not the best thing.

Natural, dietary chlorine helps in the digestion of food and forms  part of cell fluids.
It helps to maintain the health of the lymph system
It helps to maintain correct acidity of blood
It helps to maintain correct action of the liver.

However, too much chlorine destroys intestinal flora which can upset your digestion and inhibit absorption of valuable Vitamins, Minerals and fats.

The most common way in which we overdose ourselves on chlorine is through the chlorination of water, which  is something most of us  have to live with these days.

Water is chlorinated to protect us  from diseases such as cholera,  typhoid fever and many other life-threatening diseases  which previously were a threat before the practice of chlorinating water was adopted. However, the many side effects from drinking chlorinating water would suggest that it really is better not to drink it at all if you can possibly avoid it.

If you drink a lot of water, or tea, or coffee, then you will be ingesting high amounts of, not just  chlorine, but also  fluroide, and aluminium.  Filtering your water to rid it of  the chlorine in your water supply, or boiling your tap water, or letting it stand in the sunlight in a green bottle for several hours, are several options to consider for minimizing the chlorine in your water. However, these treatments do not necessarily remove all the harmful or un-wanted additives which are in tap water. 

One helpful tip: The volume of some  chemicals in treated water can be reduced, and their toxicity negated,  by putting fresh grass or some fresh garden herbs into a bottle of water which is then left in the sun
for an hour before straining.

Drinking chlorinated water affects our digestion on a long term basis.

The effect of absorbing too much chlorine can be felt  after you have bathed in a swimming pool for half an hour or so: this causes excess chlorine to be absorbed through the  pores of the skin. From there, it enters  the bloodstream:  Heart palpitations, weak pulse, pins and needles,  numbness in the limbs, and dizziness,  are some symptoms which can be experienced by sensitive people when they are  exposed to  excessive chlorine such as the amounts found in swimming pools.
The kidneys have to work hard to eliminate this surplus: this can tire the kidneys, which often results in a candida infection,  or some other urinary tract infection after swimming in chlorinated pools. People often think that they have ‘caught’ something’ in these pools, and in a way they probably have, but it is the chlorine which sets the climate for bugs to invade, as it kills off the friendly bacteria in your body, lowers immunity, and tires and
weakens the kidneys as they try to cope with the overload.

Aluminium And Your Brain

ALUMINIUM

Aluminium is not needed as a supplement, although it is found naturally in our bodies. The problem with aluminium is that we tend to have a surplus of it rather than a deficiency.
Aluminium destroys vitamins and minerals in our food and hinders the absorption of nutrients in the body.
Too much aluminium in the body causes many health problems: It has long been suspected that aluminium build-up in the body could be the cause of serious diseases such as alzheimer’s and senility, as aluminium builds up in the brain, along with other toxins.  Arthritis, cancer and osteoporosis are just some of the other diseases which some think are attributable to aluminium toxicity.
Aluminium excess can cause fat to build up in the kidneys and liver.
It can also cause numbness in the limbs with pain and pins and needles in various muscles, especially in elderly folk.
Aluminium also affects your quality of sleep. Women in a study who took more than 1000 milligrams of aluminium daily,  over a period of time, slept less well than those women who took only 300 milligrams per day.

Aluminium build-up in the body and brain is hard to avoid, because it is used widely in food processing: it is sometimes used as a softening agent in the processing of cheese,and in the whitening of flour.

It is used as a free-flowing agent in common salt: A compound
called sodium aluminium silicate is added to salt to help stop it becoming damp and sticky in wet or humid weather.
It is used in some self-raising flour and baking powders.
It is also used in stomach antacid preparations: one teaspoon of some antacid powders can contain up to 250 milligrams
of aluminium. Aluminium which is used in antacid stomach powders has been shown to cause the rapid development of diseases such as osteoporosis, arthritis, and weakened muscles in older people.
Other medicinal preparations which may contain aluminium are: buffered aspirin, antidiarrhea medicines, douches, and some  haemorrhoid pessaries and creams.
Aluminium is also found in many under arm deodorants.It is found in some hair dyes, face creams and other cosmetics.
These products are just as harmful as antacid powder, as the
aluminium is easily absorbed through the pores of the skin and into the blood stream and soft tissues of the body;
This includes the brain.

WATER
You may be ingesting an unknown quantity of aluminium into your blood stream through drinking water from the city water
system. Amounts seem to be higher in summer time for some reason. This is probably because of the use of
water-treatment chemicals, one of which is aluminium: In the summer time, more chemicals would be needed to keep the
water bacteria-free than in the winter time. In the winter, most germs go into hibernation, hence less chemicals would
be utilized in water treatment stations during cold parts of the year. Whatever the reason, it is a good idea to filter
your water, at all times of the year, to remove it of impurities:
A reverse-osmosis filter system is recommended to remove aluminium from your water supply, as activated carbon
filters are thought to be ineffective on aluminium.

Fluoride and Aluminium:
It is probable that fluoridated water may increase the aluminium content drawn from water pipes and cooking vessels.
Cooking food using fluoridated water with an aluminium cooking pot produced 1000 times more aluminium in the food
compared to the same experiment done whereby unfluoridated water was used with an aluminium cooking pot.

ALUMINIUM COOKING POTS

Aluminium cooking pots, which were once the rage, and which are still manufactured cheaply today despite the growing
awareness of the danger of aluminium in food, are another cause of aluminium building up in the body and the brain.
Cooking acid fruits like rhubarb and apples in aluminium is especially bad, as their acids cause much aluminium
to be leached out into these fruits as they cook.
Even potatoes, which contain quite a lot of Vitamin C and iron, are contaminated by the use of an aluminium pot to
cook them in.A simple experiment can be done whereby you leave the potatoes in the pot after they have cooked. Before
too long, you will see that they become extremely discoloured and blackened by the aluminium effect on them.

DETOX FROM ALUMINIUM

You can reduce your aluminium build-ups in the body and the brain by taking Ester C, or another non-acidic form of
Vitamin C such as calcium ascorbate. Dose will vary on your body build and the amount of toxicity you are enduring.
Anything from 1000 mg per day to 3000 mg per day, in divided doses, is useful in ridding the body of aluminium and
other chemicals.
Other antioxicants such as Vitamin E will also help reduce poisons from the body.Eating oily fish several times a week,
or daily if you can, is helpful in reducing toxins, including metals, in the body.
Alzheimer’s is a major health concern for people today, both old and young.
It is the fourth major killer of people in America today. You can reduce the chances of getting this
and other degenerative disease by taking care to avoid products which contain aluminium, and by taking measures such as
those recommended above, which will help you eliminate aluminium from your body and abrain.
Castor oil is very effective in removing metals like aluminium and lead deposits from the body and brain: If you take
castor oil, take 2 tablespoons followed by a cup of black coffee, or chamomile tea. Take a bowel rinse within 5 hours.
See our post on CASTOR OIL COLON CLEANSE
A fast of raw fruits and vegetables for a day or two or more can help reduce aluminium and other chemicals in the body.
Note: Do ask your health professional about doing this if you are debilitated in any way or have some sickness. Again,
it is advised that you follow up the fast with a colonic cleanse or bowel wash after three days of a fruit fast.

Dietary Iodine

Consider your dietary intake of IODINE:
Iodine is ESSENTIAL for the healthy functioning of the thyroid gland, and for a healthy immune system. A lack of iodine causes many problems with the health, as we shall see: it even affects your body temperature and your emotions, as well as your weight.
Iodine helps to produce thyroxine,  which is an important thyroid hormone.
Long term iodine deficiency results in goitre, the symptoms of which, generally, are a swollen throat with protruding eyes and a husky, low-toned voice.
Iodine is needed in the body to regulate energy levels: people who get tired easily and/or who are cold, even in warm weather, usually lack iodine.
Iodine helps control cholesterol levels, so a lack of iodine can make you more prone to heart attack and stroke.
Obesity can result from long term iodine deficiency. Lack of iodine in the diet can cause all sorts of food obsessions.
Insufficient iodine during pregnancy can result in deformities and retardation of infants.

Iodine is needed to protect against disease. It is essential for the strengthening of the immune system.
Iodine deficiency is a factor in polio.
Iodine deficiency is a factor in most cancers.
Iodine is important for the health of the hair, scalp and skin.

Lack of iodine can cause senility.

Table salt is iodised so that people do not become iodine deficient. However, natural, unrefined sea salt is far better alternative to table salt: Sea  salt does not  have chemical additives which regular table salt has. Table salt contains free flowing agents like aluminium, which are very bad for your health, especially the heart and the arteries.
While it is much lower in iodine than iodised table salt, sea salt is also rich in other trace elements. These valuable trace elements are not to be found in refined table salt, but are also found in kelp, which is an ocean food.You can mix 50/50 of sea salt with kelp to use as a table salt.
Kelp powder and sea water are good sources of natural iodine.

Swimming in sea water (no-where near the  BP oil spillage in America, though), and taking regular walks barefoot along the wet sand at the beach, are natural ways to increase your iodine intake, and your intake of other trace minerals.

Iodine is good for the eyes, as well as the general health. People who have lived near the ocean for much of their life, and sailors, generally have good eyesight, well into their advanced years.

Liquid iodine can be dabbed onto the scalp to up your iodine intake. Iodine is absorbed through the skin. If it is
applied directly to the scalp, then your hair roots benefit immediately from the application as well as your blood.
Just two or three drops can be applied  once or twice times a week, depending on how often you wash your hair.
Iodine is absorbed through the pores of the skin anywhere on the body: if you wish, you can apply a dab or two of iodine to the soles of the feet instead of to the scalp.  It can be used as an antiseptic, and applied to a scratch or a graze to aid healing and prevent infection.

The recommended daily allowance is 150 mcg  NOTE: More than this amount of iodine can cause damage to thyroid hormones.
If your intake is purely from food sources, then you will not absorb too much iodine.
Half a teaspoon of kelp powder daily more than takes care of this requirement: it has 1700 mcg of iodine.
100 gms of cooked fish contains 200 mcg
Half a teaspoon of iodised salt contains 100 mcg
Half a teaspoon of sea salt has 4 mcg.

Iodine is rich in all sea foods. Kelp, shell-fish, and ocean fish are all good sources of Iodine.

See merrilyn’s posts on “Foods rich in Iodine’ and ‘Iodine Scalp Hair’ remedy for more information on how to use iodine in the diet, and as an external application.

Importance of Copper

COPPER is important in the daily diet. The importance of Copper cannot be underestimated, as copper has many functions. Some of the functions of copper are discussed below, to give some idea about the effect of copper on the body and the brain.

Copper is essential for the absorption of iron in the body. Copper also  helps to form strong red blood cells which prevent you from becoming anaemic.
Healthy blood cells prevent fatigue.
Copper helps in the formation of bone and muscle tissue.
It helps build strong cartilage which aids the smooth functioning of the joints.

Copper helps to prevent osteoarthritis.
It helps to prevent osteoporosis, because it is instrumental in building good cartilage around the vertebrae along the spine.

Copper plays an important part in keeping the connective tissue healthy in the arteries, capilliaries and veins, hence it helps keep the heart healthy and also helps to prevent varicose veins.
Copper, along with Vitamin C,  is needed to combine collagen and elastin which form the connective tissue: these tissues are also used to form the brain, so keeping your copper levels maintained helps keep the brain healthy. It is important, therefore, for expectant mothers to ensure that they have plenty of carrots in the diet, or some other food which is plentiful in copper.

Copper helps to regulate brain impulses. Good brain impulses are important for your memory function, and  for the discernment and judgement faculties of the brain.
It helps to keep the hair healthy and assists in maintaining your natural hair color.
It helps keep skin healthy and unblemished, as it aids in the pigmentation of the skin.
It helps keep the nervous system healthy and strong.

During pregnancy it is usual for Copper levels to increase within the body so that the new born child will have a plentiful supply through the mother’s milk.

In some women, the body continues to behave as if it is still nurturing an unborn child, and this can lead to excess copper levels, which can cause post-natal depression. Hormones in food and toxins in the environment can cause this deception.  Plenty of non-acidic Vitamin C – say 1000 mg morning and night for a few days, then cutting back to one 1000 mg dose in the evening, should help the problem. Extra zinc and magnesium are needed also, to counteract post-natal depression.

Taking the contraceptive pill can cause the body to mimick a pregnancy:
Escess copper: The birth control pill can cause a build up of Copper in women in amounts which are far in  excess of normal.  Symptoms can be erratic behaviour which mimic mental conditions such as schizophrenia and depression.
Extra Vitamin C, Zinc and Magnesium are needed to counteract an excess of Copper in the body.

If you take the contraceptive pill, then you need to take supplements of  Vitamin C, and zinc and magnesium..
If you are pregnant, than Vitamin C rich fruits and vegetables, and those which contain Zinc and Magnesium should be included as part of the daily diet. Onions and garlic and Vitamin C foods help to balance out excesses of minerals and help to negate the effect of, and eliminate, toxins from the blood.

A good free-range diet is best for expectant mothers. Taking vitamin and mineral supplements can be helpful, but you should try to get your nourishment from eating good food.

Pre menstrual women can become deficient in copper. This can cause sleeping problems, with insomnia, or broken sleep
Deficiency of copper can result in fatigue: since copper is needed to assimilate iron, then anaemia can result if copper levels are low, and this contributes to mental and body fatigue. It is recommended that two milligrams of copper be taken each day to help prevent these problems during the menopausal  and post-menopausal times of life.
If you are taking extra zinc supplements, then you probably need to take extra copper daily as well, as
zinc tends to rob the body of some copper. One milligram of copper to 10 milligrams of zinc is recommended.

SMOKERS NEED MORE COPPER;
Smokers and alcohol users may need to improve their copper intake: copper helps to repair the damage done by smoking. Smoking causes the endothelial cells which line the inside of the blood vessels to become damaged. When these become damaged, which happens because of smoking or having  high blood cholesterol,  these damaged areas can build up cholesterol plaque and form blood clots.  Copper helps to heal this damage, along with Vitamins B6, B12, Vitamin C, Vitamin E and Folic acid.
If you are a beer drinker, then your copper intake should be adequate, as one pint of beer apparently  contains about 600 mcg.

As discussed above, regarding post-natal depression, too much copper in the body can be just as harmful to the health as insufficient copper.  Sometimes abnormally high levels of copper in the blood can result  by drinking water which has come from copper pipes, or by drinking bore water which is unusually high in copper. This  can happen if you live near a copper mine.
Too much copper can cause arthritis,  high blood pressure,  heart attack and stroke.

Excess copper in the body  gives poor mental and emotional health:

Insomnia and anxiety can be symptoms of insufficient copper, and also of
excess copper in the body.
The contraceptive pill interferes with copper levels, and other mineral absorption.
People with an inherited condition called Wilson’s disease absorb too much copper into the liver.
Too much copper can also make children hyper-active and limit their attention span.
Supplementing the diet with foods rich in Vitamin C,  Zinc and Magnesium helps to balance out copper excesses.

COPPER – RDA 2-3 milligramms daily, or 2000-3000 mcg

Foods with Copper:

Lobster, crayfish, shrimps and oysters are naturally high in copper.

Avocado, and milk,  are extremely rich in copper.
Sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, almonds, nuts, mushrooms, the pulses:

beans and peas, the outer bran part of grains, egg yolk and red meats are  all good sources  of copper. Carrots are very high in copper.

Cocoa is also a good source or copper.

One cup of whole milk contains 500 mcg of copper
One cup of non-fat milk contains less copper than whole milk, with  only 100 mcg
One egg contains 150 mcg
One tablespoonful of butter contains 70 mcg
25 grammes of cheese contains 200 mcg
One cup of apple juice contains 500 mcg of copper
One avocado contains 800 mcg
One pear contains 300 mcg
An apple or a banana or a peach will give you 200 mcg – 600 mcg if you eat one of each
One cup of pure orange juice gives about 200 mcg
Half a cup of cooked prunes gives 200 mcg
About two cups of watermelon or rockmelon will give you about 200 mcg
One slice of wholemeal bread contains about 50 mcg
Half a cup of cooked brown rice gives about 200 mcg
Half a cup of peanuts gives about 220 mcg
Half a cup of cooked yams contain 600 mcg
One large mushroom has 125 mcg
One potato, cooked and eaten with its skin gives 150 mcg
1 kumara, also with the skin on, gives 200 mcg
100 gms of cooked liver gives 3000 mcg of copper
One tablespoon of wheatgerm has 180 mcg
One tablespoon of Brewer’s Yeast has 300 mcg
One tablespoon of Molasses has 300 mcg