Dairy and Healthy Bones Myth

Many people confuse “dairy” with “calcium,” and assume they are the same thing. Most still believe that dairy is the best thing for healthy and strong bones. Dairy contains calcium, but so do dark-leafy greens. Milk is fortified with vitamin D, as are many other foods.

Bone health goes beyond calcium and vitamin D. Vitamin K is important for bone health, dark leafy greens have it but dairy does not. Magnesium, which plays an important part of bone health, is present in foods like almonds, cashews, oatmeal, and potatoes, but missing in dairy products.

You should get enough calcium in your diet, and milk and cheese are good sources of it. However there are many other good sources. The Harvard School of Public Health and the University of Missouri point out that milk is not the best, or only source of calcium. If you are looking for good sources of calcium and Vitamin D, consider collard greens, mustard greens, kale, and bok choy instead of milk.

Seventeen More Banana Facts

Here are a few more facts about why bananas, nature's wonder fruit, are so good for us.

1. Bananas contain tryptophan which turns into serotonin after consumption.
2. The boost in serotonin is an effective and natural way to reduce the effects of depression.
3. Potassium in bananas greatly reduces the likelihood of getting muscle cramps.
4. Bananas are a great source of calcium.
5. Bananas have been known to reduce the prevalence of menstrual cramps.
6. Bananas are high in vitamin B, promoting the production of white blood cells.
7. Bananas contain a healthy amount of iron.
8. The FDA says bananas can help lower blood pressure.
9. Bananas contain pectin, which is a great digestion aid.
10. Bananas are natural antacids and can calm heartburn.
11. Bananas are one of the only foods that can combat the pain of stomach ulcers.
12. Bananas are known to be natural protection against kidney disease and brittle bones.
13. Bananas are high in antioxidants.
14. Bananas can normalize blood sugar levels between meals.
15. Rub the inside of a banana peel on a bug bite for quick itch relief.
16. If you suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder, bananas can reduce the effects due to their high level of tryptophan.
17. To quit smoking, help curb the withdrawals with the high levels of vitamins, potassium, and magnesium in bananas.
    (Make banana ice cream. Peel two bananas and put in freezer for an hour. Take out, slice, put in blender with two tablespoons peanut butter, or some chocolate chips, or bacon - blend, scoop, enjoy.)

More Egg Facts

Eggs contain very little saturated fat (1.5 grams per large egg) and no trans fat. A medium egg contains about 63 calories and a large about 74 calories.

The nutrients in eggs can play a role in weight management, muscle strength, healthy pregnancy, brain function, eye health, and more.

Egg yolks are a great source of choline, an essential nutrient. Two eggs provide about 250 milligrams of choline. Choline also aids the brain function by maintaining the structure of brain cell membranes, and is a key component of the neuro-transmitter that helps relay messages from the brain through nerves to the muscles.

Lutein and zeaxanthin, two antioxidants found in egg yolks, help prevent macular degeneration, a leading cause of age-related blindness and may even reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Eggs have the highest nutritional quality protein of all food sources. Protein is a source of energy, but its main role in the body is growth and repair. It helps in the formation of muscles, hair, nails, skin and organs, such as the heart, kidneys and liver.

Vitamins and minerals in eggs include:
Biotin - helps cell metabolism and the utilization of fats, proteins and carbohydrates
Calcium - for building and maintain bones and teeth
Cephalin - a phosphorus-containing lipid found in tissues
Folate - for growth
Iodine - to ensure proper function of the thyroid gland
Iron - to produce hemoglobin, which carries oxygen around our bodies maintenance of healthy cells
Lecithin - contains acetylcholine which has been proven to help brain function
Pantothenic acid (Vitamin B5 ) - releases energy from our food for our body to use
Phosphorous - helps build strong bones and teeth
Selenium - antioxidant that protects our body and immune system
Thiamine - to turn carbohydrates into energy our body can use
Vitamin A (retinal) - for growth and eye health
Vitamin B12 (riboflavin) - for brain and nervous system functions and blood formation
Vitamin D - important in bone health.
Vitamin E - antioxidant to protect our bodies against disease
Zinc - helps in growth, wound healing, blood formation and maintenance of tissues.

Eliminating eggs from your diet because you are concerned about cholesterol is of no value and you lose the dietary benefits. Harvard Medical School and Mayo clinic agree that even though yolks contain cholesterol, very little of it actually makes it into your bloodstream, where it matters.

Calcium Facts

Calcium is essential for human, plant, and animal nutrition. Animals skeletons get their rigidity primarily from calcium phosphate. The eggs of birds and shells of mollusks are comprised of calcium carbonate. Calcium is used as a reducing agent when preparing metals from their compounds; as a reagent in purification of inert gases; to fix atmospheric nitrogen; as a scavenger and decarbonizer in metallurgy; and for making alloys. Calcium compounds are used in making lime, bricks, cement, cheese, glass, paint, paper, sugar, glazes, as well as many others, including fireworks.

Calcium isn't found free in nature, but it can be purified into a soft silvery-white alkaline earth metal. Though calcium has been known for thousands of years, it was not purified as an element until 1808 by Sir Humphrey Davy from England.The element name "calcium" comes from the Latin word "calcis" meaning "lime". It is the 5th most abundant element in the Earth's crust at a level of about 3% in the oceans and soil.

Vitamin D is essential for calcium absorption by the human body. It is converted to a hormone which causes intestinal proteins responsible for calcium absorption to be produced.

Calcium is the main component of teeth and bones and is the fifth most abundant element in the human body. Approximately one third of the mass of the human body is calcium after all water is removed.

The top three countries that produce calcium are China, United States, and India.

Eight More Egg Facts

We all know dinosaurs laid eggs. Ostriches and turkeys also lay eggs, but the ones we eat most often are chicken eggs.
Eggs take about 24 to 26 hours to form inside a hen.
An average hen can lay 250 to 270 eggs per year.
In China, approximately 390 billion eggs are produced a year, while the US produces about 75 billion eggs a year.
An egg shell is made of calcium carbonate and makes up 9-12 percent of an egg's total weight. It contains pores that allow oxygen in and carbon dioxide and moisture out.
The blood sometimes seen in an egg comes from the rupture of small blood vessels in the yolk. It does not indicate the egg is unsafe to eat.
An average person on Earth consumes 173 eggs a year (less than one chicken lays).
The world record for eating hard-boiled eggs is 65 in 6min 40sec, by Sonya Thomas in 2003. She would have eaten more but they ran out of eggs.
Here is the big answer to the big question of which came first, the chicken or the egg. The egg came first, because dinosaurs laid eggs before chickens evolved.

Yogurt Debate

Almost 28% of Americans eat yogurt on a daily basis.  Yogurt comes from milk that has healthy bacteria added for fermentation. During this process, yogurt thickens and takes on a slightly tangy taste. Yogurt is then strained through a cheesecloth, which allows the liquid whey part of milk to drain off. Regular yogurt is strained twice and Greek yogurt is strained three times to remove more whey, making it thicker.

Greek yogurt has almost double the protein of regular yogurt. Eight ounces of Greek yogurt has about 20 grams of protein and regular yogurt 11-13 grams. Greek yogurt has fewer carbohydrates than regular yogurt. Regular yogurt has about three times the calcium of Greek yogurt. Greek yogurt has half the sodium of regular yogurt. Plain, nonfat versions of Greek and regular yogurt have a similar calorie count per serving. Greek yogurt does not curdle when heated like regular yogurt. Greek yogurt, on average costs twice as much as regular yogurt. Bottom line, for one serving a day, not much difference, except a little texture, maybe taste, and a much higher cost.

Food Myth Debunked

The long held myth that milk is the best thing for healthy bones is not true. Many confuse "dairy" with "calcium," and assume they are the same thing. Dairy products contain calcium, but so do dark-leafy greens. Milk is fortified with vitamin D, but bone health goes beyond calcium and vitamin D.

Vitamin K is important for bone health (dark leafy greens have it, dairy doesn't). Magnesium, also missing in dairy products, plays an important role in bone health.

Milk isn't the only, or even the best, source of calcium. If you're looking for good sources of calcium and Vitamin D, consider dark greens, mustard greens, kale, and bok choy instead of milk. Toss in some almonds, cashews, and potatoes for magnesium.