Mineral oil is a commonly used laxative. However, it has no nutritional value, and with prolonged use may deplete the intestines of the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K, as well as decrease the absorption of the valuable minerals calcium and phosphorus. A healthy alternative is flax oil, which not only has laxative properties, […]
Boost Your Calcium Intake
12 Tips to Boost Your Calcium Intake Various factors affect how much of the calcium you ingest really gets into your blood. Here are facts and tips you should know to boost your calcium intake in your diet or any calcium supplements you take: 1. Misleading labels on calcium supplements The important thing to remember […]
Nut Knowledge
Nature packs a lot of nutrition into a little nut, which is why nuts and seeds get honorable mention on our “Top Twelve Foods” list. Nuts are the seeds of different trees. They come in a variety of shapes, flavors, and preparations that add to their appeal: shelled or unshelled, raw, dry roasted, oil roasted, […]
The Science Behind Brain Foods
Brain Food and Brain Function Like every other system in the body, the brain needs good food. It uses 20 to 25 percent of the total energy a person consumes, and the better you feed the brain, the better it works. While most of this section is devoted to the nutritional principles that help children’s […]
What are the best food sources of iron?
BEST IRON-RICH FOODS Meat and poultry Beef (4 oz) Ground beef (4 oz) Lamb (4 oz) Pork (4 oz) Veal (4 oz) Lunch meat (2 slices) Hot dog (1) Chicken liver (4 oz) Liver (beef, 4 oz) Liver (calf’s, 4 oz) Chicken (light meat, 4 oz) Chicken (dark meat, 4 oz) Turkey (light meat, 4 […]
How Exercise Fights Cancer
Learning How Exercise Fights Cancer Moving your body moves your bowels, which reduces the risk of colon cancer. Many scientific studies have shown how exercise fights cancer; that people who exercise regularly have a much lower incidence of cancer than people who don’t exercise much. A study that tracked 17,000 Harvard alumni for 25 years […]
Best Grains: How they Rank
It’s misleading, if not impossible, to rank grains. Their relative value depends on what nutrients you are looking for. Is one nutrient more important than another? Is fiber more important than protein? Maybe, if you’re a senior citizen, but not if you’re a child. Do you judge nutritional value by nutrients per ounce, or nutrients […]
Holiday Stress Busters
Dr. Jim’s Holiday Stress Tips All of those classic holiday movies surrounding the “dysfunctional family” make us laugh because deep down we can often relate to the chaos that this season brings. Here are a few tips to help you reduce your holiday stress this season: Just Say “No” It’s the easiest trick in the […]
10 Ways To Involve Children in Pregnancy
Ways to Involve Children in Pregnancy Being pregnant while you have a toddler or preschooler in tow can be both challenging and exhausting, but also very fun and exciting. As children get older, you may find it easier and more fun to involve children in pregnancy. Here are some ways to involve children in pregnancy […]
How Your Breasts Make and Deliver Milk
1. The lactation system inside your breasts resemble a tree. The milk glands (the leaves) are grapelike clusters of cells high up in the breast that make milk. Milk travels from these glands down through the milk ducts (the branches). These ducts then widen beneath the areola (the dark area surrounding the nipple), forming milk […]
What Does it Mean to Be L.E.A.N. in Pregnancy?
L.E.A.N. Tips for a Healthy Pregnancy From the moment your baby arrives, you will have new opportunities to learn and grow as a parent. At times, you may feel overwhelmed with all that you are experiencing. Sometimes you will feel overwhelmed by the responsibility of caring for your baby. At other times, you will feel […]
Breastfeeding After Cesarean Section
Studies show that women whose babies are born by cesarean surgery are just as successful at breastfeeding as mothers who deliver vaginally, as long as their commitment to breastfeeding remains high. It may, however, take a bit longer for mothers and babies to begin breastfeeding after cesarean surgery, and mothers’ milk tends to come in […]