Zinc

Zinc is essential for bone growth, metabolism, detoxification and healing. Yet 75% of Australians don’t receive their RDI of Zinc. This is more of a problem because, unlike iron and copper, we do not store zinc in our bodies, so we need a daily fix to maintain our levels. The best sources are seafood (oysters,… [Continue Reading]

Half dozen oysters, lemon and fork on a plate

Vitamin D from diet and supplements

If you are not getting enough sun, or have increased requirements, then it comes down to what you eat or how you can supplement your diet. In food, the highest levels of vitamin D are found in oily fish such as trout, salmon, mackerel, herring, sardines, anchovies, pilchards, and tuna. These are naturally rich in… [Continue Reading]

Sunshine for vitamin D

Calcium in your diet

Planning and varying your diet can usually meet your daily calcium needs. Dairy products are usually suggested as a good dietary source of calcium. About 40% of calcium intake in the Australian diet comes from dairy products.  However, milk, yoghurt, butter and cheese can have a significant fat content that can be hard to balance… [Continue Reading]

Sardines or pilchards - small sea fish

Food sources of magnesium

  Magnesium is a key regulator of the body, supporting the function of muscles, bones, the immune system, brain and heart. Like calcium, the body tries to keep magnesium levels constant, storing any excess in the bone, from where it can be released if dietary intake is inadequate. And this is often the case. Two… [Continue Reading]

chard900300magnesium

Calcium

We may think of our bones in terms of a rigid, unchanging skeleton, but they are dynamic metabolic organ always on the go. Calcium is an important regulator of this process, because bones are a kind of calcium savings account. If you don’t get enough calcium through your diet, bone will be broken down to… [Continue Reading]

milkblast900300calcium

Calcium – 3 cheese spinach frittata recipe

For inspiration, here’s a recipe for a delicious dish containing 537 mg calcium. Yields: 1 serving Prep time: 4 minutes Cook time: 8 minutes Total time: 12 minutes Ingredients: 1 cup baby spinach leaves 2 teaspoons fresh minced basil leaves Olive-oil-flavored cooking spray 3 tablespoons fat-free milk 1 egg 1/2 ounce provolone cheese 4 egg… [Continue Reading]

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is an important regulator of bone metabolism and many other aspects of human health. Of course, Vitamin D is not really a vitamin, as dietary intake is usually not required to maintain healthy levels, unless you wear a burqa. By getting adequate sun (UV-B) exposure, your skin can make all the vitamin D… [Continue Reading]

Sunshine for vitamin D