Tag: Calcium

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My Experience with Chlorella




My latest health food supplement is Chlorella. I have heard of Chlorella for about a year now and started looking around for it and reading up about it for the last couple months. Finally a couple of weeks ago I picked up bottle of 150 tablet of 500mg of Chlorella.

If you know nothing about it, Chlorella is a single cell fresh water algae that is sold as tablets or just powder. There are a lot of reasons that people are taking it these days that I will point out below but most important probably is what Chlorella contains. Although popular as a supplement here in North America Chlorella is actually used as a food source in Japan.

What is in Chlorella?

chlorellaChlorella is It is an attractive potential food source because it is high in protein and other essential nutrients; when dried, it is about 45% protein, 20% fat, 20% carbohydrate, 5% fibre, and 10% minerals and vitamins.

Chorella contains vitamins A, B1, B2, B6, B12, C and E. as well as the minerals magnesium, potassium, iron and calcium. Also Chlorella has a balance of all the essential amino acids as well as being really rich in Chlorophyll.

For most people the initial dose of Chlorella as a supplement is about 1 and a half grams a day for the first week and then increasing that to about 3 grams a day after the initial week.

Why take Chlorella?

When I first heard about Chlorella I ws a little surprised at the lack of claims about this algae. It seeme that people would jut say that it was good, it gave them energy, it was a complete food, and that it was a vegetarian option for protein.

I guess all of this is true but there are also some great anecdotal and scientific evidence that this is indeed the newest popular superfood because it is linked to such great healing claims.  The main reason I have wanted to take this superfood is for the detoxification benefits. I figure always that the cleaner and more efficient your body is then the better it will work for you.

Here are some of the claims with links to them as to why Chlorella is really a great superfood to add to your diet.

Detoxification – Chlorella has an amazing ability to bind with toxins like chemicals and heavy metals, and move them swiftly out of the body.


Digestion – Chlorella promotes the production of healthy flora, bacteria and probiotics throughout the digestive system. This is essential for good digestion and overall health, and also makes chlorella effective for fighting candida and yeast

Cancer – Chlorella is known for its remarkable cancer-fighting benefits, possibly because it is rich in natural carotenoids, which can prevent oxidation

Fibromyalgia – Many have reported chlorella reduces pain associated with fibromyalgia. In one study

Heart Disease – Studies have demonstrated that chlorella can improve triglyceride and LDL cholesterol levels, and may also benefit those with high blood pressure

My Chlorella Experience So Far

I have now been taking Chlorella for about two weeks now and it seems to be fine. One of the problems that you run into in the first week are “Cleansing like symptoms” by that I mean some diarrhea, lots of gas and bloating, but no other real problems. No hot flushes or anything.

This week has been good. I feel like my energy is up but the trouble with any natural food supplement is that you hae no idea if it is the pill or the lifestyle changes that you are doing that are helping you or hurting you. I can not tell if I am losing any heavy metals out of my system but the fact is that I seem to feel quite good lately and I will have to wait a few weeks to see if there are any good effects from the Chlorella.

One thing that seems to be critically important when shopping for Chlorella is to make sure that it has broken cell walls. Chlorella is a single cell algae but the cell wall is very hard and is very hard for your body to break down and use so making sure that it is taken care of for you is important to get the health benefits.

So as far as whether you should be taking this superfood or not, I think the jury is still out in my house. I know that any kind of pure food is going to help anyone but the fact is that it is far better if you eat a non-clean diet to straighten that our first.

Eating lots of fruits and vegetables as well as drinking lots of water, and of course avoiding processed foods as much as possible are going to make a bigger difference to your health and lifestyle. But, if you are interested in trying Chlorella out I hae looked around and it seems to be about $30 for a months supply of Chlorella pills.

If you do end up trying Chlorella or if you have used it in the past then post a quick comment. I would love to hear what other people have to say about it.


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A new type of Canada Food Guide?


Earlier I mentioned how I like the idea of the Canada Food Guide but I really do not like the ratios of foods. Here is how I would change things if I had the choice.

I am not sure how much you know about the Canada Food Guide but the idea is that the Canadian government has come up with a list a lot like the US food pyramid that list a type of guidline of what you should eat every day. There has always been arguments from people that the meat, milk, and grain lobby all have too much influence as well as the fact that a lot of people that have problems with lactose or gluten intolerance, as well as vegetarians are not really recognized in the Canada Food Guide.

Last year Health Canada radically revamped the Canada Food Guide and it is much better as it looks at age, sex, and other factors. Anyway I have my own ideas of what I would like to see as basics of the Canada Food Guide even though they have done a great job at Health Canada I think lots of people will not follow the more complex guidelines and are instead looking for a set of simple rules.

My Canada Food Guide

A new type of Canada Food Guide?8 glasses of water a day
I don’t care that water is not food. Water is still a nutrient that people need for a healthy diet and most people do not drink any water let alone a little bit. Adding water to the food guide would be a great addition

3-5 small servings of meat or fish
I know that meat and fish are not th only place to get protein but at least mentioning fish again would add to the options. Also most people think that a serving of meat is an 8 ounce steak, not a can of tuna but the can of tuna is just as good. Your body just can not metabolize a big steak.

3-5 servings of vegetables

3-5 servings of fruit
Why is it that fruits and vegetables have always been lumped together? Fruits are great for their high water content and antioxidants and Vegetables are great for minerals including iron and Calcium. I know that this is a generalization but it would be nice to see people eating more of both fruits and vegetables. Oh, and tater tots and french fries are not a vegetable no matter what my brother in law thinks.

2-3 servings of high fiber grains
The idea of lots of breads I believe is outdated as a nitritous food group, instead I beleive it would be good to have reference to high fiber foods and to have examples.

Serving sizes for My Canada Food Guide
Come on governments on both sides of the border, it would be nice to have a better idea, not just in print but in news papers and TV, of what a serving size really is. The biggest poblem facing most people is not the junk and misplaced nutrients but instead it is a lack of idea of what serving sizes really are. A bowl of food or cup of coffee is a great sized breakfast but a giant plate of food is not quite enough for dinner? We need to get the word out about what is a good meal morning, noon, and night.

I know that there is a lot more to a good diet than these few things but I look at this as a guide, a way to look at a days food, not the everything that we eat in a day.

Do you have better ideas? Let me know. I would love to add a few more things to this list of my Canada Food Guide in a follow up.


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Healthy Recipes for Kids

It’s important to teach kids to eat healthy foods while they are young. This will help them develop healthy eating habits for life. Healthy recipes for kids will get them excited about cooking and eating nutritious foods that children love. Delicious and healthy kid-friendly recipes will teach your kids to love whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables.

There are many sites where you can find collections of healthy recipes that kids and the whole family will enjoy. You will also find recipes tested and rated by kids themselves. These recipes will make meal planning easier, and you can be sure your kids will love them.

Get The Kids Involved

Many parents have discovered that the best way to get kids to eat healthy food is to get them involved in the cooking process. This doesn’t mean they have to make dinner themselves, but kids should be encouraged to help choose recipes, shop for ingredients, and prepare the food. They get to taste and rate each recipe. If you have a backyard garden, it’s also a great idea to allow your kids to grow some of the ingredients.

Kids can actually help out in the kitchen, and you can spend some quality time together. They are also more likely to try a dish if they have helped in its preparation, or even just in picking out a healthy, kid-friendly recipe. What’s more, healthy eating habits developed at a young age will last a lifetime.

Find Healthy Recipes For Kids

You’ll be amazed at the number of kid-friendly recipes that you can find online. Many of these recipes include a variety of vegetables and proteins that are naturally low in calories yet rich in vitamins and minerals. Kids need plenty of protein and calcium to build strong bones and a healthy body. Be sure to include calcium-rich and protein-rich recipes for growing kids.

The internet is a rich source of healthy recipes for kids, including healthy breakfast recipes, healthy snack recipes, and healthy dinners. There are also healthy dessert recipes, because everyone deserves a treat. All of these recipes are designed with kids’ palates in mind.
Start your kid’s day right with a healthy breakfast. A fruit smoothie for breakfast is refreshing, tasty and healthy. Kids also love oatmeal with bananas and cinnamon chips for breakfast.

Other recipes that kids will enjoy include Healthy Macaroni and Cheese, Vegetarian Chili, and Grilled Chicken Breasts with Soy Honey Sauce. There are also healthy dessert recipes for kids. Yogurt Sundaes, Low Fat Brownies, and Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies have less fat, less sugar, and less calories than many desserts, but they also have more vitamins, minerals, and fiber.

It’s easier than you think to get your kids to eat nutritious foods. All you need is a collection of healthy recipes for kids.

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