Calcium/Magnesium

This ever happen to you? You’re having a killer workout then out of nowhere stopped dead in your tracks. Your muscle pulls at you with incredible force seeming to withdraw into its self. You push and massage trying to ease the spasm stretching and twisting, all the time wondering what did I do or maybe, what didn’t you do. In fact it could just be that your body has not been able to utilize the calcium you are giving it. Why? Well are you getting your vitami
D from a good source like the sun or cod liver oil? If not get to it. By getting 15 minutes of sun each day your body will give you that much needed vitami
D to help you use that precious calcium. Ok maybe you’re not too ecstatic about this source but they have great options available now. Cod Liver Oil (don’t gag) with a great lemon oil extract. It’s so good even my kids will take it with a little fresh pressed OJ in the morning.

For natural relaxation and a healthier heart, take a mix of calcium, magnesium, and other essential minerals. Calcium is nature’s sleep aid. Take it just before bedtime. It is absorbed well at that time and will relax you. In addition, calcium regulates your heartbeat and is essential for proper muscle function, bone health, and blood clotting.

Magnesium works in synergy with calcium and has dozens of important jobs of its own to perform in the body, including regulating fluid balance in your cells and acting as a cofactor for many enzyme reactions. One of magnesium’s major roles is to strengthen and regulate the heart muscle. Diets deficient in magnesium can lead to heart spasms. In fact, some physicians are giving their patients magnesium before heart operation. Magnesium also helps relieve most types of muscle spasms.

Also remember to get your sunshine or take codliver oil. I know yuck but they have some great ones out their with lemon oil that go down perfectly with a little juice. My kids love it and if they can do it so can you.

What to take: A multiple mineral mix of 400 to 600 mg calcium (citrate, lactate or gluconate), 200 to 300 mg magnesium (citrate or gluconate), twice daily.

Much Love and Peace
Katynkatyrickman.com

Curried Lentil and Spinach Soup

Serves 4 as a main dish at 536 calories with 279mg calcium 209 mg magnesium and a whopping 38 grams of fiber (watch out if your not used to this much fiber) as well as 34 grams of protein. This is a strongly anti- inflammatory food with folate and beta-carotene. Personally, I like it as a snack on cold days between meals and divide it into 8 serving and freeze them for later.

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped onio

1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped peeled carrots
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon curry powder (preferably Madras-style)
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginge
1 teaspoon ground cumi

1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red peppe
9 1/2 cups (or more) wate
1 16-ounce bag dried lentils (about 2 1/2 cups)
2 6-ounce bag baby spinach leavesn optionaln½ cup chopped cilantro (added with spinach)n½ cup plain nonfat yogurt

Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add next 4 ingredients; sauté until golden, about 10 minutes. Stir in curry powder, ginger, cumin, bay leaf, and dried crushed red pepper. Add 9 1/2 cups water and dried lentils; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered until lentils are tender, adding more water by 1/2 cupfuls to thin soup, if desired, about 25 minutes. Add spinach; simmer until spinach is wilted, about 5 minutes. Season soup with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Chill soup uncovered until cold, then cover and keep refrigerated. Re-warm soup over medium heat, thinning with water if desired before serving.)
Ladle soup into bowls. Top each serving with spoonful of yogurt.