Yesterday I was in the car a lot shuffling kids here and there and actually got to listen to some news on the radio.  I don’t have any real number stats as I was unable to jot down certain information but it appears Americans aren’t taking dieting seriously or whatever we are doing is not working.

I was amazed to hear that Americans have quit smoking and they wear their seatbelts more.  Meanwhile the numbers for the clinically obese are rising.  America is still fat and getting fatter.  The fat free and sugar free isn’t working I take it.

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I bought a new couch today…it is fabulous! I actually got an L shape sectional with dark brown leather and cream microfiber. It was time. I love it. However, the boys that delivered it sure had a difficult time getting it through one of my doorways. It just wouldn’t fit. We finally had to take apart the doorway and it was just able to make it through. If I ever sell this house, the couch may have to go with it. But then again….I love the couch, so I’ll make it fit! It will just require a little remodeling on my part.

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Since we have been spending so much time talking about vitamin supplements lately, I just knew you would want to know about this latest news. It appears that the makers of the dietary supplement, Airborne, have decided to settle a class action lawsuit regarding their purported claims that their product is a cure for the common cold. In fact, the effervescent tablets are nothing more than a huge dose of Vitamin C and a few other vitamins and herbs.

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The National Institutes of Health or the NIH, announced in 2001 that the United States was suffering from a “Calcium Crisis”. It was then revealed that a mere 36.3% of boys and an astonishing 13.5% of girls between the ages of 12 and 19 were getting the RDA or recommended daily allowance of calcium. It is imperative that we understand that 90% of bone mass is established during these ages. Those numbers indicate that osteoporosis and other bone diseases will be on the rise as these kids grow up. And adults aren’t getting enough calcium either.

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Although we only need a very small amount of zinc in our diet, most people are deficient in this mineral.  It is a good idea to supplement this mineral in order to be sure that we are getting enough.  However, be careful not to take more than 150 milligrams per day as this could cause other problems, such as a weakened immune system and higher levels of LDL or bad cholesterol as well as other maladies.  It is important to remember that while a little zinc supplementation is good; taking larger amounts isn’t and can actually be quite toxic.  The recommended daily dosage for adults over 19 years of age is 40 mg per day. 

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Vitamin K is the least known member of the vitamin family, but it is also one of the most important ones that our bodies need.  This vitamin, also known as phytonadione, is essential for our blood to clot normally.  The “K” in the name of this vitamin actually comes from the word “koagulation”, which is German for clotting.  We also need vitamin K to help us to maintain healthy bones. 

The body actually only requires a very small amount of this critical vitamin.  It is usually found in multi-vitamins, calcium supplements and any bone health formulas.  This vitamin is fat-soluble, which means that the body will absorb it best if taken with a fatty food.  This could simply mean a little dressing on a spinach salad.   

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This will either be really great news, or a nasty shock.  Recent studies are pointing to the idea of our personal diet and fitness routines (as well as our physiques, and our perception of what’s “okay”) are hugely influenced by the people we spend the most time with on an intimate level.

 It’s no surprise that getting into shape with a friend is way more likely to be effective than doing it on your own, but the concept of your day-to-day maintenance being influenced by your gang could shed some light on body changes and habits as your social circle grows, shrinks, and fluctuates in various ways.

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One of the main reasons we are covering the different vitamins and minerals is because as dieter’s we sometimes do not get enough of these in our food sources.  It is important to make sure that we have a good supplement in order to receive the things that our bodies need in order to be healthy.   

One of the vitamins that we are sure to fall short on during a diet is vitamin D.  The food sources of this vitamin are usually found in the very foods we are trying to avoid as we lose weight.  These foods are: 

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Grandma knew what she was talking about when she told you to take your Vitamin C supplements.  In fact, Vitamin C or ascorbic acid is one of the most popular dietary supplements in the world.  Linus Pauling, a biochemist and two time Nobel Prize winner, believed that a deficiency in this vitamin was the main cause of cardiovascular disease.  He also strongly believed that it could cure a whole host of ailments including the common cold. 

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I will be honest…I love the B vitamins!  They do so much for our bodies and help us to function better and become healthier.  I remember that while growing up that I used to hate it when my mom would tell me to take a B-complex vitamin.  This was usually after I had demonstrated an adolescent snit.  However, I have grown up a bit and I now recognize that my mom was right!  The B vitamins are fabulous and help us in so many ways.  A good B-complex vitamin contains 8 different B vitamins and does the work of a small army in helping us to be healthy.  So what are some of the different B’s that we need? 

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