Resources for Better Nutrition (02)

Calcium Supplements: Should You Take One?
Do you need to take a calcium supplement to make sure that you’re getting enough of this vital mineral on your diet? You probably don't need a general vitamin-mineral supplement if you are eating a reasonably varied diet most of the time, aren't restricting calories to lost weight, and generally don't skip meals, this article states, from the University of Rochester Medical Center Health Encyclopedia. Because many people do not get a lot of calcium, people should eat a good diet and try a supplement. Calcium supplements are better absorbed from the intestine in the presence of lactose (the sugar of milk) and protein, the article says. Taking the calcium supplement with a glass of milk is ideal to get the max amount of calcium. After calcium is absorbed into your bloodstream, your bones will take up the calcium better in the presence of vitamin D.

Nutrition from Plants: The Basics
This site is from the Institute for Plant Based Nutrition, and it exists to educate people about the kind of nutrition we can get from plants, such as nuts, breads, fruits and vegetables. It includes resources that offer nutritional guidelines, links to other plant-based information, and a demonstration of the site owner’s garden project. It shows pictures of gardens and how people can eat the food that they grow at home.

Food, Nutrition & Health from UNL
The University of Nebraska-Lincoln's Lancaster Country Extenstion has a Food, Nutrition & Health website billed as timely & easy-to-understand research-based food information for use in your daily life. The extension provides a lot of information on nutrition and healthy food, meat products, weight management, healthy eating basic at various life stages, food safety and food allergies, as well as practical information on home food preservation (canning, freezing and drying) and a Recipe Central for nutritious recipes and how-to cooking tips. The site offers PowerPoint slide presentations, fact sheets and other educational materials. It also provides current food news and local events held by UNL (e.g., Control Diabetes for Life, as well as newsletters, blogs, podcasts, apps and social media.

Nutrition Facts and Calorie Counter: A Healthy Combo
Here’s a neat place online where you can analyze any food, compare foods and find out the nutritional content in food. You can also estimate your daily nutritional needs, track your daily food consumption, improve your recipes and even generate custom nutritional fact labels. There is also a free newsletter, and a side bar with the nutritional information from various national chain restaurants, such as Starbucks, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and Burger King.