Yes, magnesium is most certainly beneficial, IMHO. I'm someone who loves dairy, but I'm trying to eat less of it. Too much dairy, most especially cow's milk, is really not good for us. I can post the info on that if you're interested. I have quite a bit of info on magnesium in my blog. Hope it's helpful to some. You can do a search there. I also have some info on osteoporosis, but not as much as I'd like. Next up on my list is to start posting on all that. I honestly don't claim to know it all :001_huh:. I'm learning as I go, just like the rest of us. :)

Self: Bikini Ready Fast – Ellen Barrett - like this one - I've liked every Ellen Barrett DVD so far. :) This DVD had a tiny bit of Pilates in the end, which I'm liking more and more. Thought to share this: “I must be right. Never an aspirin. Never injured a day in my life. The whole country, the whole world, should be doing my exercises. They'd be happier." -- Joseph Hubertus Pilates, in 1965, age 86.

I'm 44.

Wish you were here. :grouphug: Yes, me too. :) Thank you. May add it to my wish list. I loved the author's very engaging writing style in Nothing to Envy. I seldom find a non-fiction book, particularly of a depressing nature, that I like so much. :lol: :lol: :lol: Stacia, that Leonardo is really quite something :D. Karin, I couldn't agree with you more. My parents, in their 70s and 80s, have eaten lots of fruits and veggies all their lives, but especially fruits. They're so healthy for their age. I agree also on the whole pH thing. I believe in that far more than what Taubes says, not that I'm being very good these days, but I am starting to try a bit more once again. And yes, I have read about the whole pH thing and osteoporosis as well as a whole host of other health issues. Also agreeing on the confusion about the inconsistency in the foods list. Yes. So true.

These are all great. Thank you everyone. Copying and pasting and will be trying them out slowly (or maybe not so slowly :D). Can't wait!

Yes. One of the things that doesn't agree with me is the whole minimal fruit thing, but it's okay to load up on stuff like ham and bacon. :confused: I totally disagree with that. It goes against everything I believe in. I like ham and bacon just fine, but if anyone tries to tell me that they're healthier than fruit, etc. ... well, I just won't participate in that dialogue. When I first read this book, I really loved it. But now, a few months later, some of the points he raises really doesn't agree with me. I'm more into all things in moderation. Even doing that is not always easy, however. :lol: I've heard about this. Is it very depressing? I can't handle too depressing. :grouphug: Rosie, the one I read is not an introductory Baha'i book and really not geared for newbies to the Faith. It's very overwhelming and mostly history. It's The Child of the Covenant. There are lots of others that are more suitable for those who are new to the Faith. Some of these are ones that I've liked a lot. By the way, I've met several Baha'is from Australia over the years. They seem to have a fairly large community and their books are superb. I've never, ever been disappointed by a Baha'i book from Australia. In fact, the kids and I are reading a fabulous one in school every morning. Not that it's anywhere near you, but you probably are aware that there's a Baha'i House of Worship outside Sydney. Stacia, thank you :grouphug:. I've missed you so much and I miss having time to post on this thread. Is a doona the same thing as a comforter/continental quilt/duvet? I love the word doona! :D I would so love to visit the southern hemisphere someday - most especially Australia. :) I wish airfares were a non-issue.

Rebounding

Kelli, yes, I have the Atkins book also. By the time it arrived here and ever since, merely looking at it gets me annoyed. :lol: No diets for me for now. I'm having fun baking and cooking and just enjoying life. I really don't care for now. :tongue_smilie: Thanks for your sweet words re: my avatar :grouphug:. I love Lisbeth Salander. :D

I'm coming to the end of very, very long and extremely deep, as in make-you-think very deep, Baha'i book. Since I'm probably the only Baha'i on this thread, I won't bother sharing the title. After this, catching up on some National Geographics before heading back into fiction. My reading has been slow, but I think it's also to do with the heavy subject matter. When I read this book a few months ago, I loved it. Now, after a few minor efforts and considerable thought, something about it doesn't feel right with me with me either. I've just had it with diet books and dieting altogether. :tongue_smilie: I'm glad you've posted again, Shawne. We seem to have similar taste in books. :) I'd been thinking about you and missed hearing from you. This is on my book pile to read hopefully soon.

All because of this article yesterday, I feel ever so nostalgic and long for my British upbringing and trifles galore :D. Love a good trifle. Had a dear friend who used to make the absolute best trifles ever. If you have a great trifle recipe, please share. I hope to start making them very soon. Here's one I found on pinterest. And here's another one. I love tiramisu.

Stott Pilates

Probiotics help a lot also. That, as well as eating probiotic-rich foods - plain yogurt, etc; and fruits.

I apply almond oil to my face a few times a week and leave it on for about 30 minutes or longer. Then I rinse off with ice cold water. Feels wonderful. I don't wear make up and don't do much as far as cleansing goes, other than washing in the shower and exfoliating a few times a week.

This looks good. Thank you for sharing. Sandra, I've heard this also. The only thing is that I've read that vitamin K is usually best absorbed from food - leafy greens, etc. Off to read more on this. Liz, love your siggy quote, btw. :D And yes, I agree with Dr. Dean. Magnesium is much, much more important than calcium. Most of us are magnesium-deficient.

Ellen Barrett: Pick Your Level - Weight Loss Pilates - this was a good one. I like Ellen's DVDs a lot so far. :) This was me today. I seldom do Pilates. As someone mentioned on the Video Fitness forums, Pilates often tends to be the red-headed step-child when it comes to workouts these days :lol: :tongue_smilie:. Well, that's true for me anyway. As far as variety goes, I need it. I get bored of the same old, same old. I frist read about the benefits of variety when I was a teenager in a magazine, back in the early '80s. I'm constantly re-adjusting my workout plans and lists. It's almost like an OCD full-time job. :lol: Great job! :D

Dailey Method - two workouts in this DVD - I only got to do the Express one and really liked it. This looks like a really interesting thread :). I hope to have time to read it later.

Thank you, as always, for starting this thread and thank you so much for encouraging us all. :grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug: Aerobics today.

Rebounding Thank you so much for this. I'm thinking of the 5 day/2 day plan. I just read about something similar the other day.

Will be going for a swim within the next hour or so. This is so interesting and something I've been thinking about for a few years. I used to run almost every day and mix it up with things like swimming, stretching, yoga, light weights, etc. I really, really, really miss running. I can't do it anymore because of my knees. Please share the names of the books you've been reading. The 5-week rule is interesting and one I've never heard of before. I try to incorporate variety by making lists. I'm a bit crazy and OCD about it all, however. :lol: I keep readjusting the lists. Seems like I spend more time making lists than actually doing the workouts. :tongue_smilie: I remember my former yoga instructor saying how she's seen athletes come to her class who were so inflexible. We talked about overall fitness. It's not just being able to run marathons or swim or do triathlons, fitness is being well-rounded in all areas - cardio, flexibility, strength, etc. I've read that time and time again. I love this topic. :D

Callanetics: 10 Hour Challenge

Seane Corne: Vinyasa Flow Yoga - not my favorite yoga DVD - far too many Downward Dogs and Sun Salutation sort of thing :rolleyes:. :grouphug: Wow, Cynthia. So very sorry. :grouphug: Thinking of you and praying for you. :grouphug:

Classical Stretch - did a few 25-minute workouts. I'm trying really, really hard to like these, but so far, they're just bleh ... I'm trying to have an open mind and see if they're beneficial. Hope you had fun. :) :grouphug: So glad to hear that you like it. :grouphug: Which Bar Methods do you have? I have most, but if you have any that I don't have, I may be interested. What DVD are you interested in buying? :grouphug: Really hope not. Thinking of you and praying for you. :grouphug:

:lol: That's too funny. :lol: I'm Iranian, btw. I speak if fluently. But as far as reading goes, just barely. :D

Thank you for sharing this. I've heard this before. After years and years of taking calcium, and the wrong type of calcium too, may I add, I've changed my approach. Here's other stuff I've read. While for years doctors have been recommending dietary calcium as the best way to ward off osteoporosis, many studies cast doubt on this idea. For example, a 2003 Harvard study looked at diet and hip fractures among 72,337 older women for 18 years and concluded that "Neither milk nor a high-calcium diet appears to reduce (fracture) risk." A more recent Harvard study, this one from 2007, analyzed seven trials that followed a total of 170,991 women for several years and found no association between total calcium intake and hip fracture risk. The truth is that calcium isn't all it's cracked up to be when it comes to bone health. After all, in Africa and Asia, where people generally don't take calcium supplements and they consume little or no dairy (except for breastfed infants), fracture rates are 50 to 70 percent lower than they are in the US. Statistics show that most industrially advanced countries have the highest fracture rates, although they consume more dairy products than other countries. Excessive amounts of calcium from supplementation and/or dairy intake can suppress the thyroid gland. Without enough magnesium, the calcium you take will not be absorbed. Unabsorbed calcium that is not excreted (and most isn’t) gets into your joints where it becomes arthritis or in your arteries where it becomes atherosclerosis. Taking more magnesium can prevent your blood vessels from calcifying and developing into atherosclerosis. More illnesses are caused by a need for magnesium than for calcium. Arthritis and joint pain are caused by excessive calcium and insufficient magnesium. Too much calcium and not enough magnesium contributes to arthritis. It causes stiffness, because calcium causes muscles to contract. Magnesium, on the other hand, causes muscles to relax. Most supplements already contain more calcium than magnesium. When you take additional calcium supplementation, you upset the calcium/magnesium balance even more. This causes more contraction than relaxation. Magnesium helps calcium get into your bones. Unabsorbed calcium doesn’t just “go away. “ It gets stores in joints and becomes arthritis, or in arteries where it contributes to atherosclerosis. If you have arthritis, don’t overdo calcium either in supplements or in your diet. Some people with chronic fatigue have diets that are very high in calcium and low in magnesium. Once they increase their magnesium (beans, whole grains, green vegetables) and eliminate dairy products (worth trying for at least 2 weeks), their symptoms are greatly lessened. You may very well need more magnesium. Magnesium is one of the best nutrients – if not, the best – both for energy production and pain control. Everyone who has CFIDS or fibromyalgia – or even general fatigue – should try increasing their magnesium before turning to more expensive remedies. While magnesium won’t eliminate fibromyalgia completely, it often plays a major role in improving energy, reducing pain, and lessening other symptoms. I have more info, but don't want to overwhelm.