Vitamin D plays a major role in your body's hormone system. One of the most important health habits you can have is to make certain you have sufficient levels of this incredibly important nutrient.

Folks, it is summer in the northern hemisphere and if you don't have a tan yet I would encourage you to change your lifestyle so you can get one.

I get to work before 5 a.m. and leave around 2-3 p.m. so I can get outside and read or exercise. Then I go back to work. Actually, I am getting a bit tired of putting in 80- to 100-hour work weeks, which I've been doing for the last 25 years, but hopefully will be able to cut back soon (one of my goals for 2005).

Anyway, you should realize by now that regular sun exposure can not only help prevent PMS, it may save your life.

As for calcium, it certainly has been given a prominent role in the media. It clearly plays a valuable role in your health. What is unfortunate, however, is that the wrong message is being dispensed regarding the best sources of this important mineral.

Please be aware that pasteurized dairy and non-fermented soy products are some of the worst foods you can eat, and are both exceedingly poor choices for calcium sources. If your body can tolerate it, I believe raw milk is the single best source of calcium you can get, and an outstanding source of a variety of additional nutrients. Of course, human breast milk would be best, but cow, sheep or goat milk will also work well.

If you want to start drinking raw milk, I recommend finding an authentic raw-milk source, where the cows are pasture-fed, in your area. This will help ensure you are getting a clean source of milk, with the highest nutrient levels it can have.

If you are unable to find a local dairy farmer in your area who sells raw milk, I encourage you to visit the Real Milk site to locate a source close to you.

Also, if you cannot tolerate milk in any form, dark green, leafy vegetables are another excellent source of calcium to consider instead of supplements. Before eating a lot of them, however, it is important to figure out your nutritional type, as high amounts of green vegetables can be detrimental to protein types.

Gary Craig’s Comment:

As Dr. Mercola indicates above, dietary factors (including vitamin D from sunshine) can be a material aid to relieving PMS. Interestingly, the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) has also produced impressive results with PMS and the related problem of excessive menstrual cramps; however, it addresses these problems from an emotional, rather than a dietary angle.

Please note the PMS symptoms listed in the above article--anxiety, loneliness, irritability, tearfulness and tension--are clearly emotional issues; and while they may have a physical cause, such symptoms are among issues EFT has been found to handle quite efficiently. Other PMS symptoms listed in the National Women's Health Information Center include fatigue, sleeping problems, upset stomach, headache, joint and muscle pains and depression--all issues for which EFT has had success.

To me, every woman who deals with PMS should do a few minutes of EFT at the onset of the symptoms. Properly done, at least 50 percent of those with only beginner's EFT training should experience some clear improvements. Additionally , those with more sophisticated training could raise that success ratio to 80 percent or more.

Note: Those without an EFT background can receive an orientation by getting the free EFT Get Started Package, including a free download of the 79-page EFT Manual (it includes all the basics). Those wishing to save time and dive right in can get our very affordable training videos.

Gary Craig is a pioneering developer of EFT, a profoundly effective emotional/mental healing approach. Dr. Mercola attributes much of the incredible and permanent patient successes at his clinic, The Optimal Wellness Center, to the fact that EFT is used with every patient to address all three levels of healing: mind, body and spirit. Of the thousands of natural treatments Dr. Mercola has studied and used in his 20 years of practicing medicine, he feels that EFT is the greatest healing technique that exists. Read more about Gary Craig's EFT Course.

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