Weekly Health Quiz: Exercise, Blueberries and Magnesium

1 What is the most effective way to determine whether you might have a magnesium deficiency?

• Evaluate and track your signs of symptoms of magnesium deficiency
• Check your serum level of magnesium
• Take magnesium citrate to tolerance (until you get slightly loose bowels). If your dosage is above the RDA, you have an insufficient level of magnesium
• Check your RBC magnesium level

  Magnesium deficiency is extremely common, and even subclinical deficiency can jeopardize your cardiovascular health. Your best bet is to have an RBC magnesium test done, which measures the amount of magnesium in your red blood cells. Learn more.

2 To ensure a piece of clothing meets the highest organic, sustainable standards, look for:

• The word "organic" on the label
• WUSDA 100% organic label
• GOTS certification

  GOTS certification is the platinum standard for organic, sustainable textiles. A GOTS certified textile is tracked through every single step of the process, from farm to packaging. Learn more.

• 100% cotton

3 Air pollution can take a significant toll on your health. Which of the following may be the most hazardous in terms of regularly exposing you to poor air quality?

• Spending more than 30 hours a month in airports and planes
• Walking regularly for more than an hour in a major urban area
• Spending more than 90 percent of your time indoors

  The level of air pollution in your home can be two to five times higher than outside, and some of the pollutants you breathe can be as much as 100 times more concentrated indoors. One of the easiest ways to improve your indoor air quality is to open your windows every day. Learn more.

• Jogging through a city park next to a highway

4 Which of the following has been shown to be the most effective preventive strategy against respiratory infections such as seasonal influenza?

• Tamiflu
• Flu vaccine that is appropriately targeted for season's flu strain
• Vitamin D

  Optimizing your vitamin D level is more potent a preventive strategy than getting a seasonal flu vaccine. People with significant vitamin D deficiency may reduce their risk of respiratory infections such as influenza by 50 percent. Learn more.

• High dose vitamin C

5 The name of the antioxidant responsible for giving blueberries their colorful hue that has also been shown to protect your heart against heart attacks is:

• Beta carotene
• Anthocyanins

  Because blueberries cross-pollinate, planting multiple varieties with varying maturity dates will ensure a continuous harvest during growing season. Learn more.

• Lutein
• Resveratrol

6 Due to the loss of precious hours of this biological necessity, more than 83 million Americans are thought to suffer from:

• Diabetes
• Cancer
• Sleep deprivation

  The reality is about 1 in 3 Americans gets less than seven hours of sleep a night and more than 83 million adults in the U.S. are sleep-deprived. Learn more.

• Heart disease

7 For adults, especially those over 45, which type of exercise will provide the greatest health and fitness benefits?

• Aerobic exercise such as jogging or long-distance running
• Strength exercises such as weight lifting or bodyweight exercises

  Adults over 45 will accomplish greater health and fitness gains by building muscle than by taking up running, as the greatest health hazard of aging is not loss of aerobic capacity but loss of metabolic capacity and the metabolic flexibility that comes with lean muscle mass. Learn more.

• Whole body vibration
• Peak 8 fitness exercises