by Vitamin D Council

Michael Holick, MD, PhD, and colleagues from the Boston University School of Medicine report that eating mushrooms with vitamin D2 can be as effective at increasing vitamin D status as taking vitamin D2 or D3.

The researchers randomized 30 healthy adults to take either 2000 IU capsules of traditionally-made vitamin D2, 2000 IU vitamin D3 or 2000 IU of vitamin D2 made from irradiated mushrooms. The mushrooms were then finely chopped and placed in capsules. The participants supplemented once daily for 12 weeks during winter months.

The authors found that baseline 25(OH)D levels were not significantly different among the different supplementation groups. Vitamin D status among the 3 groups gradually increased for 7 weeks when levels plateaued and remained stable for the remaining 5 weeks.

"These results provide evidence that ingesting mushrooms which have been exposed to ultraviolet light and contain vitamin D2, are a good source of vitamin D that can improve the vitamin D status of healthy adults. Furthermore we found ingesting mushrooms containing vitamin D2 was as effective in raising and maintaining a healthy adult’s vitamin D status as ingesting a supplement that contained either vitamin D2 or vitamin D3," said Dr Holick.

The authors also report that they were able to determine how mushrooms make vitamin D2. They explain that the process is fairly similar to what occurs in human skin after sun exposure. They also report that mushrooms have the ability to produce not only vitamin D2, but also vitamin D3 and D4.

Note that despite these findings, the Vitamin D Council still recommends use of vitamin D3 over vitamin D2.

Source

Directions:

In a 12-inch sauté pan, heat the oil over medium heat until just smoking. Add the nectarine slices and sauté for 2 minutes, or until just softened. Add the black pepper and toss to mix well. Transfer the nectarines to a strainer, set the strainer on a plate to catch the juices, and allow to cool.

Preheat the oven to 325 F. (160 deg C)

Brush melted butter over the bottom and sides of a 3-inch-deep 9-inch springform pan. Place a round of parchment paper on the bottom of the pan.

In a small bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, the 8 tablespoons melted butter, and 1 tablespoon sugar. Stir together thoroughly. Press the mixture over the bottom of the parchment-lined pan.

In a heavy-duty mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the mascarpone on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add the cream cheese, ricotta and remaining 1 cup sugar, and mix on low speed for 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and mix on medium speed for 2 minutes.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the almond extract, eggs and heavy cream.

With the mixer on low speed, slowly pout in the liquid mixture, stopping and scraping the bowl two or three times to incorporate all the ingredients. Using a spatula, gently stir in the drained nectarines (reserve the drained liquid in a small bowl) until completely combined. Pour the mixture into the springform pan.

Prepare a water bath by filling a broiler pan or a baking dish halfway with hot tap water. Place the pan in the oven.

Cover the bottom of the springform pan with foil and set it into the water bath. Bake for 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours, until the cheesecake is set but still has a little wobble in the center.

Turn the oven off, open the oven door, and allow the cheesecake to stand in the turned-off oven for 30 minutes. Then remove the springform from the water bath, place it in the refrigerator, and chill for 3 hours.

Shortly before serving, pour the reserved drained nectarine liquid into a small saucepan, and reduce it slowly over low heat until syrupy.

Remove the springform pan sides and transfer the cheesecake to a platter. Slice it with a hot knife (warm it under hot running water, dry it, and slice), and serve each slice with a drizzle of the nectarine syrup.

by Dr. James Dobson, Family Talk

Do you ever wonder what your spouse needs most from you?

Each of us has a heartfelt need to be honored and respected. All too often, however, we take our spouses for granted at home. Is it any wonder that so many mothers hold down jobs in the workplace today? Many work for financial reasons, but some do so to find the recognition and praise they don't get from their mates. Could this also be why many men spend excessive hours at work–to receive from colleagues the accolades that they don't get at home?

Your spouse is a jack-of-all-trades who brings a host of skills to your marriage: provider, short-order cook, nurse, counselor, financial planner, gardener, arbiter of sibling disputes, spiritual leader, comforter. We encourage you to show your appreciation for these talents and services. Tell your wife how much you enjoy her cooking. Send your husband to work with a note praising him for his good judgment with the family budget. In front of guests, compliment her taste in home decor and his wise guidance of the children.

If we don't make our mate feel honored and respected, we may find our spouse looking for recognition somewhere else.

Just between us ...

• What couple do we know who is an example to us of honoring each other?
• Do we honor each other well?
• What opportunities to bestow honor have we missed?

Heavenly Father, forgive us for any self-centeredness or lack of consideration in our marriage. Please teach us to make honoring our spouse a reflex action, not a begrudging afterthought.

by Eric Giesow

Husbands, do you ever wish that your wife came with an instruction manual of how to make her happy? Ever find yourself wishing there was a YouTube video explaining step by step how to love and cherish your wife well?

Come on fellas, let's be honest. As husbands, we've probably all had those "I just don't understand my wife" moments. And no matter how great your marriage is right now, the truth is we can always improve how we show love and affection to our wives.

Many times you may be asking the question: "What did I do wrong?" But what if the problem isn't something you did, but something you didn't do? Sometimes it is what is lacking that causes the biggest issues.

This one is for all the husbands who want to have a better marriage. So whether this is a good refresher for some of you, or totally new news for others, here are five things you're not doing for your wife (and should be):

1. Continuing to pursue her

After the wedding day has come and gone, the honeymoon is in the books, and you have settled into "real life" together, remember to keep pursuing your wife. It is helpful to realize that men are more achievement focused whereas women are more relationship focused. As husbands, we can't view marrying our bride as the crowning achievement of the dating season and then just stop wooing her. The last thing you want to convey to your wife is that your romantic efforts during dating were solely to get her to marry you.

Your wife desires for you to be captivated by her and pursue her for life. She wants to know that she is a beauty worth pursuing, not someone who has been pursued, "conquered," and is now common and ordinary. This means you must do the things that won her heart to keep her heart. Be intentional to make sure the little romantic gestures continue long after the altar. Plan surprise date nights. Buy her "just because" flowers. Write tender and loving notes/cards. If we want our marriage to be healthy and growing, then we must continue to date and pursue our wife.

2. Really listening to her

You might be like: "Sweet, I definitely do this one!" But what I mean when I say really listen is to actively listen to your wife. There is a difference between acknowledging that your wife is talking and actually hearing and understanding. To actively listen means to repeat back to her what you hear her saying. Empathize and validate her feelings. Be patient to let her finish sharing her feelings before you butt in. Usually, your wife doesn't want you to fix a problem (like husbands are quick to do), she just wants to be heard and understood.

To actively listen better, I've found it helpful to eliminate as distractions as possible. To do this, put your phone out of sight, turn off the TV, face each other, and lean into the conversation. Truly listening to your wife is a way to value and respect her.

3. Really talking to her

Yes, that's right, I said talk to her. The kind of "talking" I am referring to is more than just the exchange of information with your wife. It's way deeper than that. Husband's, whether we like it or not, our wives desire for us to talk and share things from the heart with them. And since this kind of communication doesn't normally come naturally to men, it takes some time and intentional effort to get good at this kind of talking.

I've found that my wife doesn't just want to know what I'm doing but she is more interested in how I'm doing. So instead of just always reporting the facts to your wife and leaving it at that, strive for deeper conversation. Open up to your wife and let her know how you are feeling, what you are happy about, what is frustrating you, etc. Don't forget to ask your wife the same questions in return and watch your conversation go to a whole new level.

4. Praying for her

If you aren't praying for your wife, then who is? As the husband, we can't leave praying for our wives up to anyone else, because it most likely won't happen. We are called to love, cherish and protect our wives and praying for them is one of the greatest ways to do that.

After that deep, intimate conversation that we mentioned in point #3, offer to pray with her in person about whatever is on her heart. When you're not together, pray for her on your commute to work, on your lunch break, when you're at the gym, or every morning or evening. Pray for grace in the busy seasons, wisdom when she doesn't know what to do, and patience when the kids are about to drive her crazy. It's amazing the level of intimacy praying for wife adds to your marriage.

5. Telling her you love her and that she's beautiful

Your wife needs to hear you say "I love you" often. I mean a lot. Providing for her, protecting her, and doing nice things for her are kind and a way to say "I love you", but nothing cherishes your wife like you saying it (and meaning it). And to add to that, she really loves when you tell her she's beautiful. Your wife desires to know that you are thinking about her during your day and it's those unexpected, sincere "I love you's" and "you're so beautiful" that mean the most.

In the morning when you wake up or before you head out the door for work, say "I love you." When she gets dressed in the morning, say "You're beautiful." In the middle of your day, give your wife a call or text her to let her know that you were thinking of her and that you love her. Leave a card for her in a special spot saying "I love you." Before you go to bed, lean over, give her a kiss, and tell her you that's she's gorgeous and that you love her. It's really quite simple, yet can have profound results in your relationship.

You can really become a better husband if you work at it and focus on the right things. It often comes down to doing a few things you weren't already doing (or doing them better) that makes the biggest difference. So have fun stepping up and being the best husband you can be.

About The Author:

Eric Giesow empowers millennials to live well for Christ at ericanderica.org. He is also co-director of EPIC Commission College-age Discipleship Program at Valley Family Church in Kalamazoo, Mich.

by Wayne Brouwer

Scripture: Luke 1:5-25, 57-80

"Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John."
Luke 1:13

The Second World War was thundering to a close when the young soldier stepped onto the troop carrier that would carry him from the United States to Europe. Halfway across the Atlantic, word arrived that an armistice had been signed. The war with Germany was over.

Of course, the ship could not turn around; there were clean-up operations to be done in Europe. So the ship kept going, and the young man did his duty.

After his tour was over, the soldier married his sweetheart back home. It took some time to find work, but they finally found employment at a farm. Growing a family was more important to them, though, than raising crops. Unfortunately, after years of trying, they learned they were not likely to have children.

They prayed that God would trump the doctor's word. Against human odds, a healthy baby girl was born in the fifth year of their marriage. A baby boy followed, then three more girls and another boy.

The couple had a good life on the farm, but none of their six children followed them into the family business. Instead, the four daughters became teachers in Christian schools. One son wed a doctor, and together they have been active in cross-cultural mission efforts; the other son became a pastor and Bible teacher.

To this day the postwar couple shrugs when asked how it all came about. "We just begged God to give us kids," they say. "Then we learned to pray for our children every day."

I know. I'm their eldest son. And I'm only now beginning to realize how much my parents were like the infertile couple Elizabeth and Zechariah, who one day felt ecstasy as well as fear when God actually answered their prayers for a child. They could only vow to do their best and ask for God's help.

There is no magic formula for having kids, let alone having them turn out well. Many couples remain childless after years of agonizing prayer. And even miracle children, bathed in spiritual significance, carry with them no guarantees of piety. The old priest Zechariah and his wife celebrated the day of John's birth. But what did they think when their son lived like a wild man in the desert, provoking the wrath of Jewish leaders and priests with his scathing sermons and unorthodox baptisms? Were they alive when their son was imprisoned, then beheaded?

Should we stop asking for children because they bring pain into our lives? No. This story and others remind us that we live in a broken world in which we depend on one another for encouragement when the waiting is long or when children don't turn out the way we had hoped. With the help of others, and with God's encouragement and strength, we can have hope.

Let's Talk

• How do Christian couples spiritually prepare to have children? What are some requests we make of God? What happens when the waiting is long-where do we go for help?
• In what formal way do we declare that our children belong to God? How will these ceremonies be carried out? What part will our parents and friends play in them?
• What plans are we making to educate our children in the ways of the Lord? Who, besides us, is responsible for their ongoing instruction?

By Dr. Steve Sjuggerud, Timeless Wealth Ideas

My boss is the smartest guy I know...

I'm not just saying it because he signs my paychecks. Seriously, I mean it. He does things most bosses don't do. It's made him a wealthy man. And it's made many of his employees more money than they'd ever dreamed of.

I have a unique perspective here... I hired him in the late 1990s. We've known each other since we were kids. Now, rightly, he's my boss.

He worked his way up from the bottom to the top. It wasn't because of some sort of power-mad ambition. He didn't have a master plan. He simply thought of better ways to do things.

What does he do that's different? What does he do that's made him more successful at what he does in a shorter period of time than anyone else? I'll share a few of his secrets with you today...

He's not afraid to be proven wrong.

I'm not saying he likes being wrong... He's a competitor. But he won't hold stupidly to his original belief once it's been discredited.

Ever since we were kids, he's had a unique ability to lead the troops in one direction, full speed ahead... Then if he's proven wrong, he'll do an immediate about-face and lead the charge in the opposite direction.

If a business idea isn't working, cut it. Don't waste valuable time trying to make a wrong a right. Surprisingly, most smart people have a hard time with this.

In a business deal, he does an outstanding job explaining what's in it for the other guy.

In short, he doesn't talk about himself, his wants, and his needs... at all. He talks about the benefits for the guy on the other side of the table.

Like everyone, the guy on the other side of the table is selfish. When you get down to it, he really doesn't care what's in it for you. But if you can convince him you'll make him more successful at what he does, you'll get your deal.

He praises and constructively criticizes people equally.

If you're screwing up, my boss will call you out. So when the praise comes from him, everyone knows it's legitimate. It's valuable.

If you're the boss, you know constant praise without constructive criticism is useless. (Unfortunately, that's my management style. I'm too nice.)

He's friendly with "rivals."

He even gives away most of our secrets. I didn't understand this one at first. I'm sure our competitors still don't...

Why would we happily give away our secrets? Well, after spending time with us, our competitors often end up wanting to partner. That grows their business, which grows ours... And if a rival's business folds, the employees know us and try to get a job. We end up with the best talent.

You might not like the idea of inviting your rivals over to share your secrets. But it makes great sense for both sides.

(My boss says, "I don't mind giving our secrets away... They'll never execute them like we can." That is the biggest insight of all.)

He hires people smarter than him.

Wait, didn't I say he's the smartest guy I know? My friend is brilliant, yes. But he's not that organized. So he hired a man "to run the business." And when he decides to push our business into new areas, he hires the best guys he can find.

He pays his employees well – through pay incentives.

He's done a fantastic job tying his employees' pay to the jobs he needs them to do.

In my own case, he's always structured my pay in a way that should 1) increase my income and 2) push me to put my efforts behind the best opportunity he sees.

Lastly and most importantly... it's not about the money.

The money is simply one "scoreboard" of his success. A lot of it is about fun... about coming up with a business idea and seeing if it works.

If you took all his money away tomorrow and told him he had to move to a different country, pick a place where he didn't speak the language, and find a different industry, he'd make all that money back again in the same short amount of time. He'd use all his secrets... like the handful I outlined above... and he'd do it. No question about it.

Some of these secrets might sound backward at first. But if one sounds "totally wrongheaded," think long and hard about it... My boss is the smartest guy I know... and I've seen him do these things over and over again.

You should try to do the same.

by Sandra Abell

Yesterday I was talking with a client who asked my opinion about something he was dealing with. As I shared my thoughts I realized that what I was saying was something that I, also, needed to hear. His situation and mine were different, but the solution was similar. I was surprised and pleased to listen to myself and pay attention to what I had to say.

I realized that there are many times when I don't pay attention to what I know. I get so caught up in consciously thinking about and solving things that I don't allow my inner wisdom to be heard.

We all have this inner wisdom. It's our subconscious, which is often a quiet voice inside our head that seems to know a lot of things our conscious mind can't access. The inner wisdom is easy to ignore because the volume of words from our conscious mind gets in the way.

In order to access my subconscious I need to stop, be quiet, and listen to that quite voice inside my head. In today's busy, loud world this isn't easy to do. I have to focus on it.

So this month I'm reflecting on the importance of paying attention to what is in my head and comes out of my mouth. It just might be the wisdom I need to hear.

How about you?

About The Author:

Sandy is the author of 'Self-Esteem: An Inside Job'. She is an educator, speaker and a Licensed Professional Counselor. She specializes in working with executives, business owners, professionals, entrepreneurs and people in transition.