Nutrition

Top Nutrition Tip No. 6 - Meals: What, When and How

2011-10-11T04:14:00.000-07:00

I strongly recommend cooking your own meals versus take-out and pre-packaged meals. This may not always be possible given various lifestyle issues. However, when you cook your own food you know what is in your food. If you can't cook, check out your local bookstore and browse the cookbooks for something with pictures that are geared to the 'new' cook and offer simple, easy-to-follow recipes. You can also enrol in a cooking class at your local college.

When to Eat

Eat five to six smaller, balanced meals throughout the day. Be it meals or snacks, the key is balance - an adequate balance of protein, healthy fat and carbohydrate to fuel the body and maintain a healthy and steady level of insulin. If you are eating to lose body fat you may choose to eat your starchy carbohydrates over the first three meals of the day.

If you want to gain muscle you need to eat five to six meals per day. If you want a lot of muscle you need to eat every two to three hours, up to eight times per day.

The saying, 'don't snack between meals', does not apply if you are trying to manage your weight. The best way to lose body fat or maintain your body weight is to eat many small healthy meals throughout the day. By making smarter choices about the types of foods you choose to eat, you will have a healthier body weight and better insulin control. Some healthy snack food examples are: fruits and vegetables, lean meats and fish, whole grains, nuts and seeds. These foods are filling and satisfying, making it easy to naturally control portion sizes. They are also perfect for providing a slow and sustained release of energy, thus keeping your insulin more stable.

Eating in this way elevates your metabolism (the energy cost of digestion), which results in burning more body fat and excess calories.

Meal Planning and Preparation

'Life works best when you design it on paper first.'

Take a cooking class if you don't know how to cook. If you work Monday to Friday, why not cook your Monday to Friday meals on Sunday? Use the whole stove, inside and the top-side to cook in bulk. Store your meals in the fridge and freezer for the week.

Do your grocery shopping in bulk to prepare for your 'Sunday cook-off'. For example (for one person), cook 4-6 chicken breasts, two pounds of steak, and maybe another meat in the oven. Cook up 2-4 cups of whole grain brown rice, and throw four to six large sweet potatoes in the oven to cook everything at the same time. Chop up lots of veggies to eat raw during the week or steam the vegetables. Put everything in containers in the fridge and freezer. Depending on how proficient you are in the kitchen, if you keep to simple cooking you will be done in two to three hours tops!

Staple Items

The staple items listed in Tip #5 are so important since you will use these in the preparation of your bulk cooking or on the days you pack up your meals for work or to eat right then and there. Staples are useful because they help provide variety in flavour, while allowing you to bulk cook on one day and keep your preparation time to a minimum. Think of your bulk cooking as the 'foundation' to build upon.

For example, lets say you have four chicken breasts that were cooked in the oven. They may have been dry roasted, cooked in a cast iron pan with salt, pepper, spices and olive oil or in a tomato sauce. Here are three ways you can serve the chicken breasts:

• Sliced thin for a salad (field greens, spinach and tomato, etc.) with an oil and vinegar (or use lemon or lime juice) dressing;

• Reheat a breast along side a vegetable and a starch;

• Sliced up and reheated in a pan with a healthy sauce and served over a bed of rice or vegetables.

Cookware

Cast iron pans, 18/10 quality stainless steel pots, roasting pan with drip grill, ceramic oven ware, spatulas (wooden and rubber), metal flipper, tongs, whisk, hand juicer, peeler, corkscrew, 'potato masher', grater, heavy wooden cutting boards (one small and one large).

When it comes to knives I suggest you invest in high quality knives: a 9-12" chef knife, a paring knife, a boning knife if you are going to do a lot of de-boning (I prefer to buy boneless meat) and a serrated bread knife. Cheap knives only make meal preparation frustrating.

Storage Containers

Tupperware or similar fridge and freezer-safe containers of various sizes. Be sure not to use these containers in a microwave unless the containers have a 'microwave-safe' label.

Daily Preparation

If you don't work from home, pack up 2-3 meals and snacks from what you have prepared above. Make a healthy sandwich to eat with some raw vegetables or fruit. Pack, or have at the office, healthy meal replacement bars and shakes as an alternative. Having meal replacement shakes and bars on hand at the office, in your car or carry bag, may be your saving grace instead of having to run out and buy junk food or an unhealthy snack.

What Is a Centrifugal Juicer?

2011-10-09T04:13:00.000-07:00

Generally speaking, a centrifugal juicer is typified by an extremely fast-spinning and powerful motor. It is how it chops or grinds the vegetables and fruits into smaller pieces, so a large amount of juice can be extracted. The centrifugal juicer is subdivided further into two types.

Non-Ejection

The non-ejection centrifugal juicer stores the pulp while the process of juicing is carried out, which compels you to stop at some point during the process to get rid of them. If this is not done, the juicer will not work as effectively as before or the pulp will get mixed in with the juice. This could prove to be quite time consuming.

The positive aspect, it is not very noisy and the motor has the capacity of working at very high speed so that you will be able to produce a large amount of juice in just a few seconds.

Self-Ejection

The automatic centrifugal juicer self-ejects the pulp out of the vegetables and fruits, so it does not get mixed in with the drink you are making. You will be aware whether or not it is self-ejecting by the existence of a little basket that is slanted close to the section of the juicer where the ejection takes place. A container which contains the pulp is connected to the basket.

A great thing of this mechanism is that when the juicer has to be clean of the pulp, all that you will need to do is take out the container and simply clean it under fresh water. There is absolutely no need to stop juicing, in order to get a spatula or another utensil to and clean the inside. One negative aspect is that it can get rather noisy.

The Benefits Of A Centrifugal Juicer

For a number of reasons, the centrifugal juicer is called the newbies' juicer. They reasons include:

Affordability

The majority of the least expensive juicers on the market are centrifugal. Perhaps this is because the accessories and parts requirements are extremely simple. In addition, there are a large number of them; therefore, competitive brands have to lower the price in order to gain the attention of their potential and existing customers.

Availability

A centrifugal juicer can be found anywhere, both online and offline. There are a number of designs as well as brands from which to choose. They are available in wide assortment of colors and finishes, from white and black to chrome and stainless steel. In addition, they offer a quantity of optional accessories and parts to make juicing more motivating and fun.

5 Foods That Will Put Your Testosterone On Overdrive!

2011-10-05T04:11:00.000-07:00

Testosterone is an essential hormone to have if you intend to build a lot of lean muscle. Numerous males suffer from low levels of testosterone and high levels of estrogen due to smoking, stress and most importantly, a poor diet. This is especially true for men who are older because not only do they have a lifetime of bad habits, but their age diminishes the testosterone levels in their body.

The result of a decrease in testosterone isn't just a loss of mass; it includes a loss of muscle strength, erectile dysfunction, lack of libido, depression, and weight gain. It's tremendously important to eat foods that are higher in zinc and B vitamins and below I will show you 5 foods that will rev up your testosterone levels to unbelievable highs.

Eggs

Eggs are rich in protein and cholesterol. Now I know most of you reading this believe that cholesterol is a bad thing; however, testosterone is synthesized from cholesterol and thus is essential to build high levels of this muscle-building hormone. In addition, eggs provide you with a rich source of protein and vitamins B5 and B6. Some people will take out the yolk and eat just the egg whites; however, eating the yolk is essential in ensuring that you get all of the nutrients in the egg.

Raw Oysters

Oysters contain an insane amount of protein, magnesium and importantly, zinc. They are so full of zinc that only six oysters will give you seven times the recommended daily amount. The raise in testosterone will, not only, help with the increase of muscle strength and mass building, but it will also increase your libido and sperm count.

Red Meat

Along with oysters, red meat also contains very high levels of zinc and protein. However, not only are the zinc and proteins levels high but, they come in a form that is much faster and easier to absorb by the body. It should also be noted that red meat is also high in saturated fat, therefore, it is good to have it a few times a week but it should not be eaten every day.

Brazil Nuts

Brazil nuts are packed with selenium, which has been proven to increase a man's testosterone production. The really good thing about Brazil nuts is that you only have to have 1 or 2 in order to boost your selenium levels and thus increase testosterone levels. However, it is also important to note that the concentration of selenium found in Brazil nuts varies depending on what type of soil they were grown in. If the soil itself was rich in selenium the Brazil nuts will also be rich in the trace mineral. For example, nuts that grow in Manaus - Belem will have, approximately, selenium levels which are ten times higher than those that are grown in Acre - Rondia.

Garlic

Garlic contains allicin which is a compound that has been found to enhance testosterone levels. The research supporting this theory suggests that garlic stimulates the release of luteinizing hormone, which increases the circulation of testosterone.

Traditional Foods In The Prasouda Diet

2011-09-13T04:10:00.000-07:00

The Mediterranean Diet contains lots of foods grown in and around the Mediterranean Sea; however, in today's contemporary society they are readily available almost everywhere. They comprise:

1. Grains, Fruits and Vegetables
Many of these should be consumed at practically every meal, seeing as they deliver important vitamins, minerals, energy, antioxidants, and fiber. Each of these things lead to excellent health and weight management in managed amounts.

2. Olives, and Olive Oil
Olives and olive oil usually are an essential aspect of the Mediterranean Diet. The Olives are frequently eaten whole and the Olive Oil is typically used to either cook with or to season things like salads. The fat provider of this kind of diet is also typically consumed with the particular use of olive oil within the cooking and the dressing of salads. Usually the perfect olive oil is undoubtedly extra virgin olive oil since it is highest in health-supporting fats, phytonutrients and other important micronutrients.

3. Nuts, Beans, Legumes and Seeds
Many of these happen to be all fantastic sources of nutritious fats, proteins, and fibers. They are able to indeed be eaten on their very own or even added to many different dishes to help enhance flavour, or maybe visual appeal to the dish.

4. Herbs and Spices
Herbs and Spices are generally utilised very regularly in the Mediterranean Diet and are outstanding simply because they add tons of flavour, and reduce the need to include things like salt to improve the flavour. The awesome thing about herbs and spices is that they not only strengthen the flavour of the dishes, they encourage healthy antioxidants of which are terrific for maintaining a healthy life-style.

5. Cheese and Yoghurt
Cheese and yoghurt are usually eaten very commonly in the Prasouda Diet, even so they are eaten in managed amounts. Cheese and yoghurt are great sources of calcium which often helps to retain healthy bone framework and heart health. Even though people could be worried that eating too much cheese and yoghurt might lead to undesirable implications simply because of the relatively higher intake of dairy products generally there are generally lower fat alternatives which in turn relieve these worries.

6. Fish and Shellfish
Fish and shellfish deliver the key sources of protein for this kind of diet. The favorite fish eaten throughout this diet contain tuna, herring, sardines, salmon, and bream which all have enormous sums of omega-3 fatty acids which will assist the heart. The shellfish inside this diet contain mussels, clams and shrimp that are typically not battered or fried like in many other countries.

7. Eggs
Eggs are actually also an excellent source of protein for this kind of diet, and could certainly be really beneficial for individuals who can't consume meat. Eggs tend to be usually used when baking foods, as opposed to frying them all.

8. Meat and Poultry
Meat and Poultry are minimal in the Prasouda Diet and the meat desired is lean meat. Poultry appears to be used a lot more in this particular diet because the meat is considerably leaner, opposed to red meat which usually can potentially contain rather large quantities of saturated fat. Meat and poultry really are outstanding sources of protein and iron.

9. Sweets
Sweets are not eaten very often in the Mediterranean Diet for clear reasons, having said that the major treats which are eaten feature fruit, gelato and sorbet.

10. Wine
With the exception of cultural morals stopping wine to be able to be consumed, wine is had pretty frequently in this particular diet, on the other hand in regulated sums of course.

11. Water
With just about any diet water is an essential part, as most of us simply could not perform the right way without it. With that mentioned water should really be drank daily to stay hydrated, keep the energy amounts up and really for an individual's general well-being.

The Effects of Animal Products From a Girl Who Loves Burgers

2011-09-08T04:08:00.000-07:00

There are few things tastier than a big juicy burger with bacon, lettuce, tomatoes, onion rings, and a sloppy sauce of some sort on top. But sometimes we have to come to terms with the things we put in our bodies; and I say 'bodies' instead of 'mouths' because your body does essentially become that burger. Let me explain.

The truth here is that life in our food is what fuels the life in our bodies. Let's start at the beginning. You are made up completely of cells. These cells die and reproduce every day, and you need energy to give those cells in order to properly reproduce. Living enzymes in raw organic plants aid in the regeneration of new living cells. Instead when we put dead foods (dead animal flesh) in our bodies it results in weak cells, thus producing a weak body.

Our bodies were made to only digest plant products rather than animal products. Raw plant source foods are loaded with fiber, and it is the fiber that keeps the food moving rapidly through our digestive tract. However when an animal food sources are consumed and is sent through the same digestive tract, problems can occur. These problems appear because animal products contain no fiber and are extremely acidic. Thus animal foods move very slowly through the digestive tract in an atmosphere of about 98.6 degrees, causing them to putrefy. This putrefied flesh causes physical health problems such as: body odor, colitis, acidosis, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, crones disease, and colon cancer. All things considered, we eat little of what we were meant to eat.

Today we put all kinds of animal products into our bodies, which are loaded with fat. Such foods contain toxins from everything the animal has eaten during its entire lifetime; not to mention the antibiotics and growth hormones that were introduced into that animal's body. Animal fat within these products accumulate in our bodies, clog our arteries, and cause the death of about 40% of the population from heart attacks and strokes each year. This is result of just a portion of horrible things we eat. I could go on about the 170 pounds of sugar we take in annually that suppresses our immune system significantly, but that's for another article. As loudly as that burger calls my name, it's the raw fruits, vegetables, and plant proteins that my body asks for.

Gluten Sensitivity?

2011-09-02T04:08:00.000-07:00

Gluten intolerance and Celiac disease have recently been getting increased attention in the health media. Issues with gluten stem from the body's inability to break down the wheat protein gliadin. Reports state that in the last 60 years the incidence of gluten intolerance and Celiac disease has more than quadrupled. So why is that? The simple answer is that our wheat has been genetically modified from it original form so much so that the body now has greater difficulty processing the new structure and lectin content. Who doesn't love genetically altered / modified Frankenstein like foods!!?

So how do you know if you have a wheat sensitivity? Common symptoms of a gluten reaction can include headache, gastrointestinal issues such as: cramping, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, mal-absorption, fatigue, mental dullness, headache, ADD, autism and even joint pain (neck pain, low back pain, shoulder pain etc.). Gluten can also be a contributing factor in type 1 and type 2 diabetes, as well as truncal obesity and some would even argue miscarriage and the delay of puberty onset.

In the worst of times gluten can engender an inflammatory reaction in your gut and actually damage the lining of the intestinal wall. Intestinal damage can then inhibit efficient absorption of a variety of vital nutrients (Vitamins A/D/E/and K (the fat soluble ones)). When the intestinal wall is damaged its permeability is changed. What can happen in this scenario is that proteins are then able enter into the blood stream. The body then sees these proteins as foreign invaders and mounts an inflammatory immune response. Inflammation, inflammation, inflammation. This is what we don't want, and what chiropractors work so hard to avoid. Allowing the body to remain in an inflamed state for a prolonged period of time can have negative and long reaching consequences. Furthermore, unchecked inflammation creates poor outcomes in regards to overall body performance.

In the event that you suspect you have an issue with gluten, there are a number of tests to definitively diagnose the presence of a gliadin reaction. Typically the recommendation is to start with a blood test (check for anti-tTG antibodies). In the event of a positive finding the blood test is then followed by an endoscopy and biopsy. For those that suspect they may have more of an intolerance, not full-blown Celiac disease, its easy enough to just remove gluten products from your diet. Generally the gut wall will start to heal in about two to three weeks. A reduction in symptoms is likely a good indicator of some level of intolerance.

Lose Your Love Handles Part Two: Nutritional Steps to Fight the Belly Bulge

2011-08-22T04:07:00.000-07:00

Many people are unaware that insulin is the hormone of aging, and too much of it can cause a lot of problems in your body, starting with increased fat storage around your waist and progressing to accelerated aging of your body's cells and even diabetes. The good news is that you have complete control over this hormone based on what food you decide to eat each day. You want to strive to be insulin sensitive, so that your body can effectively utilize this storage hormone for it's intended purpose of driving blood sugar into the appropriate cells. One thing you may not know is that insulin sensitivity increases with the simultaneous lowering of body fat. That means that for each percentage point your body fat decreases, your body can utilize insulin more and more effectively. Generally speaking, if you are over 10% body fat for a male or over 16% body fat for a female, you are somewhat insulin resistant and need to work on controlling this ever-important hormone. Here are a few steps to help you manage your insulin, melt your love handles, and become more insulin sensitive:

1. Eliminate Simple Carbs - This first step is the most essential of all in controlling insulin. Simple carbs, such as sugar causes a tremendous release of insulin, and if you're already a bit overweight, you can be certain that insulin will drive the sugar straight into your fat cells. The best way to avoid spikes in blood sugar is to avoid fast-acting carbohydrates altogether. You'll notice that you'll be less likely to have energy highs and lows during the day, you'll feel more alert, and have greater drive to tackle everything that life throws at you.

   2. Cut Out Artificial Sweeteners - The first thing that people will tend to do when reducing sugars is to reach for the "sugar-free" or "diet" versions of the food they've reluctantly given up. Since it's sugar free and has no calories, it must be okay for those looking to lose weight, right? Wrong. Aside from the toxin damage that artificial sweeteners can have on your body, those calorie free goodies still stimulate insulin to the same degree as their full-sugar counterparts. This scenario where there is no sugar in the food, but insulin secretion is high leads to even further insulin resistance and does nothing to help the problem. If you truly want to lean up your midsection, artificial sweeteners need to disappear from your diet as well.

   3. Boost Fiber Intake - Fiber is essential for digestive function, but it is also a heavy-hitter when it comes to decreasing insulin output. I highly recommend supplementing your diet with different fibers (as long as they are from gluten-free sources) as well as increasing fiber through eating more veggies. One word of caution, however, is to increase fiber SLOWLY, otherwise you'll be making some hurried trips to the restroom. I would aim to increase by 5 grams per week until you've reached your fiber goal. For most individuals 30 grams per day of supplemental fiber on top of veggies at most meals should do the trick.

   4. Eat Healthy Fats - Another major player when it comes to decreasing insulin response is healthy fat intake. Somewhere in the 1980s and 1990s, people became afraid of fat, leading to the "diet" and "fat-free" versions of everything we see today. Unfortunately, these attempts at reducing dietary fat have actually caused us to become an insulin resistant society. You see, adequate fat intake slows insulin output and does very little to contributing to body fat gain. Many people think that the fat you eat ends up directly on your hips and thighs, but that simply isn't true. Besides assisting with many important bodily functions, dietary fat intake is essential for healthy insulin response. Just make sure the fat is from healthy, unprocessed sources. The trans fats and hydrogenated fats that are usually found in processed snack foods are a big no-no, but any naturally occurring fat (animal fats, olive oil, cashews, avocados, fish oil, whole eggs etc) is quite healthy and essential for many of your body's systems to run effectively.

   5. Eat 90% of Your Daily Carbohydrate Intake Within 1 Hour of Weight Training - Without a doubt, for most people that have a fair amount of fat to lose, completely restricting carbohydrates is the way to go. If, however, you are not in a huge rush in your fat loss quest, or you simply can't bear the thought of life without carbohydrates, then you need to eat most of them immediately after a weight training workout. Resistance training actually makes your body very insulin sensitive for a short window of time. If you must have your carbohydrates, eat them within an hour of your weight training workout and you can be rest assured that a much higher percentage of your carbohydrate intake will be to refuel your muscles, and not to add to your midsection.

I hope these 5 tips gave you some good ideas on how to get rid of your love handles. Next week we'll look at supplement strategies you can use to help manage your insulin and continue to break fat loss plateaus.

5 Easy Ways to Drink More Water

2011-08-16T04:06:00.000-07:00

Drinking water is one of the best ways to keep you healthy and also lose weight at the same time. It's a great way to protect yourself from a heart attack and digestive problems and it's also gives you more energy. So why don't you just start drinking more water? Well, maybe because it doesn't taste great and after a while you get sick of it. No worries, I have just compiled a list of the ways I used to drink more water each day.

So let's start!

Flavor your water

In case you don't like the taste of still water, you can flavor it to make it easier to drink. The options are limitless but here are some good tips:

· Put a mint leaf or two in the bottle of water and leave it for about half an hour, it should taste better and refreshing. Mint is also a great way to aid your digestion and to improve your mood.

· Squeeze a lemon and mix it with about 1,5 liters of water. It tastes better and the lemon juice is rich in vitamin C, so you won't catch a cold this winter.

· Before going to bed, leave some fruits (like apple slices) in a big bowl of water. When you wake up, the sugar of the fruits will be transferred into the water and it will definitely taste better. It's also an alternative to sugar if you want to sweeten your coffee. Just prepare the coffee with the obtained water.

Discover the world of tea

Lots of people hesitate when it comes to tea. They don't consider it a good water source. Well, the truth be said, tea is nothing more and nothing less than flavored water. Of course it also has lots of nutrients of the herbals that you prepare your tea with, but it doesn't gain you weight.

For those of you who don't like drinking tea, maybe it's because you didn't try lots of flavors. Did you know that there is Kit Kat tea flavor available? I bet you didn't! So stop making this your excuse and head over to a tea shop and ask for something that suits your taste. I promise you won't regret!

Always have water on sight

I've heard people saying that they forget to drink water. Are they serious? Then why not put a big bottle in front of your computer or on your desk so you'll always remember when you raise your head from those work papers?

Always drink water after your have a meal

This is not only for hydrating. It's also good for digestion too. Every time you finish a meal, drink a glass of water, and at the end of the day, some of you will find that this is all they had to do to drink enough water.

Switch from time to time to sparkling water

You sometimes get bored drinking the same old still water. Why not change it with its smaller sister, the sparkling water? It's also great to keep the calcium locked into your bones.

5 Great Healthy Breakfast Tips

2011-08-11T04:05:00.000-07:00

It is very important that you eat a healthy breakfast for maintaining health, energy and for weight loss. The key to eating a healthy breakfast and still achieving a weight loss, is to choose your food wisely. See our 5 tips to help you get the day off to a healthy start.

1 Make Sure You Eat Breakfast

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and one that you should never consider skipping. A healthy breakfast is the meal that will kick-start your metabolism and get your body burning calories, skip it and all you are doing by skipping it is sabotaging your weight loss plans. You may think that it is a good idea to save on calories by not eating breakfast, but all you are doing is making it more likely that you will need to snack later on.

2 Beware of Hidden Sugar

Many breakfast cereals are not as healthy as they first appear and are in fact laden with sugar. Instead of achieving a weight loss, a breakfast full of sugar can lead to weight gain and energy spikes that can leave you feeling tired and lethargic by lunch time. Check the sugar content of your cereals carefully.

3 Go Steady with Fruit Juice

Although it is good for you, fruit juice is high in calories and can really hinder weight loss. The sugar in fruit juice can cause an energy spike, so keep to a small glass, just to get the benefit of the vitamins and drink water or green tea to hydrate you for the day. Drinking more water has the added benefit of helping you to feel fuller and avoid snacking and green tea has a whole host of super healthy benefits. One fabulous benefit of drinking green tea is that it can help you to lose weight. We highly recommend Tava Tea as the very best of green teas at it has an exclusive blend of three of the best green teas that you will find.

4 Start the Day Well

Breakfast is the meal that is going to set the tone for your day. Make it a super healthy breakfast and you'll feel more motivated to continue eating healthily throughout the day. Avoid having fast food or fried breakfasts, but choose something with vitamins and protein that will give you energy for the day ahead.

5 Think Super-Foods

Super-foods are ingredients known to greatly decrease your risk of developing a range of diseases. Thankfully, many of these are perfect for breakfast. Here are a few suggestions which will get your day off to a healthy start, bananas, oats, green tea, yoghurt (fat-free), egg, berries, nuts and seeds. Even if you only have a small amount of these ingredients, it's a good way to make sure you get something healthy into the start of every day.

If you struggle to have time to eat breakfast or you don't normally feel hungry first thing, plan ahead. Make it easy by preparing your healthy breakfast the night before so it is ready for you, or pack it up to take out with you to eat later in the mornings to focus on other things, but you will still be psychologically prepared to eat. That way you'll still have time in Make sure though that you eat a healthy breakfast within an hour of getting up. This get some fuel into you early on in the day and will give your metabolism the boost it needs.

Regular Signs of Aging? Or Magnesium Deficiency? Don't Mistake One For The Other

2011-08-07T04:04:00.000-07:00

Some of the most frequent complaints I hear from my patients, especially those older than 50, involves muscle cramps and spasms, notably those leg zingers that make them jump out of bed in the middle of the night; trouble sleeping and daytime stiffness or pain in their muscles. Most of my patients laugh these symptoms off as just "getting old", but they're surprised when I tell them these are more likely symptoms of a magnesium deficiency, which can easily be corrected. Read on and see if you have any of the common symptoms of low magnesium and what I recommend.

Symptoms of Low Magnesium

Magnesium is a "macro mineral", which means it is one of the 6 most important minerals for which your body requires large amounts. However, magnesium deficiency is fairly common in people over the age of 50 and can stem from a variety of things from dietary imbalances to certain health conditions. In fact, less than 30% of Americans get the RDA of magnesium, which is the absolute minimum recommendation for magnesium a day!

Magnesium deficiency is most common in menopausal women who usually start taking calcium supplements for bone health and may be on estrogen replacement therapy. If you don't take a magnesium balanced calcium supplement, you can become deficient in magnesium. Low carb dieting can also lead to magnesium decreases.

However, men also get magnesium deficiencies - especially if they drink a lot of coffee, tea or carbonated sodas, or eat a few sugary snacks during the day. Excess refined dietary sugar causes you to lose a lot of magnesium through urination. Also, if you are under stress frequently, you can become deficient in magnesium due to your body's increased production of cortisol and adrenaline. Both of these chemicals can deplete your magnesium stores.

Blood tests only show what magnesium is circulating in the blood at the time of the test. Symptoms are a better gauge to determining if you have a deficiency. Here are some common symptoms of magnesium deficiency:

    * Muscle cramps
    * Facial tics
    * Poor sleep/anxiety
    * Chronic pain/fibromyalgia
    * Headaches

Also the following conditions and medications to treat them can cause magnesium deficiencies:

   1. High blood pressure /congestive heart failure, diuretics.
   2. Asthma/inhalers, steroid medication.
   3. Diabetes/insulin, oral antidiabetics.
   4. Digestive disorders like Crohn, celiac sprue causes loss of magnesium from diarrhea.
   5. Infections/antibiotics (especially tetracyclines).
   6. Cancer/chemotherapy drugs - Platinol; suppressed immune system drugs - Neoral.
   7. Alcohol addiction/low food intake, vomiting, diarrhea can cause magnesium deficiency.
   8. Liver disease/depletes minerals.
   9. Burns/surgery - causes stress on the body, depletes magnesium.

Recommendations for Magnesium Deficiency

If you have any of the conditions or symptoms listed above, you could very well have a magnesium deficiency as they are very common. Here are some recommendations I give my patients who have symptoms of magnesium deficiency:

    * Restrict refined sugar in your diet.
    * Restrict carbonated sodas, especially colas, which disable magnesium uptake.
    * Eat more magnesium rich foods such as pumpkin seeds, almonds, cashews, unsweetened cocoa powder, halibut, bran, spinach. Or, take a 250-500 mg magnesium supplement before bedtime especially if you're bothered by sleep difficulty, leg muscle cramps or daytime muscle stiffness. Also, try transdermal (topical) magnesium for muscle cramps.
    * If you have soft water, it would be best to switch to bottled drinking water for consumption and leave your tap water for cleaning. Soft water depletes magnesium.
    * Restrict alcohol intake. Alcohol causes dehydration through frequent urination and magnesium gets depleted from urinary excretion.

As I explain to my patients, magnesium is a critical mineral that your body needs to perform all its major functions - especially your heart, muscles and kidneys. In fact, magnesium is one of the first treatments given in emergency departments in heart attack patients. Optimal magnesium levels can also prevent stroke and obesity. If you're one of the 55% of Americans who have a magnesium deficiency, follow the recommendations I give my own patients for maintaining optimal magnesium levels, and you'll go a long way to improving most of those symptoms that perhaps you thought were due to just "getting old!"

A Fresh Take on the Subject of Vitamin B6

2011-08-02T04:02:00.000-07:00

If you are unsure about what vitamin B6 actually is, then you may be surprised to hear that it is one of the most important vitamins that is required by your body, and is essential for your health and well-being.

With vitamin B6 being such an important issue, there has been many new websites emerging, with the main goal of educating visitors about every aspect of the B6 vitamin. The internet is a hub of extensive information, and if you are in any way concerned about how much vitamin B6 you are putting into your body, then you should definitely take the time to do some research as soon as possible, to get all of the latest information.

Vitamin B6, which also goes by the name of pyridoxine, is responsible for many important functions throughout your body, including turning the food that you eat into much valuable energy, forming red blood cells, and keeping your immune system performing at the highest possible level.

Because the role of vitamin B6 within your body is so essential, it is very important to educate yourself on the facts that you need to know, so you can make the right choices about what to do in regards to your diet and supplementation.

Unfortunately, there are many websites out there that give out false information when it comes to vitamin B6, so you need to be very careful on who you listen to, and maybe think for a moment what a particular websites motivation is. For example, some websites only exist to sell you expensive supplements that you don't need, so you should definitely be careful.

The health benefits of having a diet rich in vitamin B6 foods is immense, and it is most definitely worth your time to assess your diet to see if you are currently getting the required levels of B6.

Vitamin B6 can aid in maintaining a healthy heart, a healthy nervous system, a healthy immune system, and the maintenance of normal blood sugar levels. It has also been linked to keeping cholesterol and blood pressure levels low, and is often recommended by doctors and health professionals for a variety of different other health conditions.

One of the most interesting uses of vitamin B6, is in pregnant women who are suffering from morning sickness. There has been extensive studies regarding this subject, and the general consensus is that a higher intake of vitamin B6 in pregnant women, on average, leads to a decrease in the symptoms of morning sickness.

The key to getting enough of vitamin B6 is to maintain a healthy and well balanced diet, that is full of a variety of natural and organic foods. You should aim to eat everything as fresh as possible, as storage very often leads to decreased levels of vitamin B6 found within the food.

Foods such as salmon, tuna, chicken, turkey, beef, eggs, vegetables, banana, walnuts, cashews, sunflower seeds, potatoes and chickpeas are all excellent sources of B6 and should be enjoyed on a regular basis.