Tag: heart health

All about Magnesium

Todays post is all about Magnesium. I recently read a small article on foods rich in magnesium and how this mineral plays a part in controlling blood sugar. This was news to me, so I decided to do a bit of research into this essential macro mineral.

What is Magnesium?

Wikipedia states that Magnesium is an alkaline earth metal and the eighth most abundant element in the Earth’s crust. It’s also abundant in seawater due to its high solubility. Magnesium is also the 11th most abundant element by mass in the human body.

Why is it important?

Magnesium is necessary for more than 300 chemical reactions in the human body and is used by almost every cell. It’s needed for healthy bones, heart, muscles, and nerves and helps your body control energy, blood sugar, blood pressure, and many other processes.

An adult body contains approximately 25 g magnesium, with 50% to 60% present in the bones and most of the rest in soft tissues. It is absorbed through the bowel and stored mainly in bone and soft tissue.

How our body uses it.

Calcium and magnesium work together in maintaining bone health and preventing osteoporosis. Magnesium is important for bone formation. It helps assimilate calcium into the bone and plays a role in activating vitamin D in the kidneys.

Magnesium plays an important role in carbohydrate and glucose metabolism. Several studies have associated a higher intake with a lower risk of diabetes. It is also necessary to maintain the health of muscles, including the heart, and for the transmission of electrical signals in the body.

Studies have also shown that magnesium can help with migraine headaches, PMS and anxiety. If you were basically healthy, you probably wouldn’t have symptoms from low magnesium unless it went on for a long time. Low levels have been linked to health issues like Crohn’s disease, celiac disease, or insulin resistance. 

Lifestyle choices can also lead to low levels, such as poor diet, gastrointestinal problems, or vitamin D deficiency. Some symptoms of magnesium deficiency include tingly fingers and toes, flu like symptoms, cramping muscles, irregular heart rate, mood changes and constipation.

Getting your daily dose

Magnesium is one of seven essential macro minerals that need to be consumed in relatively large amounts, at least 100 milligrams (mg) per day. The best way to ensure you are getting your daily dose is from food.

Latest research regarding magnesium absorption from gels and creams on the skin is inconclusive. The best sources of magnesium are pumpkin and sunflower seeds, spinach, Swiss chard and other leafy greens, black beans, quinoa and cashews.

Studies have revealed that when the foods are cooked for any length of time the mineral content is significantly less. All the more reason to eat fresh unprocessed vegetables, nuts and seeds as much as possible.

I hope that you found this information as interesting as I have, I wasn’t aware that magnesium played such a big role in our bodily functions.          Sources – (National Institutes of Health – Health Direct –  Medical News Today 

Till the next post,   

Live clean n Prosper.

Things you may not know about Celery.

Today’s post topic is Celery.

Recently a small article in the paper about Celery causing sun sensitivity caught my eye. I had never heard about this phenomenon before.

After some Internet searching, I found out some interesting facts.

In regards to sun sensitivity,

There are actually several foods that we eat on a regular basis could cause sun sensitivity. Compounds found in lime and parsley could cause a bad reaction to the sun.

For some people, just touching a lime and then exposing the skin to the sun, causes a rash.

The same phenomenon can occur after handling celery or parsley. Celery contains a compound called ‘furocoumarin’ which is linked to sun sensitivity.

Studies have been conducted to see how much of this compound a person needs to eat for sun sensitivity to occur. It was concluded that a person would have to consume a significant amount of celery. I guess if you love celery juice you may not want to drink litres of it every day.

 Then there are the health benefits,

There are a number of reasons we should eat celery. All parts of celery including the seeds, roots, and leaves can be used. Many of these a lot of people would be familiar with.

Detoxifies the Body

It acts as an antioxidant. Celery contains phthalides, flavonoids, and polyacetylenes. These components detoxify carcinogens, seek out free radicals floating in the body and neutralize them.

Weight Loss

Celery is very low in calories and is also filling due to its high fibre content. The trick is to ensure you are consuming the fibre in the celery than drinking just the juice. Regular drinking of celery juice before meals may help to reduce your weight. The fibre fills the stomach, therefore reducing the amount you eat.

Boosts Immune System

Rich in vitamin C and antioxidants, celery greatly boosts the strength of the immune system and makes it more active and efficient.

Less known benefits,

Then there are a bunch of health benefits that I had never heard of before.

Lowers Cholesterol Level

Eating celery every day may reduce artery-clogging cholesterol (called LDL or “bad” cholesterol). The phthalides in celery stimulate the secretion of bile juices, which work to reduce cholesterol levels.

Reduces Blood Pressure

The phthalides, can also lower the level of stress hormones in your blood. This allows your blood vessels to expand, giving your blood more room to move, thereby reducing pressure. It also contains potassium that acts as a vasodilator, reducing blood pressure.

Lowers Arthritis Pain

Celery has anti-inflammatory properties that help to reduce swelling and pain around the joints. Its also acts as a diuretic, which helps to remove uric acid crystals that build up around the body’s joints that can add to the pain and discomfort. It also increases the regrowth of tissue in inflamed joints

Regulates Fluid Balance

Celery is rich in both sodium and potassium, and both of these minerals help to regulate the fluid balance in the body.

Research has also shown that celery assists with Cancer prevention, reduces Asthma symptoms, improves heart health, relieves migraines and assists in managing diabetic symptoms. Who would have thought it?! (Sources: www.organicfacts.net, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)

 

I personally don’t eat much celery. However after this research, I think I will be making more of an effort to eat it regularly.

Till next post,

 Live clean n prosper.

Sleep and how it impacts our Health

Last week I wrote about sleep and while doing my research I came across so much information.

So today I thought I would continue with this topic and share some articles from the Heart Institute I found interesting.

New research from Australia’s Sleep Health Foundation reveals that 33 to 45% of Australian adults suffer from inadequate sleep.

What impact does this have on our health and wellbeing? And does inadequate sleep affect our ability to exercise and improve fitness?

The Sleep Health Foundation says sleep is a fundamental biological requirement for human health. A variety of health problems and chronic diseases including coronary heart disease, stroke and diabetes have been linked to specific sleep disorders.

It seems that getting some good quality zzzzzz’s should be high on our evening agenda.

Does sleep affect your ability to workout and improve your fitness?

The short answer is yes. Movement and wellness specialist Priscilla Flynn of In2great Fitness says she can tell when a client hasn’t been sleeping well.

“We train with heart rate monitors which gives us the ability to check in with how well our clients are coping with the stress of the workout,” she says.

”On days with poor sleep, heart rate efficiency will be compromised. Clients will tend to struggle to increase heart rate intensity, or their intensity stays high and they can’t recover.”

If we don’t sleep well we are more prone to weight gain, cravings, mood disorders, overeating, pain, and a general lack of wellness.

Sleep or exercise – what’s more important?

You can’t really have one without the other. It’s important to consider a person’s metabolic reserve – basically how much gas is in the tank.

“Good sleep quality will increase a person’s metabolic reserve, making them more resilient to stress of any kind. Having a good sleep means you can train longer, or more intensely, before you get depleted,” Priscilla says.

“A lack of sleep decreases metabolic reserve which means the person has a reduced capacity to cope with additional stress. This means they have a reduced capacity to train optimally, and therefore a reduced ability to get the results they seek”.

“If you’re really exhausted, it’s better to modify your workout and listen to your body.”

Too little sleep?

Research also suggests that getting too little sleep can be bad for your heart.

It has been established that getting too little sleep can lead to increased risk of diabetes. This new research shows it can also increase the chances of certain types of cardiovascular disease, especially in women and the elderly.

The study found those getting less than four hours of sleep can increase the likelihood of death by some types of heart disease, like heart attacks and angina.

So there you have it from the experts, the perfect reason to get a good night sleep. The Heart Institute also emphasises that the study suggests that too much sleep can also have a negative effect. It is recommended that you do not have more than 10 hours on a regular basis. (Source – The Heart Institute)

As with most things heart related (and health in general), moderation seems to be key.

 

Till the next post,

 

Live Clean n Prosper.