Tag: magnesium

Electrolytes

Today’s post is about electrolytes. What exactly are they and why are they important?

We have all been there, you’re either sick or fatigued due to exertion, and someone says ‘have you had one of those electrolyte drinks?’. As with most people. I have often wondered about what is actually in an electrolyte drink.

So, what is an electrolyte?

Wikipedia states – an electrolyte is a medium containing ions, that is electrically conducting through the movement of those ions, but not conducting electrons. This includes most soluble salts, acids, and bases dissolved in a polar solvent, such as water.

In clinical medicine, the term of electrolytes usually refers to the ions, and to their concentrations in blood, serum, urine, or other fluids.

This is still a bit confusing, so I looked for a simpler definition.

Medical News states – Electrolytes are chemicals that conduct electricity when dissolved in water.

In nutrition, the term refers to essential minerals in your blood, sweat, and urine.

Sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium, magnesium, and phosphate in a liquid form are examples of electrolytes.

How does the body use electrolytes?

Everyone needs electrolytes to survive. Many automatic processes in the body rely on a small electric current to function, and electrolytes provide this charge.

They interact with each other and the cells in the tissues, nerves, and muscles. They regulate nerve and muscle function, hydrate the body, balance blood acidity and pressure, and help rebuild damaged tissue. A balance of different electrolytes is crucial for the body to function.

The measurement of electrolytes can actually help clinicians in the diagnosis of a medical condition. These measurements can also determine the effectiveness of treatment and the potential side effect of medications.

It is possible for the levels of electrolytes in the blood too become too high or too low, leading to an imbalance. These levels can change in relation to water levels in the body, as well as other factors.

Important electrolytes, including sodium and potassium, are lost in sweat during exercise. A rapid loss of fluids, such as after a bout of vomiting or diarrhoea, can also affect the concentration. In these types of situations, the balance of electrolytes in the body needs to be restored.

How do we get our electrolytes?

Sustaining a healthy electrolyte level is usually attributed to eating a balanced diet. With that in mind, there are several foods that contain many of the essentials.

Below are some foods that provide electrolytes-

Pickled foods, cheese and table salt: contain Sodium.

Table salt: contains Chloride

Fruits and vegetables like bananas, avocado and sweet potato all contain Potassium.

Seeds and nuts have magnesium and

Dairy products, fortified dairy alternatives and green leafy vegetables give us Calcium.

Some people use drinks or supplements to ensure they get enough.

However, a balanced diet that includes many of the above-mentioned foods, should be enough for most.

Your body can typically regulate electrolytes efficiently and keep them at the right levels. An imbalance may occur if you’re dehydrated due to illness, excess heat or excessive exercise.

 If you suspect you suffer from an electrolyte imbalance, speak with your chosen health professional.

Oh, and to answer ‘what is usually in an electrolyte drink?’

It depends on the brand; however, the most common ingredients are water, the electrolytes (usually sodium and potassium) and sugar.

 

We hope you have found this information interesting.

 Till the next post,

 Live Clean n Prosper

Sources – Wikipedia – Healthline – National Library of Medicine – Medical News Today –

Slow Cooker Cooking – A Healthy Option

Todays post is about slow cooker cooking.

One of the things I love about this time of year is that with the cooler weather, we use our slow cooker more often. There are several advantages with using a slow cooker. 

One being that you can make lovely dishes with cheaper cuts of meat. It is also a healthy way to cook.
Though the cheaper cuts tend to be a little bit tough, the moist cooking method and longer cooking time result in fork tender meat. These cuts are also usually lower in fat. This helps to lower the fat content as well as the calorie content of the meal.

What about nutrition?

With all cooking techniques, there may be some breakdown in nutrients. Though there are a few nutrients, such as lycopene, which turn out to be more easily absorbed after cooking.
The advantage of slow cooking over other methods is that the food is cooked at a relatively low heat for a longer period of time. Cooking “slow and low” in a sealed chamber helps to keep the moisture and the nutrients in your food. 

It also helps to prevent the formation of cancer-causing compounds – such as lipid oxidation products (LOPs) and heterocyclic amines (HCAs). These dangerous compounds form when most types of meat and some fats are cooked at high temperature.

Unlike boiling or steaming, the dish still contains the nutrients. These are usually in the juices which are served as part of the meal. However, the nutrient content of the dish will always depend on the ingredients you use.

What about the bones?

There has been a lot of health revelations in regards to ‘bone broth’ recently and how good it is for us. Well, using your slow cooker to cook lamb shanks or osso bucco and other ‘bone in ‘ cuts, means you are getting the benefits of a bone broth.

Animal bones are rich in calcium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus and other trace minerals. These are the same minerals needed to build and strengthen our bones. The marrow provides vitamin A, vitamin K2, minerals like zinc, iron, boron, manganese and selenium, as well as omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.

In some cuts you may get some connective tissue, which provides glucosamine and chondroitin. These compounds are known to support joint health. All of these animal parts also contain the protein collagen, which turns into gelatine when cooked. This then creates several important amino acids.

As the ingredients simmer away, their nutrients are released into the water in a form your body can easily absorb.


It’s so easy.

The best thing about slow cooker cooking is how easy it is. You put all the ingredients into the pot, turn it on and go to work. When you get home your dinner is ready and waiting. It takes minimal effort to create a nutritious, tasty meal.

So, next time you are thinking about what to cook on a cold evening, think slow cooker.

Till the next post,

Live clean n prosper

(Sources – Huffington Post, bbc Good food, Healing gourmet, Healthline)

Bananas – should we eat the skin?

Todays post is about bananas and whether we should eat their skin as well.

There have been a lot of social media posts regarding this topic recently. It seems to have started with an Australian dietitian – Susie Burrell, who says we should be eating bananas skin and all.

Susie Burrell has stated that eating the peel is an easy way to boost your diet with extra dietary fibre, vitamin B6, vitamin C and magnesium. She recommends blending or baking them to break down the cell walls to make the nutrients easier to absorb – for example, in smoothies, cakes and curries.

The Pro’s and Con’s

The idea of eating the banana and the skins may seem like a good way to increase your nutrient intake.

As ripe yellow skins are rich in antioxidants that can help fight cancer, and green skins contain the amino acid tryptophan, which promotes better sleep. The skins also contain resistant start, a type of fibre that benefits gut health.

However, as vitamins C and B6 are destroyed by heat, using the skins in baking or curries to consume these nutrients doesn’t seem viable. Using them in smoothies makes more sense.

The other factor to consider is chemical absorption. The popular Cavendish variety of bananas are bred using cuttings, not seeds. That means there is no genetic diversity among the plants, and therefore they have weak immunity. As a result, it’s one of the most heavily sprayed crops. The peel, or skins, of the banana absorb some of these pesticides.

Peeled bananas are still healthy

Bananas are a great source of potassium, an essential mineral for maintaining normal blood pressure and heart function. One medium-sized banana can contain approximately 400mg of potassium.

A medium-size banana also contains about 3 grams of total fibre. Fibre is a nutrient that helps regulate the speed of digestion. When our digestion is well regulated, the conversion of carbohydrates to simple sugars and the subsequent release of simple sugars into the body is also regulated.

Approximately one-third of the fibre in bananas is actually a water-soluble fibre. Soluble fibres in food have been associated with a decreased risk of heart disease.
Within their total fibre content, bananas also contain pectin’s. Some of the components in pectin’s are water-soluble, and others are not. As bananas ripen, their water-soluble pectin’s increase, and as a result bananas become softer in texture as they ripen.

As the water-soluble pectin’s increase, so does the concentration of fructose. The mixture of the water-soluble pectin’s and fructose content helps control how fast the body digests the carbohydrates which then reduces the impact of the consumed banana on our blood glucose level.

They are low fat – 

Bananas are a very low-fat food with less than 4% of their calories being from fats. One types of fat that they do contain in small amounts are called sterols. The sterols can assist to block the absorption of dietary cholesterol. By blocking the absorption, they help keep blood cholesterol levels in check.

Therefore the takeaway from all of this,

Including bananas in your daily meal plan may help to prevent high blood pressure, improve digestion and lower cholesterol and blood glucose levels. I have previously shared some recipes using bananas that you may wish to try – Smoothies, Breakfast drinks & Seeded Banana Bread.


If you do decide to consume your bananas with the skin, make sure you choose certified organic product, and wash them well to avoid any possible pesticide residues.
I hope you found this post interesting.

Till the next one,

Live clean n prosper.

Sources – healthline.com, lifeStyle.com.au, whfoods.org