Does your eating plan contain enough magnesium? Do you know what foods are rich in magnesium? We tend to be good at tracking our intake of other vitamins and minerals, but magnesium is often overlooked.

According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, most American adults and children do not consume enough foods containing magnesium. Those at greatest risk of magnesium deficiency are people who don’t absorb nutrients well, those with chronic gastrointestinal disruption from medications or conditions, and those who consume a significant amount of alcohol. Also at risk are female athletes and people with restrictive dietary practices.

Magnesium helps support healthy blood pressure and heart rhythms, processing of glucose, and possibly energy levels and mood conditions. Magnesium is also necessary to power enzymes, increase RNA/DNA synthesis during cell growth and division, transport potassium, and support bone/mineral homeostasis. All in all, magnesium is very important!

To ensure proper intake of magnesium, be aware of including foods rich in magnesium in your food plan. Most healthy adults should aim for 25 grams of magnesium daily. Here is a list of magnesium-rich foods:

Black-eyed peas, ½ cup      200 mg
Millet, ½ cup                       185 mg
White Beans, ½ cup            175 mg
Lima Beans, ½ cup             160 mg
Red Beans, ½ cup               150 mg
Barley, ½ cup                      140 mg
Beet Greens, ¼ lb                120 mg
Spinach, ¼ lb                       100 mg
Lentils, ½ cup                      75 mg
Cashews, 14                          75 mg
Swiss Chard, ¼ lb               75 mg

Magnesium is very important to keep your body operating at its optimum. Add some of these food choices to your meal plan, and you will help your body to function properly. If you have any concerns about your magnesium level, contact me for an appointment. I can measure your tissue levels of magnesium and evaluate any imbalances.

You are what you eat. Think about the demands you put on your body each day, and now imagine the fuel you put in your body to meet these demands. The healthier the fuel, the better able your body will be to meet your expectations of it. I want my fuel to be nutritious, delicious, and fulfilling – both physically and mentally.

Keeping a healthy eating journal is a great way to keep yourself on track with healthy eating choices. Here are some ideas to include in your journal:

• Record what you eat on any given day. Looking at what you eat, when you eat it, and how much you eat of it can be useful in tracking your choices.
• Write down reasons why healthy eating is important to you. Let these reasons inspire you to stay on track.
• Make note of how you feel. Chances are that with the healthy eating choices you make, your body is going to feel good. Remind yourself of this by writing it down – words are powerful motivators.
  Keep reminders of Farmers’ Markets dates. The local Farmers’ Markets will be opening again in May, and these provide an excellent source of local, healthy eating options.
• Make note of how many live foods you can incorporate into your eating plan., and strive for more. Seeing the colorful palette of fruits and vegetables on your plate is sure to inspire you.
• Maintain a list of new, healthy recipes. Whether you write the recipes or you note where to find them online or in your recipe books, this list will inspire your eating choices. A picture of a new, healthy dish can be great inspiration.
• Write a list of motivational quotes or personal aspirations to keep you going when the going gets tough. Revisit these inspirational thoughts to help you on your way.

As you continue on your path of healthy eating, remember that what you put in your body determines what you get out of it. Contact me for more ideas to help you in your healthy eating choices.

Many people work hard to eat healthy!
Keep up the good work!
Keep feeling better!
You know what works for you!
And don't let ANYONE convince you to do something different!

Sometimes it is hard work to eat healthily. We are presented with many unhealthy options in our daily, fast-paced lives, but it is up to you to choose the best options for yourself. This can be hard to do, especially if you are around people who don’t always choose the most positive options. Just remember: it is your life, your body, and your choice! Healthy eating results in healthy living. Can you be the one whistling while you accomplish your job?

Hold yourself accountable for your healthy eating choices. Be tolerant and forgiving of your imperfections and realize that one unwise choice does not mean you need to give up on your goals. But, at the same time, don’t allow yourself to justify too many unhealthy choices. Demand more from yourself, and you will be impressed with the results you get.

The more often you make healthy choices, the sooner these choices become habits. You know how healthy choices make you feel. Healthy eating promotes a healthy body and healthy perspective. Go ahead, amaze yourself with the positive choices you can make & the positive results you will reap. Keep up the good work! And, you just may find yourself whistling while you do it.

Garlic, honey, apples, and turmeric are highly recommended foods to have regularly in your food plan for prevention and maintenance of health.

Turmeric is an herbal spice that is not well known in our American diet, but it is very popular in Indian and vegetarian food plans. Turmeric is known as curcumin as a spice powder. It is known as the “Golden Goddess” by ancient Indian healing traditions.

Today, there are numerous scientifically proven uses for healing with Turmeric. Turmeric affects over 150 distinct biological and genetic / epigenetic pathways for health – this is more than any one drug has ever been designed to do! Turmeric reduces oxidative stress and inflammation among many other uses.

Look for recipes using Turmeric, and incorporate something new into your food plan!

Here is an easy, delicious recipe for Turmeric Dip:

Ingredients:
1 cup mayonnaise
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp white sugar
2 tsp dried minced onion
1 tsp prepared horseradish
1 tsp white vinegar

Directions:
Stir together all ingredients in a small bowl. Chill 2 hours before serving. Great with raw vegetables.

It is an exciting time of year to be out in nature with the warmth and the breeze. While you’re exploring outdoors, be sure to take advantage of the local Farmers’ Markets. These markets provide a wealth of fresh plants, flowers, vegetables and fruits, along with homemade baked goods and jellies.

These markets take place at various locations across the area, and there is a market each day of the week. If you can’t make it to one, try another location and time. Here is the schedule:

• Coralville, Mondays and Thursdays 5 pm – 7 pm, in the Aquatic Center Parking Lot.
• Downtown Iowa City, Wednesdays 5pm-7pm, and Saturdays 7:30am-Noon, Chauncey Swan Parking ramp (kitty corner from New Pioneer Coop, Iowa City).
• Iowa City Sycamore Mall, Tuesdays 3pm-6pm, Sycamore Parking Lot.
• Eastside Iowa City, Friday afternoons and Sunday mornings, off the corner of Rochester and Scott Blvd.

Don’t miss the opportunity to eat a whole foods meal plan with fresh, local, and seasonal foods. This is the sure way to get your necessary servings of fruits and vegetables power packed with vitamins and minerals. Be sure to check out the organic foods first. These markets and wonderful local growers can supply you and your family through October.

When you eat a meal that is appropriate for your nutritional needs at the time, your body will feel fully nourished and satisfied. The sense of satisfaction is something we must look for after our eating experiences.

A nourished body will not crave other foods. When properly fed, your body will forget about food for a while and you will be able to focus on other aspects of your life. You can stop craving sugar and other foods that are not good for you! Contact Terri about further evaluation for this problem.

An overly fed body is not a pleasurable feeling. Listen to your body’s signal of pleasure as you are eating. Once eating is no longer pleasurable, stop eating. Your body will signal pleasure as long as it needs the nutrients from a particular food. Once your body is nourished, your body will stop giving you pleasure from eating it.

You must always remember to respect and listen to your body. It knows its nutritional needs. By using your sense of desire, smell, taste, and satisfaction, your body will guide you in proper food choices. When to eat, what to eat, and how much to eat are all components of your bodily intelligence. Enjoy!

Tasting delicious food is a great pleasure in life. If the food does not give you a pleasurable taste, then it is not the right food for you. Recognize that your sense of taste is one way your body’s innate intelligence communicates with your conscious self.

Respect your sense of taste. Your body tells you the proper mix of nutrients it needs by giving you pleasure when consuming them.

Several factors can alter your sense of taste. First of all, processed foods contain chemicals that can dull your sense of taste. Not only are these chemicals toxic to your body, they affect your sense of taste for a lengthy amount of time. Stop eating processed foods in order to restore your sense of taste and your body’s proper balance.

Nutritional deficiencies can also alter your sense of taste. Consume a natural, balanced diet of a variety of whole foods, and your sense of taste will return. Toxins in your mouth can also affect how you taste your food. Good oral hygiene ensures that toxins will not hinder your sense of taste.

Your sense of smell gives you lots of information about the food you consume. To be in touch with your body’s intelligence, you must respect your sense of smell. By smelling your food, you learn if it is safe to eat, has been contaminated by chemicals, if it is fresh, and if it is suitable for your body’s immediate needs.

If it is something that your body needs at the moment, the food will smell very enticing. If the food is not something that will keep your body in balance, the food will not smell good to you. Enjoy the aromas of your food and feed your body properly!

Unfortunately, in today’s world many people have a damaged sense of smell due to chemicals and synthetic perfumes. Manmade chemicals that block the olfactory receptors in our noses surround us. Once the receptors are blocked, we are unable to smell new substances – even food!

Synthetic perfumes are found in laundry detergents, soaps, cleaning supplies, fragrant candles, air fresheners, and perfumes. To restore your sense of smell, eliminate fragrant chemicals in your living and working environments. With the absence of the chemicals, you will once again have your proper sense of smell, and you’ll be able to rely on your sense of smell to select your proper nutritional needs.

There are several nutritional deficiencies that cause people not to be able to smell. Call Terri to have this evaluated.

How do we nourish and feed ourselves properly? Each of us has a unique heredity, anabolic cycle, energy production, autonomic nervous system, acid/alkaline balance, and water and electrolyte balance. All of these factors affect what we need to eat and how our body processes the food.

Luckily, your body has an innate intelligence, and it tells you what it needs to be fed. In order to recognize what your body is communicating, you need to be in touch with your senses.

The first step to properly feeding yourself is listening to your body’s desire. Desire for a certain kind of food is your body’s way of telling you what it needs. Each time you become hungry, stop and ask yourself this question: “What would I desire to eat right now?” Avoid emotional eating of sugar, fat or large portions of food. Resist getting in your body’s way by deciding what you should eat.

Desire is your body’s innate intelligence letting you know what will keep it healthy, happy, and energized. If you eat what your body desires, you will digest the food well, and your body will maintain its state of proper balance.

It is important to avoid processed foods. In today’s world, we are surrounded by processed foods that are addictive. Listening to your body’s desire for food only applies to natural foods. Avoid all processed foods, and your body will only desire natural whole foods.