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.

Since I am anticipating the start of 2013, I could not help but begin looking for new, healthy recipes, especially ones that will be easy to store and have on hand for the week. Two clients shared this recipe with me. I tried this Detox Salad, and I loved it with the recommended dressing.

This salad contains a powerhouse of nutrients. I could not begin to figure out all the nutrients this salad contains in just one cup/serving. Of course, I recommend using all organic ingredients for the highest nutritional concentration of good, clean food. It does take a little work to prepare, and having a food processor makes it much easier than doing all the chopping by hand. This delicious, nutritious salad is definitely worth the work!

Initially, I made ½ the recipe, and I ate a cup each day for a week. Try it for yourself!

Detox Salad (adapted from Oh She Glows Detox Salad). Makes about 12 cups.

1 Bunch Carrots (approximately ¾ pound of carrots after the greens are removed)
2 Bunches Broccoli
1 Head Cauliflower
3-4 Leaves Kale
Approximately ½ cup fresh parsley (more if you prefer)
½ cup sunflower seeds
½ cup raisins
1 cup currants (Raisins may be substituted if necessary)

Chop all ingredients and combine in a bowl. Or, use a food processor, if you prefer.

Tahini Dressing: mixes well in the food processor
2/3 cup Tahini nut butter
2/3 cup filtered water
½ cup freshly squeezed lemons
1-1.5 teaspoons salt

Enjoy these recipes together on a daily basis, and begin detoxing anytime.


Photo: courtesy doughingrogue.com

This year I have been very organized for the holidays. I am looking forward to the family celebrations, but I am looking forward to the dawning of 2013. Even if we avoid falling off the fiscal cliff and other disasters, the world will be different in 2013. I feel that the new year will bring a more balanced and less chaotic world. By starting – or continuing – to strive for health in our physical bodies, there are always options to consider for improvement.

When you start, increase, or adjust your exercise program in January, most people will experience some initial muscle soreness. I have found numerous benefits to physical exercise and working with a trainer. The trainers I work with are always finding ways to work different muscles, and my muscles seem to speak to me when I begin moving in a new way. Muscle soreness or pain can easily – and naturally – be relieved without drugs. One way is to use ginger.

A study recently published in The Journal of Pain finds that daily doses of ginger are effective for relieving muscle pain following strenuous exercise:

Researchers from the University of Georgia and Georgia College and State University followed 74 student volunteers who performed 18 assigned exercises for 11 consecutive days while taking ginger supplements. The students were divided into three groups, each of which was given either raw ginger, heated ginger, or a placebo. While the authors expected the heated ginger would be more effective than the raw, the results show both versions similarly beneficial in reducing the level of muscle pain by 23 to 25 percent.

Ginger contains anti-oxidant compounds known as gingerols, which have powerful anti-inflammatory properties. In addition to reducing muscle pain from exercise, they have been shown to reduce pain and swelling, and improve mobility in those suffering from osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

Try this delicious and refreshing cold ginger drink to soothe your sore muscles after exercise, as well as to take advantage of ginger’s other healing properties:

Iced Ginger Tea

1 pound fresh ginger root
2 quarts water
Juice of 2 limes
Maple Syrup to taste

Directions: Peel the fresh ginger, grate and mix it with water in a large pot. Bring to a boil & simmer for 5 minutes. Cover and turn off heat. Let steep for 24 hours. Strain the liquid through a fine mesh sieve. Add the lime juice and maple syrup. Stir until dissolved.

Courtesy of Greenmedinfo.com

With the switch from daylight savings time to standard time, it always takes me several days to adjust my sleep, eating, and mood. The change causes me to miss the daylight, and I realize that the shorter daylight time means we are on our way into the darkest time of the year. In just a few days, my entire psyche adjusts to the change. Some others do not adjust so quickly, and this may contribute to the winter blues.

If you are depressed, have a low mood most days, or are taking anti-depression meds, you may not be doing all you can to boost your mood. Take this opportunity to make several lifestyle behavioral changes to help improve your mood during the winter months. Let’s begin by examining your food plan.

1) Include plenty of “good” oils high in ethyl-eicosapentaenoic (labeled EPA) in your food plan; these can be consumed as supplements, ocean fish, or both. These oils are necessary for all ages, including children (as studies reported in the British Journal of Psychiatry, Acta Psychiatry Scandinavia, and the American Journal of Psychiatry).

2) Eat 5-9 servings of fruits and vegetables each day. Reduce your carbohydrates intake.

3) In order to have enough Tyrosine and Tryptophan, which are necessary to produce brain hormones, you must eat enough protein.

4) Avoid vitamin deficiencies, such as in Folic Acid, Niacin, and Vitamin B6, by consuming enough green, leafy vegetables, organic eggs, and local grass fed meats and poultry.

5) Include nuts and seeds as snacks. Be sure to avoid carbohydrates as snacks.

6) Exercise is always a must. Find something you love to do, and make it a habit!

These six lifestyle changes are all essential to support brain chemistry and balance your mood during these days that have shortened daylight. It can be easy to feel better and be in a better mood. Make an appointment with me to discuss more ways to promote well being during the winter months.

Most everyone over 25 years of age has probably seen spider veins on some part of their legs. Spider veins are small clusters of veins close to the skin’s surface. They are a dark red or purplish color, and some look worse than others. Spider veins are primarily located in the legs. The wall of these small veins weakens due to weight gain, lack of exercise, pregnancy, and nutritional deficiencies.

Follow these steps to eliminate spider veins!

1) Take a picture of your spider veins. This is especially easy to do with cell phone cameras.

2) Eat ¾ cup of organic blueberries daily. Mix them with yogurt, top your breakfast cereal with the berries, or just eat them out of a dish.

3) As you continue to eat the blueberries, take a monthly picture of your spider veins. You will be amazed as you watch them fade from month to month.

4) Want the spider veins to be gone forever? Keep eating those organic blueberries. Let it become a daily habit, and your legs will look great in shorts next spring or even before!
 

If you don’t have spider veins, eat your blueberries for the health of it (not to mention the delicious taste)!

Organic blueberries are beneficial to us in many, varied ways. They are packed full of antioxidants, particularly anthocyanin, which make them a nutrient dense food. They have a higher antioxidant concentration than any other fruit!

Organic blueberries help the production of nitric oxide. Nitric oxide dilates the blood vessels, improving circulation, nervous system function, and memory. Who would not want to better support these body systems?!

In only one cup of blueberries, you will receive 36% of your daily requirement of Vitamin K, 25% of your needed Manganese, 24% of your Vitamin C, and 14% of your daily fiber. Blueberries are also low in calories. One cup of blueberries has a mere 84 calories.

Organic blueberries are available year round. Why not add them to your food plan today? We know food is medicine, and we are what we eat.

Next week: learn how blueberries affect broken down veins in the legs.

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.

Fingernails are indicative of a person’s nutritional health. Not only can your nails show possible nutrient deficiencies, but also digestive problems.

Check out the list of nail and nail bed symptoms to see if they apply to your nails:

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.