CHOLESTEROL DIET SECRETS

Knowing what you eat is important, and knowing what to eat is even more important. Let's review two other essential minerals - magnesium and potassium.

Magnesium: Essential for Bones, Muscles & More

Magnesium is an essential mineral for your body. It facilitates calcium, vitamin C and E to be absorbed by your body, thus contributing to healthy bones and anti-oxidation (anti-aging) benefits. Magnesium is required for the production of cholesterol, which in turn is necessary for the production of hormones that keep our body functions regulated. Magnesium also has a calming effect on muscles, without which muscles would cramp up and the heart would enter into a fatal seizure. For this reason, athletes experience muscle spasms and convulsions if they do not get enough magnesium. Magnesium is also a key ingredient for the body to manufacture proteins which are the building blocks of cells. It is not hard to imagine that lacking magnesium, our body could not replace old cells with new ones fast enough, thereby accelerating the effects of aging.

Sources of magnesium:

  • Vegetables – tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, green peas, broccoli, turnip greens, kale, spinach, artichokes, green beans, lima beans, sweet potatoes.
  • Fruits – apricots, bananas, dates, grapes, oranges, grapefruit, mangoes, melons, peaches, pineapples, prunes, raisins, strawberries, tangerines.
  • Meat, Poultry, Fish – any of these is a rich source of magnesium. Take note that the cooking methods to preserve magnesium would be broil, roast, and boil. Do not fry.
  • Nuts – almonds, peanuts, mixed nuts, walnuts, sunflower seeds, kidney beans, lentils.

Remember – the refining processing destroys magnesium. You should eat fresh or raw food or utilize careful cooking methods if you wish to obtain the mineral through your diet. Otherwise, please consider taking high-quality health supplements that offer 'chelated' magnesium (chelated minerals are better absorbed by the body).

Potassium: Essential for Maintaining Healthy Blood Pressure

Potassium, together with sodium, maintains the blood pressure that enables our cells to receive nourishment from and discharge wastes into the blood stream. Without this delicate process of exchange, our cells cannot survive. Improper levels of potassium could cause our kidneys to overwork, leading to kidney failure. Potassium also alleviates muscle cramps and keeps the heart beating at a regular pace. Slow and/or irregular heartbeats have been cured by an increase in potassium consumption.

The good news is potassium is available from a wide variety of sources, most common being bananas. The sources rich in magnesium are also rich in potassium. Please refer to the above section for the list of food that could fill your daily potassium needs.

By the way, avoid consuming too much of the "three white poisons”, namely refined white flour, white sugar and white salt. These refined stuffs increase the excretion of potassium from your body.

To your health,

Nancy


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