By Drew Mulvey MS, CDN
Last week, we focused on the importance of electrolytes. Electrolytes are defined as “a substance… that acquires the capacity to conduct electricity.” These substances are normally found in the blood and composed of potassium, magnesium, calcium, chloride, and sodium. Why is this important? Proper fluid-electrolyte balance is responsible for proper muscle function, particularly our most important one, the heart and imperative for proper brain function and liver detoxification when properly balanced. If these are out of whack, one can experience high blood pressure, muscle cramping, brain fog and dizziness, and an inability for the liver to properly flush out toxins.
As the summer months are coming into full swing, more of us will be outdoors and increasing our activity levels. This involves sweating more, in which you are losing sodium ions. Electrolytes can also become imbalanced during times of extreme stress and trauma. Therefore, it is important to replenish with all of these electrolytes to maintain proper balance. Does that mean we reach for the Gatorade? I would highly advise against that as it is a source of refined sugars or artificial sugar alcohols and several food dyes. Turn no further than the power of whole foods to help replete these electrolytes.
Potassium
When our muscles start to go into spasm it is almost second nature now that we hear “you need more bananas.” Why is this? Bananas are an excellent source of this vital electrolyte which helps to prevent cramping! Potassium is not only essential for this but plays a central role in energy production, nerve conduction, and fluid-electrolyte balance. The depletion of this nutrient can thus potentially lead to fatigue, muscle cramping, and high blood pressure.
Sources: virtually all fruits and veggies. The best sources are bananas, avocados, sweet potatoes, potatoes, green leafy veggies, coconut water, molasses, black beans, cantaloupe
Want to increase your potassium intake? Try this on for a potassium punch: Spinach Salad with Sweet Potato, Black Beans, and Avocado or try a potassium punch smoothie with banana, organic spinach, cantaloupe, avocado, and coconut milk.
**Recipe for the smoothie is located in my upcoming cookbook “The No-Title Cookbook”.**
Calcium
Calcium is not only beneficial for bone health but boasts of a myriad of health benefits for the body. Calcium plays a crucial role in the relaxation of the central nervous system, particularly when used in conjunction with magnesium, and nerve transmission and muscle contraction, particularly of the heart and skeletal muscles. Lack of this nutrient can result in high blood pressure, muscle cramps, and osteoporosis. If you thought that you only needed potassium for those muscle cramps, think again!
Sources: organic green leafy vegetables, tahini (sesame seeds), black beans, blackstrap molasses, organic, grass-fed dairy
Want to incorporate more calcium? Try making a tahini berry smoothie, have a nice grass-fed, organic parfait with organic fruit, or make a healthy gingerbread cookie to give your body an extra calcium boost!
Magnesium
If I had to pick a favorite electrolyte, I would pick this one. Magnesium, just like calcium, is important for nerve transmission, particularly that involving relaxation of the central nervous system, plays a key role in liver detoxification, increase absorption of calcium and helps prevent muscle cramping by relaxing smooth muscles. When we live in a world that is stressed, we could all use a little more of this nutrient. This is very beneficial with increased activity as it will keep your muscles from cramping during long rides, runs, and hikes and may help to improve recovery.
Sources: hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds, green leafy vegetables (virtually all green vegetables), avocados, broccoli, nuts such as almonds, buckwheat, quinoa.
Incorporate these in a green smoothie with pumpkin seeds or almond butter with berries, have a nice bowl of quinoa porridge paired with almonds for a morning delight or incorporate a large bowl of greens, almonds, avocado and quinoa on a nice salad.
Sodium
This has gotten a very bad rap recently due to the epidemic of high blood pressure and heart disease in this nation. Though you want to limit the amount that you do have, this is still a vital nutrient needed for optimal health and recovery after long workouts. Sodium is responsible for vasoconstriction, or the thinning of blood vessels which can increase heart rate but is also important for proper nerve and muscle function. Sodium is the first ion typically lost through the sweat and can also be depleted by drinking large amounts of water in a short amount of Hyponatremia, or low blood sodium can lead to symptoms of dizziness, fatigue, confusion and in severe cases hyponatremic encephalitis, a swelling of the brain cells that can later cause damage. Sodium works best in conjunction with potassium to regulate heart rhythm. Therefore, to keep everything in balance, I highly suggest pairing this with good sources of potassium or in the form of pink Himalayan sea salt, which contains almost 84 other microminerals.
Sources: pink Himalayan sea salt, seaweeds such as kombu, nori, wakame, organic potato chips, salted nuts, pickles.
As mentioned, sodium is beneficial when paired with potassium. Toss a little sea salt in coconut water for those long bouts of exercise to prevent cramping, add pickles or pickle juice in a potato salad or enjoy a starter of tomato soup.
Chloride
Let’s go swimming with this one! Wait, that is chlorine. We often think of a pool when we hear this one. It is also in our table salt, or sodium chloride. This may seem like it is up there with sodium of things to avoid, but it is very necessary. Chloride is responsible for the production of hydrochloric acid, or stomach acid. Digestion and assimilation of nutrients is essential for optimal health or one runs the risk of vitamin deficiencies. It is also responsible for proper This is found in common table salt but I would look to other whole food sources to get this nutrient.
Sources: seaweed, organic rye, organic tomatoes, organic celery, olives
For great digestion, start out your day with a celery juice, have a seaweed salad as part of your lunch or add a little salsa to your pastured eggs for a morning fiesta!
Now it is time to put everything together! Here is a fantastic dish to add to the dinner table for an electrolyte boost.
Fish Tacos with Black Beans and Mango Salsa
Makes 8 Tacos
Ingredients:
16 oz fresh wild-caught cod
1 lemon, juiced
Salt and pepper
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 can organic black beans, drained and rinsed
8 coconut flour tortillas
For the Mango Salsa
1 mediums mango, peeled and diced
½ medium Hass avocado, diced
¼ cup red onion, chopped and diced
1/8 tsp powdered garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Line a pan with aluminum foil and coat it with coconut oil. Place the fish on top and sprinkle it with salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes to allow the fish to marinate.
Set the oven to broil. Place the fish in the oven and cook it until completely white (about 5-10 minutes).
Drain and rinse the black beans and place them aside.
For the Mango Salsa
Peel a dice one medium, ripe mango into 1-inch cubes, and place them in a medium-sized bowl. Halve and depit one avocado.
With a spoon, separate the flesh from the fruit. Dice the avocado into 1-inch cubes and place them in the bowl with the mango.
Peel one red onion, slice into ½ inch increments, and dice into ½ in squares. Add these to the bowl with the mango along with the salt, pepper, and garlic powder, and mix until fully incorporated.
Place the tortillas on a large plate. Add the fish, followed but the black beans, and mango salsa. Top with fresh cilantro for a garnish.
Want to add a good source of chloride? Throw some organic salsa on top!
Want more gluten-free, nutrient-dense recipes that are both simple and delicious? Check out my upcoming cookbook “The No-Title Cookbook” set to be released in July of 2020. If you would like to preorder the cookbook, please message me directly.
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