Can you tell me the foods rich in magnesium?

Magnesium is an essential mineral for human health. More than 300 enzymes in the body contain magnesium and thus it is important for several metabolic functions. It is vital for the contraction and relaxation of muscles, involved in the synthesis of protein, supports calcium in bone formation and plays a role in regulating the blood pressure are the few from many to mention. The recommended daily requirements of magnesium for adult women and men are 310 and 400 mg respectively. Pregnant women and breastfeeding women need 360 to 400 mg daily. But, only few get their required magnesium from their food. Almost no one takes so much of magnesium from the diet. Therefore, it is important to know the foods rich in magnesium.

Try to include magnesium rich foods daily in your diet. The foods rich in magnesium include:

• Halibut
• Tuna
• Pumpkin and squash seeds
• Beans, black
• Beans, kidney
• Beans, Lima
• Beans, navy
• Beans, Pinto
• Soy beans
• Okra
• Groundnuts
• Almonds
• Brazil nuts
• Cashew nuts
• Pine nuts
• Walnut
• Coconut
• Banana
• Rockfish
• Scallop
• Oysters
• Soy milk
• Tofu
• Barley
• Brown rice
• Oat bran
• Buckwheat
• Wholegrain wheat
• Corn meal
• Broccoli
• Artichokes
• Beet, green
• Chickpeas
• Cowpeas
• Peas, frozen
• Lentils
• Figs, dried
• Prunes
• Yogurt, low fat
• Sweet potatoes
• Potatoes
• Tomato paste

Meat, egg and milk contain only less magnesium.
If you think you are not getting enough magnesium from food you can go for supplements. You must consult with your doctor before taking it because the following points must be considered:

• Excess magnesium has side effects
• Interferes with many medicines, can decrease or increase their effects

People with heart or kidney disease should not take magnesium supplements except under their doctor’s supervision. Be careful with children and do not give them magnesium supplements without doctor’s prescription.

If you have muscle cramps it is not always the magnesium deficiency. Low dehydration can also cause muscle cramps. It is better to drink a glass of water and wait for few minutes. 90% get immediate relief.

If you want to test your magnesium status in your blood ask your clinical laboratory to estimate the magnesium level in the red blood cells. The blood plasma has always the normal level as it is compensated regularly from the red blood cells if there is loss or deficiency. Thus the plasma level is useless.

Drinking water; how much must I drink in a day?

This is a very good question. Everybody knows water is important, but many drink less due to many reasons. We should not forget pure drinking water is the number 1 food for us. 60% of our body consists of water. Without water, there is no cell function and the body has no chance to live. The loss of water from your body is called dehydration. If 5% of the body water is lost we are totally tired and 15% water loss means sure death. Many have cramps in their leg muscles. Tons of Magnesium tablets are sold to relieve this. Do you know the easy way to come out from this difficult situation of muscle cramps? Drink immediately two glasses water and you can see how quickly the muscle cramps vanish.

The toxins and other wastes from your body must be removed continuously. The nutrients must be sent to all cells in your body and all these cannot function without water. Human body is not a closed system where there is no loss of water. There are continuous loss of water from our body due to breath, sweat, urine and bowel movements. The loss depends upon your work, the temperature and your health condition. Therefore, the water requirement of a person is individual. It is easy to understand that a person who sits in an air conditioned room loses less water than a person who is working in the building industry in the hot sun.

The skin needs moisture. Ear, nose, throat tissues and vagina need a moist environment to be healthy. Water is the most important for this moistening function.

You have to drink water regularly. Thirst means the dehydration has started already. The average persons must drink 2 to 3 liters of fluid everyday and 70% of that must be pure drinking water. It is told that 20% of the fluid intake comes from the food. It is correct when the meal contains enough vegetables and fruits. If you mostly eat processed or fast or junk food it is not the case.

More exercises, more physical activities and more sweating means, the body needs more water and this must be drunk. It is easy to find out from your dietician the required amount of water to you.

If you have kidney or other health problems consult with your doctor for the amount to drink. Pregnant women and breast feeding women need more water than others. The recommendations are:

• Healthy persons – 2.4 liters (8 cups)
• Pregnant – 2.7 liters (9 cups)
• Breast feeding women – 3.9 liters (13 cups)
• Others, according to their needs

If you drink enough the urine amount in a day may be approximately 1.5 liters and the color of the urine must be colorless to very light yellow. If you take vitamin B complex or other food supplements the vitamin B2 gives an intensive yellow color to the urine. This should not be mistaken as dehydration. I have seen persons who drank 6 or 7 liters and came to me afterwards and the villain was vitamin B2.

Too much of water is not healthy and it is important to consult your dietician at least once to find the optimum requirement.

Coffee and tea can be drunk, but not excessively. Fresh or packed fruit juices without additives and sugar are very good. Now and then you can have some soft drink. Soft drinks with artificial sweeteners must be avoided completely.

Now, I have given you all the information. Tell me how much fluid intake is optimum for you…