HO-LY CRAP! This is why I love the internet.
I was talking about having the mother of all spasms, running over to a male coworker and having him myofascial-release it (finding it and poking HARD).
I get a lot of spasms due to my spine (blahblahblah: 4 herniations and crumbling discs in cervical spine, fusions in thorax and sciatica in lumbar ). I could do a post on PSPS but never you mind. Here’s my raison de blog:
Somebody said, ‘Getting enough potassium?’
I thought, ‘Pfft. Of course! I eat all this healthy stuff’ but like a reasonable person, I referred to my nutrition tracker.
OH NOESSSSSSSSSS!
On my BEST two days, it’s not hitting the recommended! I did some quick dumb-googling and found common sources: broccoli, citrus fruits, yogurt, lima beans, tomatoes
Super! I can’t eat any of those. You don’t want to hear the words I’m saying as I write this.
The upside is it’s also in red meats and salmon, which I eat daily. However, you can see what that’s providing. I’m overly-reactingly stunned!
I mean. SERIOUSLY. Anyhoozles, of course we all think about bananas and I can eat them, although they’re high in sugar. I like sugar…just saying.
OH! And here’s the thing, that’s the recommendation for anybody. If you’re a heavy-sweat-er (which I am, working out a lot or maybe you live in New Orleans), you need more.
I believe (as the completely-untrained medical faux-fessional that I am) that I fall into this category:
Moderate deficiency symptoms
Moderate symptoms of deficiency can easily go unnoticed due to their seemingly common nature. It is very easy to attribute feelings of weakness and fatigue to a hard day of work or increased daily stress. MedlinePlus as well as the Penn State College of Medicine report that symptoms of moderate potassium deficiency include weakness, fatigue, muscle cramps, constipation, changes in heartbeat, excessive thirst, frequent urination and slight confusion. If a person experiences these symptoms for greater than two to three days, he should contact a doctor.
Read more:
http://www.livestrong.com/article/271578-bodily-symptoms-of-low-potassium/#ixzz2K9nz7KSJ
I checked Mark’s Daily Apple (that’s a take it or leave it, like everything with me: I’m not 100% a follower of anything). This is a quote from a response he has (there’s much more at the site) to somebody with a lot of spasms:
Good sources of potassium include avocados, sweet potatoes, potatoes, bananas, chard, spinach, and many more. Fruits and vegetables are pretty much the best sources. Fresh meat has potassium, too, but opt for rarer meat over well-done meat, as the potassium is found in the juices. Potassium, then, is really easy to get through food. You just have to eat some plants. Animals are important too (it’s “plants and animals,” after all), but Primal Coconut water is another good (and delicious) source.
Good sources of magnesium include leafy greens, nuts, halibut, pumpkin seeds, but some people find it difficult to get enough magnesium through food. In your case (lots of cramping), taking a good supplement is probably warranted. It seemed to help pregnant women with pregnancy-related cramping in one study. As for which form to use, most people stick with one of the magnesium “-ates,” like citrate, glycinate, or malate. This guy, on the other hand, had great success with sublingual liquid magnesium.
I like these suggestions because they’re foods I eat or am willing to eat but again, I’m already eating them! I eat SHEDLOADS of leafy greens, nuts and fish! Anyway, I’m going to keep looking.
What’s your experience with potassium or mineral supplements?
-another good pointer. Shine on.
SHINING! I’m going to start saying that instead of ‘WINNING!’
I love my bananas…I eat one every single day. I also eat at least a half an avocado today. I should be getting plenty!
Banana has about 1/10th the recommended. It’s a little harder than you think!
Ooo, avocados should be my life-saver. I love them! This IS a good point!
When I have one, it tends to be smaller and I eat half. I’m wondering now about how great my data is — I love that site but it came back as 3C of swiss chard having ZERO. That can’t be!
I find it hard to verify a lot of these nutrition facts. I’m going to need to keep googling. A friend sent me a chart that said spinach has more protein than an egg. I am skeptical.
http://nutritiondata.self.com/
Is a GREAT place to look but their ‘label’ for chard shows none, then the paragraph next to it says excellent source. Grr. I’ve got a dr appointment NEXT Friday, so in 10-14 days, I’ll know. I’m not surprised if I’m NOT low cos symptoms could be attributed to anybody! That said, I have a history of malabsorption.
Wouldn’t a good starting point be to take a blood sample to check out if you really are low? Not that it’s going to harm you to eat the healthy stuff they’re suggesting, but I generally think that it’s a good idea to know what you’re up against before you start taking supplements for self-diagnosed stuff. Just a thought – and I hope you get rid of the spasms!
Bah, now I see your last comment – you *are* going to a doc. Reading comprehension fail on my part, sorry!
Thanks for your concern, though! In the US, it’s natural to avoid the dr. Even though I pay hundreds of dollars PER month for health insurance, this little foray will probably cost a out $500.
It’s easier to ASK for some advice from ppl who’ve gone through it, to avoid extra / needless drs or tests.
Also, it’s be cheaper to buy a $10 supplement and just SEE how I feel after a week or so.
That said, when I thought about it some more, I really wish she’d called for those tests as part of my physical in December! THAT is included once a year for no extra cost.