This is the last week our special on Essential Electrolytes will be running, so I thought to use this blog post to share with you some of the ways I use Essential Electrolytes.  If any of you have additional information to share, please feel free to post in the comments section!

• On really hot, sweaty days (like today) I add half a scoop to a quart of ice water and sip on that while I’m working on the computer.
• On dry days in air conditioned offices (same goes for the dry winter air in heated offices) I do the same thing as above but without the ice.
• My husband likes to drink a heaping scoopful in about a pint of water before he goes surfing to help prevent muscle cramps.
• I drink half a scoop in a cup of water before I go to bed if I feel a headache coming on or I feel any kind of muscle cramping, including menstrual cramps.
• I offer a scoopful dissolved in a pint of ice water to friends who had one too many mai tais the night before.  Dehydration is a major cause of hangover!

Side note for parents of young children:

Pedialyte, the leading electrolyte replacement supplement for children, contains both Splenda and Acesulfame K (another nasty artificial sweetener) in all of its flavored varieties.  As of my online search today, the only artificial sweetener-free version of Pedialyte is the unflavored, so buy that one if you need to!  I would not recommend using Essential Electrolytes for infants and toddlers because the ratios of minerals and sugars are not right but it is appropriate as a Gatorade replacement for school-age children.  For younger ones, I would recommend coconut water with a pinch of Celtic salt or a homemade electrolyte replacement drink.  Most pediatricians will provide a recipe appropriate for your child you if you ask (one such recipe is 1 tsp salt and 4 oz. orange or apple juice in a quart of water).   

NOTE: This blog is for information only and is not intended to replace the advice of a qualified healthcare practitioner.  If you are being treated for a medical condition, please consult your doctor before taking any nutritional supplements.

Electrolytes (minerals such as sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium that conduct electricity in the body) play a vital role in blood pressure.  Below are a few interesting tidbits from studies on the subject.  References are listed at the bottom for all of you science nerds like me who want to look up the complete study.  Enjoy!

1. Salt intake does not necessarily cause high blood pressure in everyone – only about 30% of the American population is sensitive enough to sodium that it would affect blood pressure.  (Though I would still recommend eating Celtic salt as opposed to normal table salt to provide sodium in a natural balance of minerals!)
2. Dietary salt intake may be more likely to affect blood pressure if your dietary calcium levels are low.  This may be because calcium helps the body to get rid of excess sodium.
3. 50% of people with low magnesium levels (and many public health experts estimate that up to 80% of the US population doesn’t obtain enough magnesium in their diets) also have high blood pressure. 
4. People with high blood pressure who also have low magnesium levels require more blood pressure lowering medications than those with normal magnesium levels.
5. Most vegetarians have low blood pressure.  This is not necessarily caused by the avoidance of meat but by the fact that a vegetarian diet is naturally higher in potassium because so many plant foods are eaten.
6. The ratio of sodium to potassium in the diet may have more affect on blood pressure than the amount of either nutrient alone.  Those with a sodium/potassium ratio greater than 1.36 were most likely to have high blood pressure.  Those whose sodium/potassium ratio was 0.6 or less were least likely to develop high blood pressure.  While our Essential Electrolyte supplement does contain a small amount of sodium to replenish what would be lost while sweating, it does so in a sodium/potassium ratio of 0.55.

NOTE: This blog is for information only and is not intended to replace the advice of a qualified healthcare practitioner.  If you are being treated for high blood pressure, please consult your doctor before taking any nutritional supplements.

References
1. The Nutr Rep 9(8), August, 1991
2. Am J Clin Nutr 48:1463-70
3. Fed Proc 40(12):2672-9, 1981
4. J Am Coll Nutr 6(4):321-28, 1987
5. Am J Clin Nutr 37:755-762, 1983
6. J Hypertension 4(suppl5):S355-57, 1986

Most people have heard of electrolytes, whether in gym class or sports drink commercials, but may not be sure what exactly electrolytes are, other than some amorphous nutrient needed for supreme athletic performance.  Here are a few fun facts about electrolytes to help you make conversation around the sports drink cooler:

 Scientifically speaking, electrolytes are ions that conduct electricity.
 Nutritionally speaking, electrolytes are salts such as sodium, potassium, and chloride as well as minerals such as calcium and magnesium.
 In cells, electrolytes conduct the electrical charges that make life possible.  This is why conditions associated with increased loss of electrolytes (i.e. heatstroke) are so serious.
 Electrolytes regulate nerve impulses and muscle movement.
 Electrolytes keep the acid-alkaline balance of the body in check.
 You don’t need to sweat to lose electrolytes – stress is another major cause of electrolyte imbalance.

I’ll be blogging on electrolytes for the rest of the month while our Essential Electrolyte drink is on sale.  If you have any specific questions about electrolytes, please post them in the Comments section and I’ll address them in my blogs.  Thanks for reading!

During sandal season I get a lot of questions about how to deal with toenail fungus – especially from guys, who don’t have the luxury of covering it up with nail poish during the summer months.  My advice is to just wear high-cut black socks with their sandals like tourists do on their Hawaii vacations.  Just kidding!  Here are a few home remedies that may help with minor cases of nail fungus.  They can be used together or one at a time – whatever works best for you!

• Give your nails as much air as possible.  This means removing nail polish, exposing your nails to sunlight whenever you can, and keeping nails clean and dry.  Fungus thrives in dark, moist areas.

• Eliminate fungus from within by correcting the balance of healthy bacteria in your body through diet and a probiotic supplement.  If your body is in balance, it is less likely that fungus and other unwanted organisms will grow.  The best type of diet to promote the balance of healthy bacteria is a whole foods diet that is low in sugar and refined carbs and rich in cultured and fermented foods.  See the book The Body Ecology Diet by Donna Gates for more info. 

• Apply a mix of apple cider vinegar diluted 1:1 with water to the top of the affected nail and blot it around the edges and underneath the nail also (this is where the fungus originates).  Use this mixture in the evening before you go to bed and first thing in the morning.  For more severe cases of fungus, soak the nail in this solution for 30 minutes twice daily.  Many people start to see results after a month of use.  Please do not apply undiluted vinegar to nails as it may cause discoloration.

• Apply 3% hydrogen peroxide (this is the concentration you buy at the drug store) to the affected nail with a cotton ball twice daily.  If this concentration stings, try diluting it 1:1 with water.  Many people start to see results within 1 week, with the added benefit of the HP lightening discolored nails due to fungus or use of nail polish.

• Rub a few drops of coconut oil mixed with a few drops of tea tree oil (can be purchased at most health food stores) into the affected nail and the surrounding area twice daily.  This mixture has anti-fungal properties, will help to soften and condition the nail, and the rubbing motion gives the added benefit of bringing more blood flow to the affected area for faster healing.

Please remember that nails take months to re-grow, so be patient and give yourself some time to heal!  And if any of you readers out there have found home remedies for nail fungus that worked for you and are not listed above, please share them in the comments section.  Thanks for reading!

NOTE: This blog is for information only and is not intended to replace the advice of a qualified healthcare practitioner.  If you have toenail fungus causing pain or nail loss please consult your doctor.

We have a baby in our household, which is like a beacon of light attracting all the children in the neighborhood who want a living toy to play with on summer vacation.  I definitely don’t mind it – our little boy loves the attention and spends most of his visiting time smiling and laughing. 

An unanticipated side effect of all of these visits is that my house has also become the band-aid dispensary when one of the kids scrapes their knee after falling off their bike.  There are a couple of tricks I use in these cases, and I wanted to share them with you to help you prevent scarring after skin injuries.

- First, wash the area well with soap and water.  I am not a fan of antibacterial soap, as most of it contains triclosan, a know hormone disruptor.  I just use regular castile soap and plenty of warm water.  The action of washing removes debris and bad bacteria without also destroying all the good, protective bacteria on the skin the way that antibacterial soap would.

- Most skin injuries repair better if they are kept slightly moist with ointment, but I don’t keep antibacterial first aid ointments in my home for the same reasons mentioned above about antibacterial soap.  For light scrapes, I rub a little bit of coconut oil onto the wound to promote softening and healing of the skin.  For cuts or scrapes that are a little more intense, I actually apply a dab of extra strength diaper rash ointment (I keep Desitin or Balmex in the house).  This might sound like a weird thing to do, but diaper rash ointment contains zinc, which helps skin to repair and has the added benefit of being a natural sunblock (avoiding sun on scrapes also helps to prevent scarring).

- Finally, cover the area with a bandage to be sure the ointment soaks in rather than rubbing off on clothes.

These instructions work well for all kinds of mild skin injuries including cuts, scrapes, and even injuries associated with acne and blistering sunburn.  For deeper wounds, cuts requiring stitches, skin injuries that may be infected, or puncture wounds, please consult your doctor!

It’s July, which in this hemisphere means it’s a great time to show some skin!  Here are five foods to include in your diet to help your skin glow:

1. Eggs, which supply skin-strengthening protein in the whites and a plethora of skin-friendly nutrients in the yolk.  Egg yolks contain biotin, a B vitamin that helps keep skin plump, and are a rich source of vitamin A, which helps your skin to produce fresh, new cells.

2. Oysters, which are a rich source of zinc.  This mineral makes skin stronger, prevents scarring, and helps to balance hormones involved in breakouts.  Oysters (along with all seafood) also contain omega 3 fats, which fight inflammation and help skin maintain an even appearance. 

3. Red bell pepper, which supplies vitamin C.  Vitamin C is necessary for formation of collagen – a protein that is found in all connective tissue including skin and blood vessels (as well as injected into the lips of movie stars).  Adequate intake of vitamin C encourages the body to produce collagen, which helps the skin to repair and prevents the formation of wrinkles.

4. Brazil nuts, which are an excellent source of selenium.  This mineral is the active ingredient in many dandruff shampoos.  When eaten in foods, it may help to improve the quality of skin, hair, and nails.

5. Green tea, which is a rich source of antioxidants and polyphenols.  These nutrients protect the skin from the effects of free radicals and may even help to lighten and reduce the appearance of age spots and sun damage.

As a garden vegetable, kale is an all around winner.  It is easy to grow, has great taste, and is an attractive plant which can add beauty to your garden.  From a nutritional standpoint, it is a super-food loaded with nutrients and compounds such as beta-carotene, vitamin A and vitamin C.  It is rich in minerals such as iron, manganese, calcium and potassium and has sulfur containing phytonutrients. 

Kale is related to collard greens and the cabbage family.  It is a cool / cold weather plant that can be seeded as soon as the soil can be worked in early spring for late spring or early summer harvest.  It can also be seeded in late summer or early fall for harvest throughout the winter.  Its taste will actually improve when it has been nipped by a frost.  However, it will turn rather bitter when temperatures heat up.

We decided to give kale a try last fall and the result was a great learning experience for us.   Over the last few years we have endeavored to extend the growing season into the late fall and early winter by using row covers and cold frames.  We planted the kale in late September with the hope of harvesting young leaves from the plants throughout the winter months.   The garden bed was under a covered hoop tunnel to protect the crop from the extreme winter temperatures that are possible here.  Then it began to snow and snow and snow! These repeated heavy snows resulted in the hoop tunnel collapsing on the garden bed.  Our kale was hopelessly buried and the row cover was now frozen to the ground.

In March of this year the snow and ice melted enough to where we were able to get the row cover off the garden bed.  The crop was matted down, but seemed to be alive.  It wasn’t long before this valiant warrior plant began springing (no pun intended) to life.  The end result was a bountiful harvest of this fresh, tasty green throughout the spring.

Kale is a versatile vegetable which adds a unique flavor to salads.  It can be added to soups and omelets; it can be braised or sautéed with onions and garlic.  Kale is also easily dried and stored, and wonderful for adding to soups, etc.   There is a great recipe for making baked kale chips which literally melt in your mouth.  Do a Google Search for kale chips and for other great recipes.

About the authors: Ken and Bernie have a love for the land and a drive to be good stewards of that which they have been entrusted.  Their garden is located on a pristine, beautiful little corner of Marilyn Farms that is buffered on all sides from any conventional type of farming or gardening.  What started out as a little tomato patch of six plants in 1991 has since evolved into a raised-bed garden of about 20 plots all worked by hand.

Earlier this week I was talking with a friend whose skin scars easily about the possibility that she needed more zinc in her diet.  Zinc is absolutely necessary for “knitting together” the proteins involved in healing injuries to the skin, so low levels of zinc would make it more likely for skin to scar. 

Here are a few other signs that a person may need to boost zinc intake:
• Skin that is unusually prone to sunburn (after taking into account fairness of skin)
• Skin that takes an abnormally long time to heal from everyday cuts and scrapes
• Peeling or bleeding of the skin around the fingernails (and also white spots on the fingernails that are not related to trauma)
• Rough skin
• Lowered sense of taste or smell
• Lack of appetite
• Lowered desire for protein foods
• Lowered immunity or feeling like you’re “catching every bug that comes along”
• Frequent yeast infections

Most people can obtain adequate levels of zinc by eating several servings daily of protein-rich foods, which are usually a natural source of zinc.  However, some people may be at risk for lower zinc levels.  A few things that can cause zinc levels to be low include:
• Vegetarian or low-protein diet
• Use of medications that lower zinc including birth control pills, diuretics, and gout medications
• Frequent exposure to copper, such as those who work with copper pipe or copper wire in the workplace

If you are unable to obtain adequate zinc from your diet and need to supplement, look for a zinc supplement that contains zinc that is attached to amino acids – this is a highly absorbable type of supplemental zinc.  To find out more about the many roles zinc plays in health as well as amounts obtained from various foods, visit the Linus Pauling Micronutrient Center’s entry on zinc. 

NOTE: Please consult with your doctor before taking any nutritional supplements.  This blog is not intended to replace the advice of a qualified healthcare practitioner.

Most of us know that vitamin D is produced when sunlight hits our skin.  However, many of us don’t know just how important vitamin D is to our health.  Here are some interesting facts:

• Flu season happens during the months when sunlight exposure is minimal and vitamin D levels are low.  Given vitamin D’s immune modulating effects, it’s hard to imagine this is just coincidence!
• Maintaining adequate vitamin D levels protects against lymphoma, prostate cancer, lung cancer, colon cancer, and – surprisingly – skin cancer. 
  Chronic pain syndromes such as fibromyalgia and arthritis have been linked to low vitamin D levels.
• Without sufficient vitamin D, your body cannot absorb calcium through your intestines.  This is why so many calcium supplements also contain vitamin D.
• Sunscreen (even weak sunscreens) impair the skin’s ability to synthesize vitamin D, which is why it is recommended to spend at least a few minutes each day in the sun without sunscreen.
• Chronic low vitamin D levels may cause an imbalance of melatonin in the body, leading to sleep disturbance.
• It is estimated that 40% of the US population is vitamin D deficient.
• Your levels of vitamin D can be checked with a simple blood test ordered by your family doctor (be sure to ask for “serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 level” which checks the level of activated vitamin D in your body).

This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the importance of vitamin D.  For more information on the subject as well as links to research studies, please visit the Vitamin D Council’s website.

As I write this blog, U.S. negotiators are at an international Codex conference discussing labeling laws for genetically modified foods (also referred to as GMOs – genetically modified organisms).  I have a background in DNA research and used to create genetically modified bacteria in the lab so I consider myself a relatively informed consumer when it comes to genetic modification.  There are many reasons I am concerned about GMOs ending up in our food supply, which I won’t get into here.  I will, however, provide you with some links to learn more about the subject!

Here is a website that does a great job of simply explaining the risks of eating GMOs.  It also has a page that you can use to email politicians that are involved in the Codex conference I mentioned above:
http://www.responsibletechnology.org/GMFree/Home/index.cfm

If you are like me and already know how you feel about GMOs, here is a website that provides information on how to navigate your way through the grocery store.  They even provide a handy one-page pdf file that you can print out and bring with you on shopping trips to help identify name brands that may contain GMOs.
http://www.nongmoshoppingguide.com/SG/Home/index.cfm

Happy eating!