You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
<strong>BLUSH</strong> | HEALTH & FITNESS<br />
The human<br />
body has more<br />
calcium than any<br />
other mineral.<br />
for calcium is close<br />
to one in ten; for<br />
selenium, the figures<br />
are a quarter of the<br />
male population and<br />
almost a half of the<br />
female; and one in<br />
ten of us is missing<br />
out on magnesium.<br />
So where should<br />
we be looking to<br />
find the missing five?<br />
Well, the good news<br />
is that they are readily<br />
available in some<br />
foods that are also a<br />
joy to eat.<br />
ARE<br />
YOU<br />
Out?<br />
Here is Grape Tree’s guide to why we need<br />
five vital nutrients that we could be lacking, and<br />
which foods contain them...<br />
1. Magnesium<br />
As well as turning the food we eat into<br />
energy, magnesium is important for bone<br />
health. It also steadies the heart rhythm<br />
and regulates blood pressure. A deficiency<br />
can lead to muscle spasms, agitation and<br />
anxiety, sleep disorders, loss of appetite<br />
and fatigue.<br />
Missing<br />
How Much Do We Need? Men: 300mg<br />
a day. Women: 270mg a day.<br />
Where to<br />
Find It:<br />
Sources include<br />
green leafy<br />
vegetables,<br />
fish, meat, and<br />
dairy foods.<br />
Plant-based<br />
options also include nuts, wholegrains<br />
and lentils. Nuts are recommended<br />
as a source by the NHS. An ounce of<br />
brazils (a handful) contains over 100mgs<br />
of magnesium, a third of the daily<br />
requirement. The same weight of almonds<br />
or cashews serves up a quarter of the<br />
total advised. A handful of linseed or chia<br />
will each give you around 150mg. Quinoa<br />
has 60mgs in every 100gs.<br />
You have probably<br />
never given much<br />
consideration to what<br />
quantity of potassium<br />
you eat each day.<br />
Or selenium, or<br />
magnesium for that<br />
matter... but perhaps now is the time to<br />
pay attention, because these are three<br />
minerals that have vital roles to play in<br />
our nutrition and overall health. And yet<br />
millions of us in Britain simply do not<br />
consume enough of them, and many of us<br />
are also going short of iron and calcium.<br />
The National Diet and Nutrition<br />
Survey lists that more than a quarter of<br />
females have below the recommended<br />
levels for potassium and iron. The figure<br />
2. Potassium<br />
Potassium controls the balance of<br />
fluids in the body and is crucial to the<br />
working of the heart, brain, nerves<br />
and muscles. A deficiency can cause<br />
weakness and fatigue, muscle stiffness,<br />
aches and cramps, and irregular<br />
heartbeats.<br />
94 <strong>BLUSH</strong> | WINTER <strong>2019</strong><br />
sevenstarmedia.co.uk
Change language