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Low Energy?? Some things to look at.
I was replying to another discussion, when I realized that those of us interested in adrenal issues could benefit from this info too.
We are bio-electrical beings, and so in a very real sense each of our cells, and indeed our entire bodies, are "battery-operated." Every cell in our bodies has a sodium-potassium pump. These are the big two electrolytes, though there are others. As we are bio-electical, even with enough fuel (calories/fat/carbs), we can still have low energy if our cell batteries don't have what they need to function, specifically, water and positive and negative ions (electrolytes).
A very large percentage of us, run around in a state of chronic dehydration, low to high or very high. So first, if you're feeling fatigued, try upping your water intake. Two liters a day is a good start, but most of us need more than that, especially if we exercise.
Most all of us get plenty to too much sodium in our diets. So my next recommendation is to make sure you're getting enough potassium. The Reference Daily Intake (or Recommended Daily Intake), abbreviated as RDI, is 4,700mg a day. NOTE: this is significantly higher than the old RDA (Recommended Dietary Allowance or Recommended Daily Allowance) of 3,500mg. Just a note here, many critics view the old RDA as conservative and as listing amounts that were just what was needed to avoid illness, rather than the amounts required to promote optimal health.
Still RDA or RDI, this amount of potassium can be hard to obtain from diet alone; but here's a helpful tip: look for foods that have a sodium to potassium ration of 1:3 or higher (that's one part sodium to three or more parts potassium).
Take a look at Vega's WFHO and you'll see it has 0mg of sodium and 1,500mg of potassium. Bam! One serving and you're well on your way to getting enough potassium.
Another tip, go for high-water-content foods (fruits and vegetables), and you'll find you're doing well with the ratios too. A notable exception is the lovely avocado. It's not what I would call juicy, but it's jam-packed with potassium.
Hands down, the best site I've ever found on potassium is this one:
http://www.krispin.com/potassm.html
They have a formula for determining your ideal potassium intake, listings for potassium content in foods, recipes, and more.
Now I'll warn you that he does talk about eating non-vegan foods and eating gluten-containing foods, though you certainly don't have to. If you keep reading it, you'll get to a part where he says what to do if you're not eating those things, so you can just go "la,la,la, I can't hear you" on those first parts. ;)
For more info on the sodium-potassium pump, you can look here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Na%2B/K%2B-ATPase
To Thriving!
We are bio-electrical beings, and so in a very real sense each of our cells, and indeed our entire bodies, are "battery-operated." Every cell in our bodies has a sodium-potassium pump. These are the big two electrolytes, though there are others. As we are bio-electical, even with enough fuel (calories/fat/carbs), we can still have low energy if our cell batteries don't have what they need to function, specifically, water and positive and negative ions (electrolytes).
A very large percentage of us, run around in a state of chronic dehydration, low to high or very high. So first, if you're feeling fatigued, try upping your water intake. Two liters a day is a good start, but most of us need more than that, especially if we exercise.
Most all of us get plenty to too much sodium in our diets. So my next recommendation is to make sure you're getting enough potassium. The Reference Daily Intake (or Recommended Daily Intake), abbreviated as RDI, is 4,700mg a day. NOTE: this is significantly higher than the old RDA (Recommended Dietary Allowance or Recommended Daily Allowance) of 3,500mg. Just a note here, many critics view the old RDA as conservative and as listing amounts that were just what was needed to avoid illness, rather than the amounts required to promote optimal health.
Still RDA or RDI, this amount of potassium can be hard to obtain from diet alone; but here's a helpful tip: look for foods that have a sodium to potassium ration of 1:3 or higher (that's one part sodium to three or more parts potassium).
Take a look at Vega's WFHO and you'll see it has 0mg of sodium and 1,500mg of potassium. Bam! One serving and you're well on your way to getting enough potassium.
Another tip, go for high-water-content foods (fruits and vegetables), and you'll find you're doing well with the ratios too. A notable exception is the lovely avocado. It's not what I would call juicy, but it's jam-packed with potassium.
Hands down, the best site I've ever found on potassium is this one:
http://www.krispin.com/potassm.html
They have a formula for determining your ideal potassium intake, listings for potassium content in foods, recipes, and more.
Now I'll warn you that he does talk about eating non-vegan foods and eating gluten-containing foods, though you certainly don't have to. If you keep reading it, you'll get to a part where he says what to do if you're not eating those things, so you can just go "la,la,la, I can't hear you" on those first parts. ;)
For more info on the sodium-potassium pump, you can look here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Na%2B/K%2B-ATPase
To Thriving!
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