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Muscle cramps can develop as a result of overuse of the muscle, dehydration, strain or simply from holding a position for too long. Whatever the cause, they can be painful!
What causes it and what can we do about it? Can we eat things that will help? What we eat is important as the body gets the nutrition it needs from our food. We have a smoothie recipe that may help.
What causes cramp?
A staff writer at the MayoClinic tells us that …
Although most muscle cramps are harmless, some may be related to an underlying medical condition, such as:
Inadequate blood supply. Narrowing of the arteries that deliver blood to your legs (arteriosclerosis of the extremities) can produce cramp-like pain in your legs and feet while you’re exercising. These cramps usually go away soon after you stop exercising.
Nerve compression. Compression of nerves in your spine (lumbar stenosis) also can produce cramp-like pain in your legs. The pain usually worsens the longer you walk. Walking in a slightly flexed position — such as you would use when pushing a shopping cart ahead of you — may improve or delay the onset of your symptoms.
Mineral depletion. Too little potassium, calcium or magnesium in your diet can contribute to leg cramps. Diuretics — medications often prescribed for high blood pressure — also can deplete these minerals.
So what can we do about it?
What can we do about muscle cramps?
Firstly, you should consult your doctor or medical professional if you have a medical condition.
Thankfully, most people can improve their essential mineral levels through the consumption of healthy, natural foods.
Including enough potassium-rich foods in your diet can help – although that is only one factor. When we think of potassium food sources it’s often bananas that come to mind first. However, there are many foods that provide potassium in our diet and some have more than bananas.
Excellent sources of potassium-rich foods include: beet greens, swiss chard, spinach and bok choy.
Very good sources include: beets, Brussel sprouts, broccoli, tomatoes, asparagus, cabbage, carrots, summer squash, kale, celery, Romaine lettuce and bell peppers.
The list of good sources is even longer and includes: potatoes & sweet potatoes, lima, pinto & kidney beans, lentils, dried peas and green peas, cod, tuna, salmon & sea vegetable, avocado, banana, cashews, dates, papaya, oranges, strawberries, kiwi and raspberries, to name but a few! Plus chocolate … Yay!
Just a quick pointer here: avoid boiling vegetables as this depletes potassium levels.
Now, while you may not want to put fish in your smoothies, there is a huge variety of fruit and vegetables that will work really well, so just think of the variety of smoothies you can have!
So, how much potassium do we need? Here are some guidelines …
In 2004, the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) set Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) levels for potassium. Specifically, these levels were Adequate Intake (AI) levels for different age and gender groups as follows:
0-6 months: 400 mg
7-12 months: 700 mg
1-3 years: 3,000 mg
4-8 years: 3,800 mg
9-13 years: 4,500 mg
19+ years: 4,700 mg
Pregnant women: 4,700 mg
Lactating women: 5,100 mg
The article at WHFoods also deals with:
Impact of Cooking, Storage and Processing
Risk of Dietary Deficiency
Relationship with Other Nutrients
Recipe: Potassium-Rich Smoothie
Serves 2
Ingredients:
1/2 cup raw Cashews, soaked
2 large Dates (or 3 small), pitted
1 Avocado
1 Banana, fresh or frozen
2 tbsp. raw Cacao powder
pinch sea Salt
1 1/2 cups Coconut Milk
1/2 cup Ice cubes
Check out the CleanProgram website for the directions.
For another smoothie with a good source of potassium see our Papaya Kefir Smoothie which is part of our post How to Get Maximum Benefit from the Food You Eat
Source: MayoClinic; WHFoods
Recipe Source: CleanProgram
Photo: DrinkMeHealthy
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