Potassium is found in abundance in many foods, and is especially easy to obtain in fruits and vegetables

• Irregular heartbeat
• Nausea
• Slow, weak or absent pulse.

• Atherosclerosis
• Cataracts
• Dehydration
• Diabetes
• Hepatitis
• High Blood Pressure

Excellent sources of potassium include mushrooms, and spinach. Very good sources of potassium include fennel, kale, mustard greens, Brussel sprouts, broccoli, winter squash, blackstrap molasses, eggplant, cantaloupe, and tomatoes. Good sources of potassium include parsley, cucumber, bell pepper, turmeric,apricots, ginger root, strawberries, avocado, banana, tuna, halibut, cauliflower and cabbage.

Phosphorus for the Prosperous

This is important for me. You see, phosphorus is involved in ALL the cellular energy production cycles within the body. Adequate protein intake is essential in providing the needed phosphorus for increased energy production and reducing excess tissue calcium retention.

The best food sources of phosphorus are protein foods, such as meats, fish, poultry, eggs, milk and cheese. Other good sources include nuts, seeds and whole grains. Because phosphorus is contained in all animal foods, phosphorus deficiency is rare. However, overuse of antacids, excessive calcium intake and lack of vitamin D can all result in phosphorus deficiency. Signs of deficiency include anxiety, arthritis, impaired bone growth, irritability, loss of appetite, anemia, increased susceptibility to infection, numbness and tingling of the extremities and muscle weakness. Because phosphorus is so widespread in food, dietary phosphorus deficiency is rare.

Zing, Zing, Zinc

Zinc is involved in numerous aspects of cellular metabolism. It is required for the catalytic activity of approximately 100 enzymes and it plays a role in immune function, protein synthesis, wound healing, DNA synthesis, and cell division. Zinc also supports normal growth and development during pregnancy, childhood, and adolescence [6–8] and is required for proper sense of taste and smell. A daily intake of zinc is required to maintain a steady state because the body has no specialized zinc storage system.

Food Sources A wide variety of foods contain zinc. Oysters contain more zinc per serving than any other food, but red meat and poultry provide the majority of zinc in the diet. Other good food sources include beans, nuts, certain types of seafood (such as crab and lobster), whole grains, fortified breakfast cereals, and dairy products.

Zinc deficiency is characterized by growth retardation, loss of appetite, and impaired immune function. In more severe cases, zinc deficiency causes hair loss, diarrhea, delayed sexual maturation, impotence, hypogonadism in males, and eye and skin lesions. Weight loss, delayed healing of wounds , taste abnormalities, and mental lethargy can also occur. Many of these symptoms are non-specific and often associated with other health conditions; therefore, a medical examination is necessary to ascertain whether a zinc deficiency is present.

People with gastrointestinal and other diseases Gastrointestinal surgery and digestive disorders (such as ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, and short bowel syndrome) can decrease zinc absorption and increase endogenous zinc losses primarily from the gastrointestinal tract and, to a lesser extent, from the kidney. Other diseases associated with zinc deficiency include malabsorption syndrome, chronic liver disease, chronic renal disease, sickle cell disease, diabetes, malignancy, and other chronic illnesses. Chronic diarrhea also leads to excessive loss of zinc.

Vegetarians The bioavailability of zinc from vegetarian diets is lower than from non-vegetarian diets because vegetarians do not eat meat, which is high in bioavailable zinc and may enhance zinc absorption. In addition, vegetarians typically eat high levels of legumes and whole grains, which contain phytates that bind zinc and inhibit its absorption.

Vegetarians sometimes require as much as 50% more of the RDA for zinc than non-vegetarians. In addition, they might benefit from using certain food preparation techniques that reduce the binding of zinc by phytates and increase its bioavailability. Techniques to increase zinc bioavailability include soaking beans, grains, and seeds in water for several hours before cooking them and allowing them to sit after soaking until sprouts form. Vegetarians can also increase their zinc intake by consuming more leavened grain products (such as bread) than unleavened products (such as crackers) because leavening partially breaks down the phytate; thus, the body absorbs more zinc from leavened grains than unleavened grains.