That's Fit

A diet heavy in proteins and cereal grains can cause blood to become too acidic, causing muscle tissue to waste away. Add fruits and veggies to your eating routine, though, and your body's pH will turn more alkaline. Potassium is the secret.

RealAge recommends we get at least 3,000 mg of potassium every day but suspects they'll recommend even more after reviewing the latest science. The government currently advises we get 4,700 mg. One caution: Don't start taking a potassium supplement without first consulting your physician -- too much of this mineral can be toxic.

If peaches aren't your fruit of choice, check out the following gallery for some other great potassium sources.

I've admitted a number of times before that I'm a blurb reader. I like punchy, to-the-point bits of information, usually served in terse and mostly prosaic turns of phrase. This is probably why I'm such a fan of ESPN's Plays of the Day, the rapid-fire sports talk show Pardon the Interruption, and the Facts of Life blurbs that appear in every edition of Men's Health magazine.

With respect to the last of the three, the most recent issue of Men's Health does its usual good job of entertaining those of us with a thirst for information but short attention spans. Here are this month's Facts of Life:

26. Percentage of men who know all major signs of a heart attack.

180. Average number of days annually you have to experience a headache for it to be considered "chronic."

1 in 11. Number of online personals that are ripped directly from the online personals of other internet daters.

19.9. Average amount, in ounces, of a single restaurant serving of soda. The official FDA serving size: 8 ounces

3,114. Amount of potassium, in milligrams, the average guy consumes daily -- nearly 1,600mg less than the RDA

For some people, merely talking about exercise seemingly causes their muscles to grow. For the rest of us mere mortals, building lean and strong muscle takes a great deal of time and dedicated effort. That's why preserving even the smallest amount of muscle gain is paramount.

Well, it turns out that keeping all your hard-earned muscle from atrophying doesn't require taking expensive nutritional supplements or spending your entire life in the gym. In fact, you probably have just what you need in your kitchen right now.

A study from Tufts University in Massachusetts found that older people who consumed the highest amount of potassium also had the most amount of total body muscle. One possible reason for this mineral/muscle link can be the neutralization of acid that causes muscle breakdown as we age.

Note to self: Add bananas to grocery shopping list.

The other day, while hosting over a dozen of my children's playgroup friends here at my house for some outdoor fun....I created a frozen treat guaranteed to fill their little tummies up in a completely nutritious and fun way. Bapaloneo (a weird word my three and five year old children made up) Pops served the purpose I had intended and energized the group for several hours of insanity. Try them this summer.

Fitz's Bapaloneo Pops:

• Cut bananas in half length-wise, and stick a popsicle stick in the flat end.
• Coat the banana with creamy peanut butter.
• Roll the peanut butter coated banana in a bowl of regular cheerios.
• Place pops on a pan covered with freezer paper and then put them in the freezer for an hour or so.

When you're grabbing a meal on the run, most of us know better than to order our meal with fries. Why? They're loaded with fat and sodium, and will make a big caloric dent in our daily intake.

But when a sandwich isn't enough, what can we get to go with our fast food entree? Most places now offer sides of stuff like salad, fruit or other healthy fare. And at Wendy's, you can even enjoy potatoes without having to order them deep-fried and covered in salt -- you can order a baked potato on the side.

But are baked potatoes a healthier option than fries? One would think so, based on the fact that they're cooked in the oven instead of the deep fryer. But what baked potatoes lack in deep-fried goodness, they make up for with add-ons like sour cream, bacon bits, butter and cheese. Still, how bad can it be? You tell me.

Each week, we'll be naming a Super Food and offering unique ways to use those Super Foods that pack nutritional power. After all, you are what you eat -- make it count!

Peas are one of my favourite vegetables -- especially when they're fresh from the garden. Crunchy, juicy and just a little bit sweet, they're absolutely delicious. Even in the winter, when they come frozen from a bag in the freezer, they're still really tasty. And usually, things that taste good aren't good for you (and vice versa) but peas are the exception; not only do peas taste good, they're really good for you too.

But just what about green peas makes them so nutritious?

If you find yourself experiencing fatigue and you know you're getting sufficient sleep, your nutrition could be to blame.

Even those of us who try to eat really well occasionally come up short on certain vitamins and nutrients. Fitnessmagazine.com gave this list of five nutrients that people commonly short themselves. Don't be surprised if you find that you're not getting enough of something -- according to the study, you're in good company!

We frequently mention the benefits of drinking a glass of red wine here on That's Fit. But, something we should also mention is that drinking grape juice (especially the not-as-easy-to-drink concentrate) is a non-alcoholic beverage that can also improve your circulation and reduce bad (LDL) cholesterol -- minus the fun of getting drunk and peeing in public.

The flavonols found in red wine are found in equal abundance in Concord and other purple grape juice; which, let's face it, makes sense considering they are both made from grapes. And, just like wine, grape juice can help your heart in three ways: By reducing the oxidation of bad (LDL) cholesterol, improving elasticity of the arteries, and reducing platelet clumping. Also, grape juice contains many essential vitamins and minerals, in addition to containing almost as much potassium as a banana.

In a research study held in Spain, the power of grape juice concentrate was put to the test. Researchers found that when people consumed 7 ounces of the ultra-sweet juice concentrate daily for two weeks, their LDL cholesterol dropped by 13 percent while their good (HDL) cholesterol rose by 16 percent.

Fortunately, you don't have force down grape juice concentrate if its sweetness is too much for you to take, because drinking a 100 percent grape juice like Welch's can provide similar benefits.

Get enough potassium every day? The mineral that is essential for proper cellular functions in the human body is most often associated with eating bananas, but what if you don't like that tropical fruit?

Nutritional supplements are a fine way to supplement your potassium intake, although the word supplement is the operative word there. Eating potassium-rich foods is really the best way to get a balanced diet along with all the other vitamins and minerals required for healthy living.

You may even have a potassium deficiency and not even know it. Do any of the symptoms below sound familiar to you?

• An abnormal heart rhythm (particularly in people with heart conditions)
• Constipation
• Fatigue
• Weakness in the muscles, or muscle spasms
• Paralysis, including paralysis of the lungs

Sodium is usually the first to go for someone diagnosed with high blood pressure. There's also another way to fight this condition, though, without drugs.

It's a simultaneous approach that involves cutting back on sodium intake while increasing consumption of potassium-rich foods. For greatest benefits, sodium should total 2,300 milligrams per day while potassium milligrams reach 4,700. Avoiding processed foods is a wise choice if you're watching your blood pressure -- sodium is added to most of these foods -- and upping your intake of potassium should come from foods, not supplements. Do check with your doctor about the amount of potassium you need. Some people with kidney ailments may have trouble processing potassium.

Once you get the go-ahead to pack some potassium power into your diet, here's what you might eat:

1 baked sweet potato, 694 mg
1 small baked potato, 610 mg
8 ounces non-fat yogurt, 580 mg
3 ounces cooked halibut, 490 mg
1 banana, 422 mg
1 cup milk, 380 mg
1 cup cantaloupe, 368 mg
1 cup orange juice, 355 mg
1 cup oatmeal, 120 mg

I like the view in this piece that we shouldn't rely on a pill to get all of the vitamins and minerals we need to keep our bodies healthy. Many exist in abundance in food so why no make a commitment to include them as part of a regular diet rather than always turning to a multivitamin? I'm not saying they multivitamins are useless, but if it's possible to absorb vitamins in food, why not give that a try too?

For those who are interested in giving it a go, here is a list of 10 essentials, along with one of the many reasons each is so good for you and some of the foods that are packed full of them:

• Iron - Prevents anemia, found in tofu, lean red meat, nuts and seeds, dried fruit and fortified cereal.
• Vitamin C - Helps your body deal with stress, found in orange juice and citrus fruits, strawberries, broccoli, spinach and bell peppers.
• Vitamin D - Aids in cancer prevention, found in fortified milk and yogurt, salmon and can be absorbed from a small amount of sun exposure.
• Vitamin E - An antioxidant that helps lower the risk of a stroke, found in almonds and sunflower seeds.
• Vitamin K - Aids in blood clotting, found in avocados, kale, spinach and pine nuts.
• Calcium - Essential for bone health, found in milk and dairy products, broccoli, almonds and sesame seeds.
• Folate - Fights cancer, found in peanuts, lentils, corn and spinach
• Selenium - Keeps immune system strong, found in shellfish, Brazil nuts and sesame seeds.
• Magnesium - Helps keep bones strong, found in beans, seeds, nuts and green leafy vegetables.
• Potassium - Works to keep blood pressure level, found in sweet potatoes, cantaloupe, kiwi and bananas.

To find out more about why these are all so good for you, as well as other foods that contain the 10 vitamins and minerals, take a look here. The article even includes a recipe for each, and they all look pretty tasty.

I'm now in my fourth year of being a 20 something, and -- while I'm generally aware of the sorts of foods that will keep my body healthy -- I only recently learned that some nutrients are particularly important for those of us who've yet to reach 30.

The first is protein. If you're in your 20s, chances are you lead a fairly hectic lifestyle, and have a tendency to eat on the go. But be careful -- if you're saving time by skimping on meals, you might be falling short of your Recommended Daily Allowance (RDI) for protein, which means your body isn't getting what it needs to build muscle.

We also, apparently, should be eating more potassium. Potassium also helps to build muscle, but a number of us don't get as much as we need. You can find all the potassium you need in fruits and vegetables.

Lastly, us 20 somethings should make sure we're getting enough omega-3 fatty acids. Women in particular are susceptible to depression in their 20s, which can occur due to low serotonin levels. Omega-3 fatty acids can help keep those levels where they need to be.

[via Fit Sugar]

When sitting down to eat in your favorite restaurant which steak do you order. Beef or Tuna? Tuna is a nutritious source of protein and omega-3 fatty acids. Everyday we learn more about the health benefits of tuna. Mercury is not the public health risk that some claim. No studies have shown that fish consumption has led to dangerous levels of mercury within the human body. Studies show that eating fish high in omega-3 fatty acids may reduce people's overall risk for developing heart disease. Tuna is also a very good source of vitamin B6.

So weigh out the benefits of nutrients in 4 ounces of tuna versus lean organic beef.

4 ounces of tuna contains:
tryptophan 0.38g
selenium 53.07 mcg
protein 33.99g
vitamin B3 (niacin) 13.54mg
vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) 1.18mg
vitamin B1 (thiamin) 0.57mg
phosphorus 277.83mg
potassium 645.25mg
magnesium 72.58mg
omega 3 fatty acids 0.33g

4 ounces of lean organic beef contains:
tryptophan 0.36g
protein 32.04g
vitamin B12 (cobalamin) 2.92mcg
zinc 6.33mg
selenium 27.67mcg
phosphorus 269.89mg
vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) 0.49mg
iron 4.05mg
vitamin B3 (niacin) 4.44mg
vitamin B2 (riboflavin) 0.35mg

There is no such thing as a true "anti-salt" as far as something you can eat to cancel out the negative effects of also eating a high sodium diet. But if there was such a thing, potassium would probably be it. In some ways, potassium is an anti-salt of sorts. For example, potassium can help balance out salt's tendency to raise blood pressure. It's also an essential nutrient that benefits your body in countless other ways.

Perhaps the best news about potassium is that it is found in almost all plant based foods and drinks -- even coffee. If you eat a well-balanced diet with plenty of greens, fruits, and veggies, and watch your sodium intake, you should get enough. But it wouldn't hurt to throw the occasional extra banana into the mix, either.