Wednesday, April 18, 2018

Foods that fight muscle cramps

Muscle cramps happen when your muscles tense up and you can’t relax them. While painful, usually you can treat them yourself. Exercise, dehydration, and menstruation are common causes. One way to stop cramps is to stretch or massage your muscles and to eat enough of these key nutrients: potassium, sodium, calcium, and magnesium. They’re called electrolytes, and you can find them in the following foods.
1)Sweet Potatoes
Like bananas, sweet potatoes give you potassium, calcium, and magnesium. Thumbs up for sweet potatoes  because they have about six times as much calcium as bananas. And it’s not just sweet potatoes: Regular potatoes and even pumpkins are good sources of all three nutrients. Plus, potatoes and pumpkins naturally have a lot of water in them, so they can help keep you hydrated, too.


2)  Orange Juice
One cup of refreshing orange juice has plenty of water for hydration. It’s also a  rich source of potassium as it has nearly 500 milligrams per cup. Orange juice has 27 milligrams of calcium and magnesium. Choose a calcium-fortified brand for an extra boost. 



3) Bananas:

We all know that bananas are an excellent source of potassium, along with magnesium and calcium. That’s three out of four nutrients you need to ease muscle cramps tucked under that yellow peel. No wonder bananas are a popular, quick choice for cramp relief. 



4)Beans and Lentils
Legumes like beans and lentils are packed with magnesium. One cup of cooked lentils has about 71 mg of magnesium, and a cup of cooked black beans has almost double that with 120 milligrams. Plus, they’re high in fiber, and studies show that high-fiber foods can help ease menstrual cramps as well as help control your blood sugar and lower levels of “bad” LDL cholesterol.


5)Watermelon to remain hydrated
It has about 90% water, so when you need foods that hydrate, a cup of watermelon will do it. Since it’s a melon, it’s also high in potassium, but not quite as high as others.



6)Melons
These fruits have it all: loads of potassium, a good amount of magnesium and calcium, a little sodium, and a lot of water. Sodium and water are key because as you exercise, your body flushes sodium out with your sweat. If you lose too much water, you’ll get dehydrated, and muscle cramps may happen. Eating a cup of cubed cantaloupe after a workout can help.



7)The Avocado: A Potassium Powerhouse
One creamy, green berry (yes, it's really a berry!) has about 975 mg of potassium, twice as much as a sweet potato or banana. Potassium is important because it helps your muscles work and keeps your heart healthy. So swap out mayo on a sandwich with mashed avocado, or slice one onto your salad to help keep muscle cramps away. They have a lot of fat and calories, so keep that in mind.



8)Milk

It’s a natural source of electrolytes like calcium, potassium, and sodium. It’s good for hydration. And it’s packed with protein, which helps repair muscle tissue after workouts. All of the above can help protect against muscle cramps.


9)Pickle Juice
Some athletes swear by pickle juice as a fast way to stop a muscle cramp. They believe it’s effective because of the high water and sodium content. But that isn't the truth. While pickle juice may help relieve muscle cramps quickly, it isn’t because you’re dehydrated or low on sodium. It is more likely because the pickle juice sets off a reaction in your nervous system that stops the cramp, according to recent research.

10)Nuts and Seeds- power snacks
Like beans and lentils, nuts and seeds are a great source of magnesium. For example, 1 ounce of toasted sunflower seeds has about 37 milligrams of magnesium. And 1 ounce of roasted, salted almonds has double that. Many types of nuts and seeds have calcium and magnesium as well.


11) Dark, Leafy Greens
leafy greens are rich in calcium and magnesium. So adding kale, spinach, or broccoli to your plate may help prevent muscle cramps. Eating leafy greens also may help with menstruation cramps, as studies show eating foods high in calcium can help relieve pain from periods.



12) Tomatoes

Tomatoes are high in potassium and water content. So if you gulp down 1 cup of tomato juice, you’ll get about 15%  of your daily value of potassium. You’ll also give your body hydration to prevent muscle cramps from starting.

13 ) Water- easiest way to be hydrated
Generally, women need about 11.5 cups of water a day, and men 15.5 cups. But this doesn’t mean you should be sipping water all the time. The water you get from other beverages, plus fruits and vegetables, counts, too. Before you reach for a sports drink, know this: You only need these sugary electrolyte beverages if you’re doing high-intensity exercise for an hour or more. For electrolytes without the sugar, drink coconut water instead.


THIS IS ONLY FOR INFORMATION, ALWAYS CONSULT YOU PHYSICIAN BEFORE HAVING ANY PARTICULAR FOOD/ MEDICATION/EXERCISE/OTHER REMEDIES.                                                                                                                                                                                                      PS- THOSE INTERESTED IN RECIPES ARE FREE TO VIEW MY BLOG-                                                                                           https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com/   

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