Most of us are extremely imbalanced, as it relates to the dynamic duo Potassium and Sodium. It is more likely that we are lower on Potassium and higher on Sodium. Especially, those of us on a whole food diet that predominately comes from real foods versus the cheap, preserved options that are packed with Sodium. The RDA suggests a minimum of 4,700 mg of Potassium per day. 2,300 mg is the RDA for Sodium. If you are active and reside in an area that is hotter in climate, then we can assume your minimums are higher than the aforementioned amounts. Although, I can’t prescribe certain dosages, one thing is clear and that is you should be consuming at least twice as much Potassium than Sodium. Most of us are not.
There’s an article published by Harvard Medical School that explains when we have too much sodium and not enough potassium that our body rids out the excess sodium via urine. Unfortunately, this rids potassium, too. Then what we have is a further imbalance of high sodium that water follows. This causes water retention and increased blood pressure, which puts excess load on the heart.
List of symptoms from Jigsaw Health that your adrenals are fatigued:
- Bloating (water retention)
- Heavy caffeine use
- Stress
- Low energy
- Tired in the morning and more energy in the evening
- Poor immune system
- Cravings for salty foods
Separately from water retention, these minerals being balanced have so many roles and a main function is allowing the muscles to relax and contract properly. Many of us have tight muscles, prone to strains/cramps and chalk it up to being “dehydrated”. This must mean you need to drink more water, right? Wrong! You do not need more water, you need more minerals. At this point, we all know we should be taking bio-available magnesium throughout the day. In addition to that, we should be consuming 2-3 adrenal cocktails between meals in mid morning and mid afternoon daily.
If you click on the Harvard article above, you will see a list of foods that contain high amounts of Potassium and Sodium. You should be eating a whole food diet where you add Sodium to your foods for taste. Potassium, on the other hand, should be consumed predominantly from foods. It is challenging to get enough of these minerals from food alone when you are on a clean diet, so that is where these Adrenal Cocktails come in. The Whole Food Vitamin C (Camu Camu Powder) is what helps delivery of these minerals to the Liver. This way our body can put the full dose to work.
In general, any “Adrenal Cocktail” recipe should deliver approximately:
- 375mg of Potassium
- 460mg of Sodium
- 60mg of Wholefood Vitamin C
Here is what I take as my DIY recipe:
- 1/4 teaspoon of Cream of Tartar
- 1/4 teaspoon of Icelandic Sea Salt
- 1/4 teaspoon of Camu Camu Powder
Here is a capsule product that includes the recipe outline above, if you don’t want to make your own. CLICK HERE. Obviously, the DIY is more cost effective, but regardless both options give you what you need.
We are excited for you to feel better. What better time to start this than in the heat of summer? Let us know how you feel.
