Photos:
Spinach: http://www.worldcommunitycookbook.org/season/guide/spinach.html
Bananas and Potatoes: http://www.pachd.com/

A lot of you are starting new exercise programs with the New Year. I say “Bravo” and wish you all the luck for the rest of year and for the many to come. (Shameless plug time) Please come back for here for more helpful information on Health, Fitness, Lifestyle, and Food.

Now that you’ve started your program, you’ve probably noticed that you are little more tired in the mornings. Some days, you sort of just drag through the day, even though you had a full night of sleep. This is totally normal; your body is adjusting to the new strains and making its major repairs and growth while you sleep. You may want to consider a short nap on the weekends, but not too long because you don’t want to disrupt your sleep patterns.

But what if after three or four weeks, you just can’t shake the fatigue? If all you want to do is slug down pots coffee at 3:00PM and you feel like a limp noodle, you are in rough place.

It may not be the exercise that is holding you down, but what you are putting in your mouth for food. Researchers at the University of Palermo found a connection between the amount of magnesium in a person’s body and their muscle performance. The researchers tested older athletes because the body doesn’t absorb magnesium as well we age, a process still not fully understood. Those with higher concentrations of magnesium performed better in tests of muscle strength.

Why is magnesium important in the body? It plays an essential role in the metabolism of food into energy. If you have no magnesium, then no metabolism, meaning you have no go in your motor. Hence, the reason you may feel constantly fatigued.

So, how much do magnesium do you need and where do you get it? The US government recommends 420mg for men and 320mg for women per day. Several sites note that active folks, men and women, should consume between 400-500mg per day. For some folks, this may be more than they can normal consume in their diet and thus should consider a multi-vitamin supplement.

Here are some food sources you can add to your diet:

Spinach, cooked (1 cup) 156 mg
Halibut, cooked (3 ounces) 91 mg
Cashews (1/4 cup) 89 mg
Oat-bran muffin (1 medium) 89 mg
White beans, canned (1/2 cup) 67 mg
Bran cereal (3/4 cup) 64 mg
Brown rice, cooked (3/4 cup) 63 mg
Potato, baked, with skin (1 medium) 57 mg
Whole-wheat bread (2 slices) 46 mg
Walnuts (1 ounce; 14 halves) 44 mg
Banana (1 medium) 32 mg

References:

NCBI

http://www.realage.com/NutritionCenter/VitaminsNutrients.aspx

http://www.realage.com/ct/tips/7964