Electrolytes are
important to the body's well being, but most people
are not aware of what they are much less their
function. Nevertheless, ignorance does not negate
this law of nature, for the body was formed to
perform in a specific fashion and electrolytes are
part of the design. Therefore it is in our best
interest that we learn about electolytes and how they
relate to our health.
ELECTROLYTES:
What are they?
It is well known that the body is an
electrical 'machine.' Books have been written on it,
science, research, and even scripture confirm it. The
conclusion is that electrolytes are tiny particles
that carry electrical charges---positive and negative
. These charges are related and dependent on minerals
that are found in the body.. When minerals are
dissolved in a fluid, they form electrolytes
that are important to the body's metabolic processes.The most essential minerals
that form electrolytes are
- Sodium
- Potassium
- Calcium
- Magnesium
- Chloride
- Phosphate
- Bicarbonate
These electrolytes are
required for various bodily functions such as proper
nerve and muscle function, maintaining acid-base
balance (pH), and keeping the body hydrated. In
short, electrolytes 'power-up' the body.much like a
battery, utilizing minerals that are suspended in
fluid, The
adult body is about 70% water which means that nearly
every fluid and cell contains electrolytes.
Maintaining the balance of fluids inside and outside
body cells is one of the most important jobs of
electrolytes. They are also a key to diagnosing a
wide range of medical conditions and diseases.
ELECTROLYTES:
What they do
Cells use electrolytes to conduct
electrical charges that activate numerous functions
in the body, helping it to maintain overall balance..
To do so,
electrolytes depend upon specific minerals (ions),
dissolved in fluid, to transport chemical compounds
in and out of cells. Positive ions (cations) and
negative ions (anions) and their related
charges/functions include
1. Sodium (+)
- Balances
fluid levels inside and outside cells
- Regulates
blood pressure
- Helps
send nerve signals
- Helps
your muscles contract
- Helps cells
absorb nutrients.
- It is the most
abundant electrolyte ion found in the body.
2.
Potassium (+ )
- Helps
move nutrients into cells
- Helps
nerves and muscles function, especially in
the heart
- Supports
metabolism
Cells use potassium
alongside sodium. When a sodium ion enters a cell, a
potassium ion leaves, and vice versa. Potassium is
also especially critical to heart function. Too much
or too little can cause serious heart problems.
3.
Calcium (+)
- Builds
and strengthens your bones and teeth
- Helps
muscles contract and sends nerve signals
- Aids
stable blood pressure
Calcium is a key
element in the body. It does more than just build
strong bones and teeth. Too much or too little
calcium in the blood can cause a wide range of
symptoms across different systems in the body.
4.
Magnesium (+)
- Aids
muscle and nerve function
- Builds
and strengthens your bones and teeth
Magnesium helps cells
turn nutrients into energy. Brain and muscles rely
heavily on magnesium to do their job.
5.
Phosphorous (-)
- Builds
and strengthens bones and teeth
- Aids
nerve and muscle function
- Helps cells
metabolize nutrients
- Transports
chemical compounds and molecules
outside to cells.
Phosphate is a
phosphorous-based molecule. It is a key
part of molecules called nucleotides which are the
building
blocks that make up DNA.
6. Chloride
(-)
- Balances fluids
inside and outside cells
- Regulates blood
pressure
- Help to maintain
the body’s natural pH balance.
Chloride (the name for
a chlorine ion) is the second-most
abundant ion in the body.
7. Bicarbonate
(-)
- Helps to keep a
normal pH level in the body
- Helps to move
carbon dioxude (a waste product) through
the blood stream
Not all the carbon
dioxide that the body makes gets sent to lungs for
breathing it out. Some is recycled into bicarbonate,
By far the most
important electrolytes are sodium and potassium as
they are crucial to maintaining the body's overall
electrical charge. Many health problems, especially
those relating to heart problems can be improved
and/or solved by a proper balance of
sodium/potassium.
Electrolytes:
Symptoms of deficiency
Low levels of
electrolytes compromise the body's ability to
function properly. Lack of sufficient electrolytes
can cause common, debilitating symptoms such as
- Sodium: dehydration,
muscle cramps. fatigue, confusion, seizure,
coma
- Potassium:
irregular heartbeat, constipation,
fatigue,
muscle weakness or spasms, numbness of
tingling
- Magnesium:
unusual eye movements, fatigue,
convulsions, muscle sparms, cramps, weakness,
numbness
- Calcium: muscle
cramps, dry skin, nails that break easily,
confusion, depression, crankiness
- Phosphorous:
low appetite, anxiety, joint
stiffness, weakness, bone pain and weakness,
breathing problems
- Bicarbonate:
blood becomes too acidic, causing fatigue,
nausea, vomiting, confusion. Breathing
becomes faster, deeper.
Electrolytes:
How to maintain a healthy supply
Electrolytes
depend on proper diet, exercise, and hydration in
order to keep the body functioning. Electrolytes are
lost through sweating, so they need to be replenished
especially after vigorous exercise and when
temperatures are hot. At such times the body must be
consistently well hydrated in order to maintain an
adequate electrolyte supply, for electrolytes are
lost through sweat and kidneys filter out excess
electrolytes into the urine.
Boosting the body's electrolyte
supply is largely dependent
on eating a nutritionally-rich diet. Common foods
with high electrolyte content are
- Potassium:
Bananas, beet greens, white beans,
avocado, mushrooms
- Sodium: celery,
celtic sea salt, sunflower seeds
- Magnesium:
Spinach, pumpkin seeds, lima beans,
brown rice, almonds
- Phosphorous:
Pumpkin seeds, quinoa
- Calcium:
Spinach, okra, acorn squash
These foods and
corresponding varieties are ranked high
in electrolytes because they contain vital minerals,
ones
that the body must have in order to function. To
benefit from
these minerals, the foods must be eaten in their
natural, raw state. for when exposed
to heat (cooked), the mineral content is
destroyed. Thus a predominanty raw, plant-based diet
is found to be the superior source of life-giving
nutrients: essential vitamins, minerals, distilled
water, oxygen, etc. In combination, these foods are
responsible for electrolyte production.
The food with the
highest level of electrolytes is coconut water.
It is the wisdom of the Almighty to provide foods
that will sustain the body in hotter climates such as
the tropics. In recent times the value of coconuts
has been rediscovered in the Western diet and
therefore promoted by food vendors and health
enthusiasts. Whole coconuts and coconut water have
thus catapulted onto the market and are available at
most supermarkets and health food stores. While
coconut water can be purchased in bottle form, it is
subject to processing which compromises quality to
some extent. As with any food, sourcing fresh,
organic coconuts offers the best nutritional value.
Apart from coconut
water, boosting electrolyte levels during times of
seasonal heat (summer) can be accomplished by eating
summer fruits such as seeded varieties of watermelon,
summer squash, zucchini, etc. as these fruits have a
high water content which hydrates the body and helps
it maintain electrolyte integrity.
To ensure that the
body has an adequate supply of electrolytes, certain
foods should be avoided as they are
counter-productive
to supplying electrolyte support and thus harm the
body's well being. Foods that offer little, low or no
electrolyte support are
- Processed
Foods: high in sodium, which can
lead to an electrolyte imbalance. They are
also low in potassium and magnesium, the two
most important electrolytes.
- Soft
Drinks: high in sugar and caffeine
and low in electrolytes. Consuming them
regularly can lead to dehydration and
electrolyte imbalances.
- Alcohol: Alcohol
is a diuretic that can lead to dehydration
and electrolyte imbalances. It also impairs
the body's
ability to absorb and retain electrolytes.
- High-Sugar
Foods: candy, cakes, and sweet
pastries can lead to electrolyte imbalances
because they do not contain enough
electrolytes to balance the sugar content.
- High-Fat
Foods: fried foods and fast foods
can lead to electrolyte imbalances because
they are low in electrolytes and high in
sodium.
- White
Bread and Pasta: low in electrolytes
and high in carbohydrates which can cause an
electrolyte imbalance.
- Red Meat:
high in sodium and low in potassium,
making it a food to avoid in order to
maintain a healthy balance of electrolytes.
- Cheese: high
in sodium and low in potassium, causes an
imbalance of electrolytes.
- Caffeine:
a diuretic that can lead to
dehydration and electrolyte imbalances.
Consuming too much caffeine can also cause an
irregular heartbeat.
- Sport
drinks- imitate electrolyte action
due to high sugar content, artficial
coloring/additives such as caffeine (which is
classified as a drug).
Science, medicine, and
scripture all contirm that cooked, processed,
animal-based foods rob the body of life-giving
nutrients and, in fact, inflict harm to the body in
the form of sickness, pain, dis-ease, and even death.
They accomplish
this by failing to properly nourish cells with vital
minerals,
water, and oxygen. Without vital nutrients, cells
die. When cells die, the body begins to break down..
Furthermore, it is important to
note that hybrid foods, by reason
of genetic adulteration, are shown to lack a proper
balance of electrolytes and therefore should be
avoided in favor of
selecting their heirloom counterparts. Some hybrid
foods include
- Seedless
varieties of fruit- apples, watermelon,
citrus, grapes, persimmons, dates, kiwis,
pineapples
- Vegetable
varieties- beets, carrots, corn, potatoes,
celery, cauliflower.
- Certain varieties
of beans, nuts/seeds such as cashews,
almonds, oats, rice, wheat, wheat grass,
soy, legumes
- Herbs such as
goldenseal, ginseng, echinacea, chamomile,
aloe vera, nutmeg, comfrey and garlic.
To safe-guard personal
health, it is wise to be discriminating
when making food choices. Be mindful of what is best
to eat
and when. Search out reliable food sources, read
labels, and exercise caution when adding new
foods/supplements to
your daily routine.
ELECTROLYTES:
Closing thoughts
The importance of electrolytes should not be
overlooked,
for they are vital to the life of the body. All life
begins at the
cellular level. The body has over 100 trillion cells,
and they
need daily care. They must be fed, watered, and waste
removed.
In order to do so, cells depend upon chemical
interactions. Electrolytes are an important part of
this action. being vital for cell life for through
their electrical charges nutrients are pulled into
cells and waste is pulled out. This action is only
made possible when the body's pH level is balanced, a
feat which is accomplished by electrolyes. Proper pH
keeps cell walls pliable enough for nutrients to
enter cells and waste to leave. Such is the science
behind the body's internal eco-system involving
electrolyte activity.
Allowing for the
marvelous workings of the body, it is no wonder that
the psalmist David declared that 'we are fearfully
and wonderfully made' (Psalm 139:14), Nevertheless,
the prophet Hosea proclaimed the sobering truth that
we 'are destroyed for lack of knowledge because we
have rejected it.' (Hosea 4:6). Sadly we have failed
to learn know how best to care for ourselves
and live in harmony with YHVH's life principles. For
the most part we have rejected HIs ways, preferring
to conform to the accepted patterns/lifestyles of the
world which includes a reckless, harmful diet. Shame
on us! Rejecting YHVH's way to properly care for our
body-temples has caused us untold, needless sickness,
pain, disease, and even death. This should not be!
It is time that we
take our lives more seriously, for true to scripture,
our lives are not our own (Romans 14:8). They are a
sacred trust from YHVH to do His will and His will
alone---to administer His kingdom in this earth, but
often we fail to do our job.because we are too tired,
sick or preoccupied with personal pleasures. Then we
wonder why we become emotionally, mentally, and
physically run down.
We are living in a
time of great change, and only those who are willing
to move ahead and into the coming Kingdom Age will
live to see the blessed times of YHVH. Thus the great
day of YHVH has arrived. The day of decision is here.
How we greet this day is a matter of personal choice.
Will we exchange our sorry, ill-begotten lifestyles
and embrace YHVH's life-giving ways? Will we move
forward into a healthier life or continue to fall
backward and perish? The road to destruction is well
traveled, but we do not need to travel that road. We
are called onto a higher road, but are we willing to
walk therein?. Change does not come easy for most
people, yet change we must if we want to live. Life
is a matter of choice.
Beloved,
I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and
be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.-3 John 1:2
And
if it seem evil unto you to serve YHVH, choose you
this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which
your fathers served that were on the other side of
the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land
ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve
YHVH.- Joshua 24:15
The
thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and
to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and
that they might have it more abundantly. -John 10:10
__________________________________
References
and further reading
BOOKS:
The Body Electric -Robert Becker, MD and Gary
Selden
Raw
Power- Thor Bazler https://www.rawpower.com/
Sunfood Diet, Eating for Beauty, -
David Wolfe https://www.davidwolfe.com/
The
Golden Seven Plus One- Dr. Samuel West
God's
Way to Ultimate Health- George Malkmus
ARTICLES:
"Electric" Alkaline
Foods vs Hybrid Foods
Back to LIVING Letter #151 / Index
