TDetroit’s ramblings and nonsense

How are we Americans doing v the rest of the world as far as Potassium intake?

Good question.  I don’t the answer.  It would stand to reason though, if our food supply is all processed foods, then we would fall to low on essential nutrients.

Potassium is an electrolyte, and helps (not understood how) in the metabolism of nitrogen.  You know you are low when, you feel random pains here and there.  No cause to the pain, in other words you haven’t hit that spot on anything, haven’t twisted it, didn’t sleep wrong on it, didn’t strain it etc.  YOu can also experience memory issues, weakness, depression like symptoms, and in severe cases- nausea.

So back to NinjaBill’s question.  I don’t know, but I can tell you this.  Most websites say don’t worry about it, it is an easy nutrient to acquire, it is in most foods, and you probably are right in the the middle of the RDA range of 3500 to 5600 mgs.  Well I started tracking it on fitday.com, actually it is hard to get the min of Potassium.

All animals require Potassium to be healthy, so if you eat meat, poultry and fish, you are taking in Potasium, it is also in summer fruit - bananas, watermelon, canteloupe, avacado, oranges etc.  I eat all of these things and take a daily multi vit.  And guess what, I am usually struggling at the end of the day to top 3500. 

Now in all fairness, fitday is not perfect, and you very often have to compromise when logging in meals.  But still, how far off could I be?  Plus, even if I am taking in more than the min, I was still low at the hospital.

Causes of low Potassium

Alcohol

Coffee - morning coffee depletes, so you start your day neg

Sugar - do you put it in your coffee?

Salt - all processed foods overload the sodium for flavor

Stress - mental, welcome to this rat race we call the US of A

Stress - physical, so if you are lifting, you are depleting your Potassium

My multi vit has only 80 mgs of Potassium, a drop in the bucket to the daiy RDA, plus the min RDA goes up if you abuse the above.  I will bet that to stay in the normal range, I need to ingest 4500mgs.

Bad news, though Potassium is a very necessary nutrient, over 60% is excreted.  In other words, you eat a lot, and only actually metabolise a little.

I started the day at 21, worked it down to 17, went to Jackson, MI; not much there, spent the whole day there and only got to 19.  Came back to B-ham, didn’t even make it to the parking deck and got to 21 (don’t you just love shorty skirts, expecially the flouncy ones, not the tight ones, I like the possibilities of the flouncy ones more). 

Walking from the deck, I saw some maybes, but in keeping with Jeff’s advice, I kept my standards high and I am at 21 with a walk back to the car and a drive out of this town to go.  What will it be by the time I get home?  Will it be 23?  24?  Either way, it’s pushups galore.

Not allowed to come back here tomorrow, they are cleaning the carpets, so the whole weekend will be at home, except for Sunday at the gym, which has been mentioned previously.  I expect to get out of the weekend at roughly 15.

A great set of reading, but I will sum it up for you.

 It was my mom who put it together for me.  Sort of.  First, her story.  When I was 13, she had to go in for surgery.  Apparently her thyroid was not working.  So they cut her throat from jugular to jugular, and did some poking and cutting and rearranging.  A very dangerous surgery.  They don’t do it anymore I’ve been told, now they have newer and better methods. 

Anyway, we had this dog who loved to play in the mud.  Dogs are not as dumb as they appear to be.  This dog figured out my mom could not yell, so she would go outside,run into the mud and look back as if to say, "just yell for me and I’ll come home."  The taunting drove my mom nuts.  I swear she was going to kill the dog, me, my sisters, my dad, the neighbors, the mail man, even a little old lady in Pasedena who drives too fast.  I must be terrible to lose your voice for a long time. (my mom is a real yeller, one of the best, not as good as  my aunt, but real good.)

So, when I was in the hospital, my mom was visiting, and they came to give me my potassium dose.  My told me, when she was low, she could fell random pains.  In her arm onetime, then her leg, then her back. 

So now I go do my research.  Yes, the random pains are one symptom.   Also, weakness, as if you cannont lift your arm, a total downess with a physical manifestation.  Potassium defficiency can be caused by physical and or mental stress, alcohol, coffee, and sugar.  Potassium defficiency can also lead to high blood pressure.

Now we are talking.  I had the downess.  Felt like I couldn’t move for whole days, I would just sit and do nothing.  also, about 8 years ago, my blood pressure went from low to normal.  Assuming a defficiency doesn’t occur in 1 day, it is safe to say I went defficient (just a little) way back then.  I just took this long to find out.

The proper amount is 3500 mg per day.  Potassium is an electrolyte, and affects the metabolism of nitrogens.  It is prob metabolized by the adrenal cortex.  People with kidney stones should benefit from more potassium in their diet.

So, look for the defficiency in weakness (you can’t lift your arms even when you should be well rested), kidney pain (adrenal cortex, and extra work for the beans), a pounding heart, and any stress in your life ( including a onetime heavy exertion - marathons, and comps), you could also become defficient if you eat too much salt, or processed foods.

Most food contain potassium, if you eat meat, remember the animals need potassium too.  It is a mineral, so it is in most veggies and fruits.  But bananas are the most well known source.  Avacados, potatos, watermelon, squash, raison, bran ceral wheat flakes and more are good sources.  Also known as Vitamin K (Special K cereal)

The symptoms for high K are the same as low K, what a curse.

CHILFs:  Got down to 17 this morning, currently at 19.

When I was in the hospital, I was low on Potassium (K).  They made me take 2 doses of the most god awful and putrid stuff known to man. 

SO today I did the research, we are supposed to take in 3500 mgs per day.  I went to fitday.com and checked what I have been doing.   A little low.  That means more bananas for me.

 I have been taking zinc as well.  It depletes copper, but it is good for you in so many other ways.  I am a little low on copper too. 

Apparently, being low on these can be bad.  Talked to my Doc, he said he noticed they were low, but not low enough to concern him.  He noted it and was planning to watch.  Apparently these are reg parts of the screening.

Update on the CHILF game: Got down to 14 yesterday morning, upto 22 by the time I got to the gym, worked down 2 as part of my workout and left the gym at 26.  I even took Jeff’s advice and upped my standards, but to no avail.  Apparently "I would hit it" is the most common thought in my head.

It is well on it’s way to empty.

 I ate most of the food already (same as yesterday).   This is a short blog before I stuff my face with a few more cals.  Looks like I will need a full boat of energy and protein for tonights workout, I am felling super powered.  The energy is up.  Rockets ready to fire.

It has been a few weeks since graceing the hallowed halls of Lifetime with my presence.  Er.. should I say… since stumbling and bumbling into a place where coordinated people reign and I try climb out of the muck.

 Anyway, tonight is the night.  TBW!  Work everything and gage where I am.  Restart the engine.  I’ve been doing nothing but pushups and abs for 2 weeks now.

BTW Woke up at 20, knocked it down to 14, back at 19.  Could be a long day.

First, let’s rant about espresso.  For those of you who do not have latin tongues (I feel sorry for your girlfreinds), you should notice there is no "X" in the word.  It is not expresso, it is espresso.

Now on to the cigar.  I went into the humidor, and looked for just a few minutes.  I came across the bargain bucket.  A bunch of Churchills for $6 each or 5 for $25.  But stacked below was a box of El Legend-Arios, same price.They only made 300,000 bundles fo these.  It’s a dark maduro wrapper.

Isn’t it funny about wine and cigars, they only make a few, and yet there is always enough to go around.  The store said they were ordering more El Legend-Arios.  If you go to a wine store, you can buy wine made in the 1950’s, and the store says they can get you more if you want.  From where.  It’s 2007.  What are they going to do, time travel?

Anyway, I am hyped on espresso, and can’t wait to get in the car for my new cigar.

BTW  Was at 20, that walk cost me, now I am at 24.  Could be a long night, heavy work out.

Finally, after vacation, and the scheduling change caused by the runts, I have been able to properly pack a lunch bag.  All the right stuff in there.  3 boiled eggs, carrots, grapes, protein bar, salmon, chicken, egg beater omeltte, banana bread, 2 apples, banana, 2 nature’s valley fruit and nut bars, my supps, ezekial bread and jelly sandwich.  Mmmmm…. body builder meal with all the fixin’s.  Just needs some gravy and pumpkin pie!

 On a side note, I was down to 16 this morning, but got back up to 20.

It’s about time.  

I grew in a carpenter family.  Economics is second nature to people in the residential construction industry.  We are first to get hit.  So getting a BA in Finance and taking all of my business electives in economics only made sense.

We can always tell the direction of the economy by whether we have work.  I am out of the industry, but keep in touch with everyone.  We’ve been slowing down for over a year now.  That’s why we find it amazing that the Fed is just now gettting the hint that they raised rates too many times.  As a college grad, who specialized in the subject, I can tell you, the Fed looks at all the wrong data, and they are too impatient.  

Think about this, it takes at least 3 months for an interest rate hike to have an effect on the economy, yet the Fed makes their decisions every 6 weeks.  Clearly they are not taking time to see what effect the last hike has had before making another decision to raise rates again.  

Also, it would be a good idea for the Fed to consult with the Pres and suggest he use what little discretionary power he has over the economy instead of rate hikes from time to time.  But that never happens.

Anyway, someone is finally getting the message, and the rate will come down this coming week.  Prob too late for the people who are already in foreclosure, but to agreat relief to those on the edge.  This will solidify their ownership, and create future wealth which will translate into a better economy in the near future.

Now if we can only get the message out about American cars.  Fact is, they are better than Japanese cars.  the press will never tell you that.  GM has over 30 models with 30+ MPG, GM is light years ahead of the Toyota and Honda in alternative fuel technology (though the cars, irrespective of maker are just to expensive to make a compelling business arguement, and the numbnuts went ahead and put them on the road anyway - I feel sorry for the idiots who have purchased them), AMeerican plants are much more environementally friendly than foreign plants, and quality of American brands is better (using comeback data instead of survey data - comeback data is whether the car came back to the dealer, survey data is when the owner is asked if the quality is good - duh!, what did you think the answer would be?)

So, buy American, not because you are a patriot, but because it is better!

I spent the better part of my weekend in Jackson, MI working on my rental property.  A lot of work to be done.  There is no way I can finsih it by myself in time for the city inspectin.  But who cares about those guys, the tenants need comfort repairs, and the city wants me to do cosmetic decorations.  The city is wrong all day. 

One of the tenants has a disaster in their apartment.  MAggots on the kitchen floor.  They live like pigs. They don’t take their garbage out, they don’t keep the kitty litter clean, the dog is nasty, garbage and toys all over.  Ewwwww!  I installed kitchen cabinet so she can start putting her dishes away, but she needs more cabinets.  It is all contingent upon whether she actually uses the cabinets, and keeps the kitchen sink clean.  This apartment is the source of the roaches. 

I feel dirty when I leave there.  Believe it or not, I stopped at a rest stop to get cleaned up.  If a rest stop is considered clean, then you can imagine how bad the house is.  I am getting it better though.  We have painted 2 of the apartments, and installed some clean flooring in 2 rooms.  We will get some new base molding installed and wash the hardwood floor in the one living rooma dn the foyer and the front stairs.  Once I get things looking good and livable, then the city can get their wish for cosmetic repairs.

BTW, I am at 23 right now.  That’s doing 80 pushups per day.  So I am seeing a lot of CHILFS out there.  Still getting more negative.  However, I will do 80 tonight, and tomorrow as well.  That will get me down to 7 with little chance of adding any because I will prob not leave home at all.