THIS SECTION IS COVERING SODIUM,

POTASSIUM, CHLORIDE, AND MAGNESIUM.

WE'LL START BY LOOKING AT SODIUM,

POTASSIUM, AND CHLORIDE.

THEY'RE THE MAIN ELECTROLYTES IN OUR BODY.

SODIUM IS THE MAIN EXTRACELLULAR CATION,

WHICH MEANS THAT IT IS POSITIVELY

CHARGED AND EXISTS OUTSIDE OF THE CELL.

POTASSIUM IS THE MAIN INTRACELLULAR CATION,

AGAIN MEANING IT'S POSITIVELY CHARGED

BUT LOCATED INSIDE THE CELL.

SODIUM AND CHLORIDE ALWAYS GO TOGETHER.

CHLORIDE IS NEGATIVELY CHARGED.

IT'S CALLED AN ANION AND EXISTS MOSTLY OUTSIDE OF THE CELL,

THE MAIN EXTRACELLULAR ANION, THAT A

POSITIVE AND A NEGATIVE CHARGE WILL ATTRACT.

AND SODIUM CHLORIDE IS ALSO KNOWN AS SALT,

WHICH WE'LL DISCUSS LATER.

THE MAIN FUNCTIONS OF ELECTROLYTES

ARE TO MAINTAIN CELL INTEGRITY.

AND WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT AS LONG AS THERE

IS AN EQUAL AMOUNT OF BOTH POSITIVELY

AND NEGATIVELY CHARGED IONS ON EITHER SIDE,

THERE WILL BE AN EQUAL AMOUNT OF VOLUME.

IF THERE IS TOO FEW OR TOO MANY, CELLS WILL EITHER SHRINK OR

EXPAND AND NOT FUNCTION TO THEIR FULL POTENTIAL,

SO ELECTROLYTES HELP TO MAINTAIN BLOOD VOLUME,

BLOOD PRESSURE, HELP TRANSPORT NERVE IMPULSES,

PLAY A ROLE IN NUTRIENT TRANSPORT,

AND IN PARTICULAR CHLORIDE IS PART OF HYDROCHLORIC ACID,

WHICH IS IMPORTANT IN KEEPING THE pH LOW IN THE STOMACH.

GOING BACK TO SODIUM,

LOOKING AT SOME OF THE SOURCES OF SODIUM,

WE THINK ABOUT PROCESSED FOODS.

ALTHOUGH A LOT OF PEOPLE WILL ADD

SALT TO THEIR FOOD WITH A SALT SHAKER,

MOST PEOPLE GET MOST OF THEIR SODIUM OR MOST OF THEIR EXCESS

SODIUM FROM PROCESSED FOODS, FAST FOODS,

PACKAGED FOODS, SAUCES, SOUPS.

EXCESS SODIUM IS ASSOCIATED WITH HYPERTENSION,

WHICH WE'LL DISCUSS LATER, BUT DOES NOT CAUSE HYPERTENSION.

IT JUST INCREASES THE RISK.

I WANT TO LOOK AT JUST SOME SOURCES OF SODIUM.

SOME OF THESE WILL BE SURPRISING, SOME NOT.

WHEN YOU THINK OF CEREAL,

YOU DON'T NORMALLY THINK ABOUT A LOT OF SALT IN CEREAL,

BECAUSE IT DOESN'T TASTE SALTY,

BUT 220 MILLIGRAMS IN SPECIAL K. REMEMBER,

THE UPPER LIMIT IS 2300 MILLIGRAMS, AND REMEMBER,

10% OR MORE IS CONSIDERED A GOOD SOURCE.

BUT WE'RE LOOKING TO LIMIT SODIUM FROM PROCESSED FOODS,

SO THIS IS ALMOST, IT'S AT 9%,

ALMOST A GOOD SOURCE OF SODIUM, AND THIS IS COMING

FROM SOMETHING THAT DOESN'T EVEN TASTE SALTY.

JELLO--

WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT DESSERT FOOD A LITTLE BIT,

THIS IS, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT CONSIDERED A GOOD SOURCE,

BUT 190 MILLIGRAMS.

AND THIS IS WHERE YOU CAN REALLY GET THE SODIUM TO ADD UP,

BECAUSE YOU'RE GETTING IT FROM THINGS LIKE DESSERT FOOD.

ADDING SODIUM TO DESSERT FOOD

ACTUALLY INCREASES THE SWEETNESS,

AND THAT'S WHY YOU'RE GOING TO FIND A LOT OF SODIUM THROUGHOUT

A LOT OF DESSERT PRODUCTS EVEN IF THEY DON'T TASTE SALTY.

AND THE ONLY REASON I SHOWED THE PLANTERS PEANUTS IS TO

SHOW THAT IT ACTUALLY HAS LESS SODIUM THAN THOSE TWO PRODUCTS,

AND WE THINK ABOUT SALTED PEANUTS AS

SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE REALLY SALTY.

ONE OF THE TRICKS HERE IS IF YOU PUT

SALT ON THE OUTSIDE OF A PRODUCT,

AS SOON AS IT HITS YOUR MOUTH, IT STIMULATES THOSE TASTE BUDS

TO GET THAT SALTY TASTE AND IT'S OVERWHELMING.

BUT IF IT'S MIXED INTO THE FOOD, YOU WON'T TASTE IT AS MUCH.

IT ACTUALLY GETS COVERED BY SOME OF THE OTHER FLAVOR,

SO YOU END UP HAVING TO ADD A LOT MORE.

NOW SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT IF YOU ARE COOKING AND YOU'RE

TRYING TO LIMIT THE AMOUNT OF SODIUM YOU'RE ADDING TO FOODS,

USUALLY WANT TO DO IT AFTER OR RIGHT ON TOP,

BECAUSE IT ACTUALLY WILL TASTE SALTIER

THAN IF IT'S MIXED IN WITH THE FOOD.

AND THIS ONE IS A SURPRISING ONE BECAUSE THIS IS

FROM WEIGHT WATCHERS, AND I ONLY PICKED THIS BECAUSE

THEIR BARBECUED CHICKEN WAS PRETTY HIGH AT 637 MILLIGRAMS.

SO YOU'RE GETTING UP TO--

OVER A QUARTER OF YOUR AMOUNT OF SODIUM THAT

YOU NEED FOR THE DAY IS FROM THIS ONE MEAL.

THIS IS VERY COMMON WITH A LOT OF PACKAGED PROCESSED TV

DINNERS THAT YOU'RE GOING TO THROW INTO THE MICROWAVE,

SO ALWAYS BE AWARE OF THAT.

AND THEN LASTLY, THIS IS FROM CAMPBELL'S WEBSITE,

AND ONE CUP OF THEIR, LET'S SEE,

BAKED POTATO WITH CHEDDAR AND BACON BITS,

790 MILLIGRAMS OF SODIUM.

SO THAT'S A WHOPPING DOSE FOR JUST ONE CUP,

SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT MANY PEOPLE WOULDN'T

EXPECT TO GET OUT OF JUST A CUP OF SOUP.

AND POTASSIUM, IT'S AN ELECTROLYTE.

IT'S A VERY IMPORTANT FOOD BALANCE,

JUST AS WE DISCUSSED, AS WELL AS IN CELL INTEGRITY,

BUT ALSO WITH HEARTBEAT.

DIETS HIGH IN POTASSIUM ACTUALLY HAVE

DECREASED THE RISK OF HYPERTENSION,

AND PART OF THIS HAS TO DO WITH FLUID BALANCE.

REMEMBER THAT POTASSIUM IS THE MAIN

INTRACELLULAR CATION THAT EXISTS IN THE CELL,

AND SODIUM IS THE MAIN EXTRACELLULAR.

WE WANT A BALANCE BETWEEN THOSE TWO.

SO WHAT HAPPENS IN MOST AMERICAN DIETS

IS THAT WE GET WAY TOO MUCH SODIUM,

BECAUSE WE'RE EATING FAST FOOD AND PROCESSED FOOD,

AND WAY TOO LITTLE POTASSIUM,

BECAUSE WE'RE NOT EATING ENOUGH FRESH FRUITS AND VEGETABLES.

SO THE POTASSIUM GOES DOWN, YOU KNOW,

AND THE SODIUM GOES UP, SO IT ENDS UP HAVING TAKING

THE NORMAL BALANCE BETWEEN THESE TWO CATIONS AND DISRUPTING THAT,

SO IT'S DISRUPTING THE FLUID BALANCE.

SO WHAT ARE SOME OF THE SOURCES OF POTASSIUM,

SALMON, AVOCADO, PLUMS, BANANA,

BAKED POTATO, LIMA BEANS, AND ACORN SQUASH.

SALMON IS A SURPRISING SOURCE,

BUT LOOK AT ALL THESE OTHER ONES.

THESE ARE ALL PLANT SOURCES.

AND SO YOU FIND A LOT, YOU KNOW,

MOST PEOPLE JUST THINK ABOUT BANANAS,

BUT ACTUALLY SOME OF THE OTHER SOURCES INCLUDING

BAKED POTATOES OR LIMA BEANS OR PLUMS EVEN HAVE MORE.

MAGNESIUM--

MAGNESIUM IS REALLY IMPORTANT IN THE BODY,

BECAUSE IT'S INVOLVED IN HUNDREDS OF REACTIONS.

IT'S INVOLVED IN ENERGY PRODUCTION,

IT'S REQUIRED TO MAKE RNA AND DNA AND PROTEINS,

IT'S REQUIRED FOR MUSCLE CONTRACTION AND RELAXATION,

AS WELL AS BONE MINERALIZATION.

SO WHERE DO WE FIND MAGNESIUM?

WELL, GOOD SOURCES OF MAGNESIUM ARE BLACK BEANS,

SPINACH, YOGURT, BROWN RICE,

ALMONDS, LIMA BEANS, AND SWISS CHARD.

SO AGAIN YOU'RE GOING TO LOOK AT A LOT OF PLANT SOURCES HERE,

WITH THE EXCEPTION OF YOGURT.

I DO WANT TO POINT OUT THAT MAGNESIUM IS ONE OF

THESE NUTRIENTS THAT HAS BEEN MOST DEPLETED FROM OUR SOIL.

SO UNLESS YOU'RE BUYING FROM A LOCAL FARMERS MARKET,

A LOCAL GROWER THAT DOES A LOT OF CROP

ROTATION AND HAS A VERY HEALTHY SOIL,

YOU'RE PROBABLY FAIRLY LOW IN YOUR MAGNESIUM.

IT'S NOT BEING ABSORBED INTO THE PLANTS THE WAY MINERALS

NORMALLY GET ABSORBED FROM THE SOIL INTO THE PLANTS,

AND PART OF THAT REASON IS BECAUSE MOSTLY

THE AGRIBUSINESSES USE A MONOCOCCUS.

THAT MEANS THEY JUST--

MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF ONE CROP,

AND THAT REALLY IS [ INAUDIBLE ],

SO ACTUALLY WE HAVE MINERAL DEPLETION,

AND THIS IS ONE OF THOSE MINERALS THAT

HAS BEEN DEPLETED FROM THIS LIST.

AND THAT IS THE END OF OUR TALK ON SODIUM,

POTASSIUM, CHLORIDE, AND MAGNESIUM.