Originally posted at: http://www.nerdfitness.com/

So you’re having trouble working out consistently?

I get it. 

Life is busy and hectic. You probably wear multiple hats in your life.

Hopefully, one of them is a pirate hat:

So if you are having trouble exercising regularly, know that you aren’t alone. 

Not being able to work out consistently is one of the top issues facing our clients in Nerd Fitness Coaching. Luckily, there are some tips and tricks that help them, which we’ll share with you right now too. 

Want a customized workout plan you’ll ACTUALLY do? Learn more:

Here’s what we’ll cover today:

• Step 1: Why you miss workouts (and why it’s okay).
• Step 2: Building a (specific and realistic) workout plan. 
• Step 3: Why “all of nothing” hurts workout consistency.
• Step 4: The key to getting in regular exercise (make it fun).
• Step 5: How to build workout accountability.
• Step 6: Exercise and workout motivation (and the problems with it).
• Step 7: How to find time to work out.
• How to start working out consistently (next steps).

Let’s jump right in!

Step 1: Why You Miss Workouts

As I mention in the video above, it’s okay to stumble – everyone misses a workout now and again.

Life happens:

• Your job might need you to stay late. 
• Maybe your spouse can’t pick up the kids today.
• Or perhaps you just lost track of time while playing video games.

These things happen, so don’t beat yourself up whenever you miss a workout.

“Wait, wait, wait Jim! I thought this article was about consistency – then you start off saying it’s OK to miss a workout?”

What I’m saying is to not beat yourself up over it. I’ll see people be so tough on themselves for one missed workout, that it spirals downward and then they’re doing NO workouts.

It’s unnecessary, and it’s not sustainable.

Here’s something I remind my clients: If being tough on yourself helped with workout consistency, it would’ve helped by now.

So first of all, forgive yourself.

Then, I share with them a saying we have here at Nerd Fitness:

“Never Two in a Row.”

That means aim to not miss two workouts, back to back.

It’s a mantra you’ll hear throughout the Rebellion (our community!). 

Here’s the justification: as I mentioned, missing one workout is nbd. 

However, two workouts in a row could be the start of a trend. If you’re not careful, after a few missed workouts, you could just stop exercising altogether. 

That’s the real danger.

So we aim to not allow the trend to start in the first place.

Takeaway: If you miss a workout, it’s fine. Just try not to miss the next one.

Step 2:Building a Workout Plan

Here’s a great quote from Benjamin Franklin:

If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.

When it comes to working out consistently, we need to define what “consistently” actually means.

For that, it’s time to build a workout routine.

As Coach Staci mentions in the video above, we want to focus on three key questions when programming our training:

• What type of workout are you doing?
• When do you plan on doing your training?
• Where will this workout take place?

All three questions are important, but we’re going to focus on “when” right now.

Determining “when” you’ll train is easily the most important step for working out consistently.

That’s why I want you to place your workouts in your calendar!

Schedule your workout like it’s the most important meeting of the day!

(A reminder that you ARE important!)

That’s what I have my clients do in our 1-on-1 Coaching Program. It goes a long way to helping them stick to their workout schedule. 

So if you plan on training first thing at 8am, have a calendar reminder go off at 7:50am. 

It’ll make a difference. I promise. 

What days should be workout days?

For that, I have a couple of resources to share with you:

1. How to Build Your Own Workout Routine. Our MASSIVE guide will teach you exactly how to create a training schedule, including what exercises to do and when to take rest days. If you want to get your hands dirty building your own workout, this is the way to do it.
2. Nerd Fitness Journey. Our fun habit-building app will tell you exactly when to workout, with video tutorials for every exercise covered. No need to create a plan, just open up the app and check your missions for the day. Plus, you’ll build your very own superhero as you go, which is totally sweet. You can try it out for free right below:

Step 3: Why “All of Nothing” Hurts Workout Consistency

Another one of the best things you can do to improve your workout consistency: have a backup plan.

Let’s say a pipe bursts at your gym, and it’s closed for the next few days.

Does that mean you should stop working out until they resolve their plumbing emergency?

It could be a while…

No!

It just means you’ll have to work out at home, in a nearby playground, or maybe you just focus on long walks for the next few days.

That’s why it’s always good to have a backup for any regular emergecny, like:

• If I can’t train at my gym, I’ll do bodyweight training at home.
• If it’s raining heavily and I can’t run outside, I’ll jump on the stationary bike in the garage.
• If I’m sore from a hard workout, today I’ll just do some light yoga. 

Remember, just because your initial plan falls through, doesn’t mean you have to completely throw in the towel.

Or as I jokingly tell my clients, just because one tire goes flat, doesn’t mean you should slash the other three.

Just do the best you can to get back on the road.

Step 4: The Key to Getting in Regular Exercise

If I have one single piece of advice on how to get in more daily movement, it would be this: do something you enjoy.

Every workout doesn’t have to be a slog.

You can schedule things you enjoy, like:

• Hiking
• Parkour
• Video games that get you moving.

If you enjoy the activity, you’ll be WAY more likely to exercise consistently.

For more tips here, here are 40 Ways to Exercise (Without Realizing It). 

Here’s another trick to start enjoying your workouts – do them while listening to some of your favorite music, or a podcast you enjoy.

Heck, you can even flip the TV on in the corner and watch your favorite show while you train.

We call this “Temptation Bundling” and I’ve seen it help a lot of my clients:

• If you only listen to your favorite podcast when you run, eventually, you might start looking forward to running.
• The same thing could happen with music. If you start to associate your favorite tunes with building up a sweat, one day you might actually enjoy building up a sweat.
• Let’s say you only watch The Great British Bake Off while on your elliptical. If that’s the case, you’re going to start protecting your time exercising (“Don’t bother me now”).

Don’t overlook the power of coupling activities you enjoy with your workouts. 

Step 5: How to Build Workout Accountability

Another strategy we can deploy when improving workout consistency: accountability and support.

There’s nothing quite like being accountable to another human being when it comes to exercising regularly.

There are a few ways we can create workout accountability:

#1) Tell Friends and Family.

Share your goals with your loved ones, then let them know the times you’ll be working out.

This will help for a couple of reasons:

• We’re more likely to follow through with action if we commit ourselves in front of others.
• If we don’t show up for a workout, they may politely call us out on it.

#2) Join an Online Community.

In the 21st century, it’s very easy to find a group of people who are on a similar mission.

If you want to exercise regularly, I’d wager you aren’t the only person on the internet working towards this goal.

So join a digital community! That way you can get in on some group accountability.

We regularly hold group challenges through our app, Nerd Fitness Journey. I’ve been told by countless Rebels that they’re more likely to get their training in if they know everyone else in the community is doing it too.

Heck, I did burpees in the snow because everyone in the Rebellion was doing a burpee challenge.

If you want to try out some of these experiences, you can sign-up for a free trial to our snazzy new app right here:

If you want some next-level accountability, I have to mention the ultimate power-up: hire a coach.

It could be a personal trainer in a gym, or you can go digital with an online coach.

Either way, having someone you check in with weekly (who will also program your workouts) is one of the best ways to exercise consistently.

If you know a coach will ask you about your workouts, you’re going to be more likely to do them.

If you’re interested in learning if you’d be a good fit for one of our online coaches, you can click on the big yellow button below:

We can be your accountability partner. Lean more here.

Step 6: The Problems With Exercise and Workout Motivation

In the video above, Rebel Leader Steve outlines the problems with motivation. 

I think all of my clients should watch the video. 

That’s because I’ll often hear them say “I need more motivation to workout” or “I’m just not motivated to exercise.”

This is the wrong frame of mind.

Action creates motivation, not the other way around.

For example, let’s imagine a new client. They don’t particularly like working out and they aren’t very motivated to do it.

But they do it anyway.

Then, after a few weeks of successful workouts, they’ll start to recognize the trend they’ve begun.

Our coaching app tracks all the training we assign, so I’ll often see my clients rejoice when they’ve “hit 20 workouts!” 

It feels good to recognize they’re making progress, which often makes them more motivated to exercise.

So they keep working out. 

The problem: getting started in the first place can be tough.

That’s why you should start with ANYTHING that breaks the inertia.

Coach Matt breaks it all down for you right here:

As a beginner, your first step is the most important. And often the hardest.

That’s why in our Beginner’s Guide to Starting Your Fitness Journey, we recommend your first workouts should be walks.

It could be a half-mile around the block. Or it could be to the mailbox and back. 

The exact amount doesn’t matter, but being intentional is. That’s how we work to build consistency.

So do a short walk today. Then another one the day after tomorrow. Then a third two days from then.

Boom, three workouts in one week, all by just walking. 

Step 7: How to Find Time to Workout

I’ll be real with you: no one is sitting around, twiddling their thumbs with time to kill.

If you’re going to make time to work out, you’ll need to figure out what activity in your life you can change or eliminate:

• Maybe your two-hour nightly TV ritual can come down to an hour.
• Maybe you start biking home from work instead of driving.
• Maybe you catch up with your spouse over an evening walk instead of a drink.

This is why scheduling your workouts in your calendar can be so critical – it helps you see what needs to be moved around to get your training done.

Also, it’s okay to experiment here.

If you create a schedule, and you don’t hit it all, it’s okay. 

Perhaps you just created an unrealistic schedule.

If so, then modify the workout:

• Try a 30-minute workout instead of an hour.
• Try two workouts a week instead of three.
• Go around the block once instead of twice.

Again, we’re not worried about the amount of time here. Instead, we’re concerned about you hitting your workout schedule consistently. It’s okay to scale down to do that.

Once you’re rocking and rolling, we can always scale it up if it seems right.

If you want some tips on how to gauge your adherence to sticking with your workout schedule, then check out How to Track Your Fitness Progress.  

Start Working Out Consistently

There you have it, my friend. 

When it comes to working out consistently, remember to:

• Step 1: It’s okay to stumble (Forgive yourself). Everyone I know misses a workout here or there. It’s nothing to feel shame over. 
• Step 2: Have a plan! Without scheduling your week’s workouts, how do you even know if you’re being consistent or not?
• Step 3: Have a backup plan! (Lose the “all or nothing” mindset). If your first plan falls through, nbd. Just move onto the next one. “Some” workout is always better than “no” workout. Do the best you can.
• Step 4: Make it fun. Your workout doesn’t need to be something you dread. If you like hiking, go hiking. If you like swimming, go swimming. Any movement is beneficial and should be encouraged. No one said you have to hate it.
• Step 5: Find an accountability partner. Going alone is almost always harder. If you can find a friend or coach to team with, it will make working out consistently easier.
• Step 6: Embrace “action” not “motivation.” If you have to wait around for motivation to start working out, you might be waiting for quite a while. You’ll become motivated after you act.
• Step 7: Don’t find time, make time. Your schedule won’t magically free itself. Look at your calendar and start prioritizing.

That’s it.

The most important thing you can do now today: START!

Not tomorrow. Not next Monday.

Today!

If you don’t know what to do, look at the next free spot on your calendar. Then schedule a walk.

Then schedule it a couple of days later.

Then the following week.

BOOM! You just started a plan for working out consistently.

As always, if you need any help here, we gotcha. 

Here are three ways that Nerd Fitness can help you exercise regularly. 

#1) Our Online Coaching Program: a coaching program for busy people to help them make better food choices, stay accountable, and get healthier, permanently.

As I said, this is the ultimate way to build workout accountability. Not only will a NF Coach build your workout, but they’ll check in with you too to make sure you’re able to do it.

If you can’t? 

No problem, they’ll work with you to create a new plan.

You can schedule a free call with our team so we can get to know you and see if our coaching program is right for you. Just click on the image below for more details:

Our coaching program changes lives. Learn how!

#2) If you want an exact roadmap for working out consistently, check out NF Journey. Our fun habit-building app tells you exactly what days to exercise, what days to rest, and helps you track it all so you know if it’s working for you.

Interested?

Try your free trial right here:

#3) Join the Rebellion! We need good people like you in our community, the Nerd Fitness Rebellion.

Sign up in the box below to enlist and get our Rebel Starter Kit, which includes all of our “work out at home” guides, our Strength Training 101 eBook, and much more!

Get your Nerd Fitness Starter Kit

• The 15 mistakes you don’t want to make.
• Full guide to the most effective diet and why it works.
• Complete and track your first workout today, no gym required.

Alright, I want to hear from you now:

What’s your biggest issue with working out consistently?

What tips helped the most?

Are we missing any helpful suggestions for a beginner?

Let me know in the comments!

-Jim

###

Photo Source: Rugby Player, Bruce Emmerling © 123RF.com, Firefighter, Dog Sitter, Bicycle, Toxic, choneschones © 123RF.com, Morning run with the Fitbit

The post How to Start Working Out (Consistently) first appeared on Nerd Fitness.

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Ten years ago, I ate a high protein diet. I regularly ate and recommended a gram of protein per pound of bodyweight. That meant I was putting down 160, 170 grams of protein a day myself.

Later, I moderated my protein intake and focused more on my fat intake, thinking that I’d be better off in the long term eating less protein and using my muscle mass, physical and mental performance, and overall vitality as a “signal” for when protein was too low. Researchers were looking at high protein intakes, noticing they could raise IGF-1 and trigger mTOR, which in some animal models have been linked to cancer and reduced longevity, and positing that lower protein intakes were healthier. I was never “low-protein,” but I certainly ate less than before. I will say that throughout all this time a major determinant of my protein intake was my instinctual hunger for it. When I ate a lot of protein, I did so because I desired it on a base, Primal level. When I ate less, I did so partly because of the research but also because I wasn’t as hungry for it (and my performance never indicated I was lacking).

But in recent years, I’ve been eating more protein again. In fact, I eat by most accounts a high-protein diet. Why? What changed?

I took a fresh look at the research.

I’m always researching. That’s the nature of my work here, and it never stops. As I read more into the protein/IGF-1/longevity connection, I became skeptical of the idea that protein is harmful because it “spikes IGF-1.” It turns out that elevating IGF-1 isn’t necessarily a bad thing; resistance training spikes IGF-1, and the beneficial effects of resistance training are largely dependent on the IGF-1 increase. It turns out that the majority of human research into IGF-1 and longevity shows either a positive relationship (higher IGF-1, longer lifespan) or a neutral one.¹ Really low levels of IFG-1 are bad for longevity, while really high levels are linked to cancer—and even those relationships aren’t totally clear. If protein was spiking IGF-1, that might actually be a good thing. After all, the more protein an older person eats, the longer they live and the healthier they live.

The more I looked, the more the evidence for limiting protein seemed to fall apart. The more I realized it consisted almost entirely of myths and misconceptions.

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Common Myths about High Protein Diets

What are the most common myths and misconceptions about high protein diets?

High protein damages your kidneys

I’d already covered the myth that protein is bad for your kidneys. It’s not, it’s actually good for them, and it protects against many of the maladies that do increase your risk of incurring kidney disease. While an unhealthy kidney may have to limit protein, a healthy kidney will not.

High protein creates toxic gut metabolites

Another popular trope was that protein fermentation in the gut creates toxic “fecal water” that has carcinogenic effects. Eating more protein than you could digest was supposed to trigger protein fermentation, which would lead to toxic fecal water and colon cancer. Also false: studies show that while high protein diets can increase protein fermentation, they do not increase fecal water carcinogenicity and may actually decrease cytotoxicity.²

High protein destroys your bones

Another myth is that protein “leaches” calcium from your bones and causes osteoporosis. The opposite is actually true. Human research consistently finds that higher protein intakes protect against osteoporosis, improve healing after bone injuries, and help prevent falls and fractures in older adults.³

High protein converts to sugar

Several years back, you could hear people say that eating extra protein is “just like eating chocolate cake.” They were wrong.  Gluconeogenesis—the creation of glucose from protein—is demand driven, not substrate driven. Your body will only convert protein into glucose when it needs the glucose. It will not turn protein into glucose just because it’s laying around and available. One study even found that eating 160 grams of protein in a single meal had no effect on blood glucose levels.⁴ If anything, high protein diets will improve blood glucose control.⁵

So if high protein diets don’t decrease longevity (and maybe even increase it), don’t damage healthy kidneys, don’t give you colon cancer, and don’t worsen blood glucose levels, is there even a good argument against them?

The thing about the arguments against high-protein diets is that they were always theoretical. The supposed consequences of eating more protein were off in the distance, yet to be realized, but “they just had to be true.” You could never pin them down. They were based on some plausible mechanisms whose plausibility crumbled as time wore on. They never materialized.

Nor did the supposed benefits of low-protein diets ever appear. On the contrary, low protein diets have been shown to have unabashedly negative effects. Low-protein diets:

• Slow the metabolism, increase insulin resistance, and cause body fat gain.⁶
• Impair the immune system and make infections more severe.⁷
• Reduce muscle function, cellular mass (yes, the actual mass of the cell itself), and immune response in elderly women.⁸
• Impair nitrogen balance in athletes.⁹
• Increase the risk of osteoporosis.¹⁰
• Increase the risk of sarcopenia (muscle wasting).¹¹

Those are proven effects. Those are realized consequences.

The Benefits of High-Protein Diets

Meanwhile, pretty much all the research we have on high-protein intakes finds or suggests benefits.

Less hunger

Of all the macronutrients, protein increases satiation the most.¹² This means a low-carb diet replete in protein can help control your appetite naturally—without you even trying. You just aren’t as hungry, and that makes it much easier to control calorie intake.

Lean mass retention during dieting

Weight loss from dieting is often non-specific. People lose muscle as often as they lose body fat. But with extra protein in the diet, you’re more likely to lose body fat and retain muscle mass during weight loss. In women, for example, a low-calorie, high-protein diet was better than a conventional high-carb, low-fat diet at promoting lean mass retention, even in the absence of exercise.¹³

Better cognitive aging

In older adults, high protein intake in excess of calories was the only macronutrient that was not associated with dementia. Those who ate excess amounts of fat and carbohydrate were at greater risk of dementia, while those who ate “excess” protein were not.¹⁴

Good safety profile

We know that athletes eating up to 3.3 grams of protein per kg of bodyweight each day for over a year have no negative effects and only positive ones.¹⁵ Lean mass increased, fat mass decreased. Kidney and liver function were fine. Blood lipids were good. Now, you could say that “a year of high protein dieting isn’t enough to show all the negative effects,” but you’d be pontificating about the future again. About unrealized potentialities. “Just you wait!”

There are caveats, of course.

High protein should always be paired with physical activity. Throughout human history, you couldn’t get protein without working for it. Meat and physical exertion have always been linked. You expend energy, engage your muscle fibers, obtain meat, eat the meat, activate muscle protein synthesis. It’s the same cycle. Only today, you can divest from that relationship. You can step out of the cycle. You can have a delivery guy drop off a crate of frozen steaks. You can stumble into the kitchen and whisk 40 grams of whey isolate into your water. It takes no physical effort, and that’s going to have ramifications.

One potential ramification of inadequate strength training is the buildup of ammonia, a toxic metabolite of protein digestion that we normally clear by converting to urea and expelling through the urine. If we “overload” the system, the ammonia may linger and cause health issues like brain fog. Resistance training has been shown to reduce serum ammonia in rats. They tied weights to their tails and had them climb ladders—the rat equivalent of lifting weights—and found that it reduced serum ammonia.¹⁶ If this holds true in people, then resistance training increases your protein “ceiling” by improving ammonia clearance and urea metabolism.

So make sure you’re lifting heavy things and moving around frequently—these activities increase your “protein ceiling.”

Another factor that increases your protein ceiling is dieting. The more calories you cut, the more likely your body is to start catabolizing muscle tissue. Eating a high-protein diet can mitigate this effect and stave off muscle loss.

And then there’s bed rest and injuries: both increase the amount of protein you should be eating. If you’re on bed rest or recovering from an injury or illness and can’t exactly make it to the gym, you should still eat extra protein to stave off lean mass attrition and improve healing. The binding principle is “protein ceiling.” Anything you can do to increase that protein ceiling and increase your “need” for protein, whether it’s physical activity or calorie restriction or injuries that require more healing, will make higher protein intakes safer and more effective.

Provided you get adequate physical activity, eat a nutrient-dense diet, and have good kidney health, there’s no reason not to try eating more protein if it appeals to you. The results may pleasantly surprise you—especially if you’re trying to lose weight and retain (or gain) lean mass.

What’s your protein intake like these days? How much protein do you eat?

The post A Fresh Look at High-Protein appeared first on Mark’s Daily Apple.

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When we talk about “getting enough electrolytes,” we usually mean the big three: sodium, potassium, and magnesium. There are many others, including calcium, chloride, and bicarbonate, but the big three are the ones targeted by supplement and sports nutrition companies.

In part, that’s because sodium especially, but also potassium and magnesium, are lost through sweat. Athletes need to replenish these electrolytes during and after hard workouts or endurance outings in order to maintain optimal hydration and performance. Sodium and potassium work together to manage fluid balance throughout the body and facilitate muscle contractions and nerve firing. Magnesium is critical for cellular energy production and the transport of sodium and potassium across cell membranes.

I’m not going to go into a lot of detail about the other functions of electrolytes in the body since Mark recently covered the topic in his Electrolytes 101 post. Suffice it to say that if you don’t maintain the proper levels of electrolytes, you’re in a world of hurt.

Should I Be Taking Electrolyte Supplements?

Not everyone needs to supplement with electrolytes, but everyone needs to get the right amount. Your kidneys do a good job keeping electrolytes in balance by retaining or excreting specific electrolytes as needed. However, the kidneys can only do their job if you provide enough electrolytes to begin with, and there’s the rub. Even Primal folks who consume abundant produce and animal products may struggle to get enough electrolytes from their food due to mineral-depleted soil. Paleo godfather Loren Cordain speculates that potassium intake in particular lags behind our biological needs.¹

Furthermore, if you’ve jumped on the ketogenic train, you need more electrolytes than the average person. When you drop your carb intake, insulin secretion decreases accordingly. This triggers ketone production as well as a rapid flush of electrolytes. Failure to replenish lost electrolytes, particularly sodium, is probably the number one culprit behind the dreaded keto flu.

Sports drinks are not the best way to up your electrolyte intake, though. Most of them are designed to provide energy (read: sugar) and hydration first and foremost. They probably won’t offer the amount of electrolytes you want, plus they usually contain other undesirable ingredients you don’t need. Luckily, it’s easy to up your electrolyte intake with better, more Primal-friendly sources.

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How Much Sodium, Potassium, and Magnesium Do You Need?

Sodium: The current recommended daily intake for adults is 1,500 mg per day, but that’s probably not enough for most people. The sweet spot seems to be between 4 and 6 grams per day for adults who do not have salt-sensitive hypertension or kidney disease.

Potassium:² The FDA’s recommended daily intake (RDI) is 4,700 mg per day.

Magnesium:³ For adult females, 310 mg per day up to age 30, 320 mg per day thereafter. For adult males, 400 mg per day up to age 30, 420 mg per day after that.

Keto Dieters’ Electrolyte Requirements

Keto dieters should aim for:

• 3 to 5 grams (3,000 to 5,000 mg) of sodium
• 1 to 3.5 grams (1,000 to 3,500 mg) of potassium
• 300 to 500 mg of magnesium

These are in addition to what you get from food. If you are already getting at least the RDI of potassium from your diet, you might choose not to add more. However, as I said, it’s unlikely that you consistently get enough.

How to Get Electrolytes without Sports Drinks

Start with Food

Getting electrolytes from your diet is preferable to supplementing. Start by estimating your typical daily electrolyte intake, ideally by tracking your food for a few days using an app. I prefer Cronometer, but any app that provides detailed nutritional information will do. Don’t forget to track beverages, too.

If you find that you’re not hitting your targets, try adding more electrolyte-rich foods first, then supplement as needed.

How to Get Sodium in Your Diet

(Note: All the nutrition information below comes from Cronometer.)

Bacon and other cured meats, canned fish, or salted nuts can contribute up to a few hundred mg of sodium per serving. Smaller amounts naturally occur in some produce like beets and carrots, and in seaweed and fresh seafood. Dairy products also contain sodium, and even your drinking water contributes a little.

By and large, though, most of the sodium you consume in a day comes from the salt you add to your food. Different types of salt contain different amounts of sodium. A teaspoon of sea salt has about 2,100 to 2,300 mg of sodium, whereas a teaspoon of kosher salt only has between 1,100 and 1,900 mg.

Primal eaters should feel free to salt their food liberally. Your food will taste better if you do! Also, adding a generous pinch of salt to your drinking water enhances the body’s ability to absorb the water so you stay hydrated. (Add a squeeze of lemon to mask the taste.)

Foods Rich in Potassium

Primal eaters usually don’t include many of the highest-potassium foods in their diets: legumes, dried fruits, bananas. No worries! A medium-sized banana contains 422 grams in a medium-sized fruit. There are plenty of Primal-friendly options that beat it. Here’s just a sampling:

• Avocado (1 whole, 136 g): 690 mg
• Clams, cooked (10 small, 100 g): 628 mg
• Butternut squash (1 cup cubed, 205 g): 582 mg
• Spinach, raw (3 cups, 90 g): 502 mg
• Beets, cooked (1 cup diced, 157 g): 479 mg

These don’t beat bananas, but they still get honorable mentions:

• Coconut water (8 ounces, 240 ml): 410 mg
• Ground beef, 85% lean, raw (4 ounces, 113 g): 333 mg
• Sockeye salmon, raw (3 ounces, 85 g): 306 mg
• Canned anchovies (Wild Planet brand, one can, 85 g): 235 mg
• Broccoli, raw (1 cup chopped, 91 g): 288 mg

Potatoes are still controversial in the ancestral health space, but they contain more potassium than any of the foods listed above. A medium-sized baked potato (131 g) clocks in at 512 mg of potassium. Eating the skin nets you an additional 400 mg! If you don’t want to eat white potatoes, and you’re not aiming for very low carb intake, a medium-sized sweet potato (150 g) delivers 713 mg of potassium.

As you can see, though, it takes quite a lot to hit the RDI of 4,700 mg per day, even if you eat plenty of these relatively high-potassium foods.

Best Foods for Magnesium

With both magnesium and potassium, you’ll get some from most Primal foods. Some of the higher-magnesium foods are:

• Almonds, dry roasted (¼ cup, 35 g): 96 mg
• Spinach, raw (3 cups, 90 g): 71 mg
• Pumpkin seeds, roasted (¼ cup, 16 g): 42 mg
• Chia seeds (1 Tbsp, 10g): 39 mg
• Avocado (1 whole, 136 g): 39 mg
• Sockeye salmon, raw (3 ounces, 85 g): 23 mg

Remember, you don’t need nearly as much magnesium as you do potassium or sodium.

Supplement Electrolytes as Needed

You can purchase magnesium and potassium as individual supplements. Check your daily multivitamin/multimineral formula, too, to see how much you’re getting there.

The easiest way to add sodium is from good ol’ salt. Losalt is a lower-sodium salt that contains 1800 mg of potassium and 688 mg of sodium per teaspoon.

You can also buy electrolyte powders that you add to water. Read the labels to see how much sodium, potassium, and magnesium you are getting with each product and to make sure they don’t have added sugar. Some products don’t contain all three electrolytes, which might be desirable or not depending on what you need. Others contain all three but in paltry amounts. My personal favorite is LMNT, which contains good amounts of the big three in the correct proportions.

What about Baking Soda?

Some evidence suggests that baking soda is anti-inflammatory and can buffer acidosis, which is why it’s becoming increasingly popular among athletes and folks with autoimmune issues. It also seems to boost ketone production.⁴

The chemical formula for baking is sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3). One-quarter teaspoon contains 315 mg of sodium, plus bicarbonate, another electrolyte. The downside to using baking soda as a supplement is that it can cause significant GI distress if you overdo it. Start small!

A Note on Safe Supplementing

It’s almost impossible to overdo electrolyte intake when you’re talking about the minerals that naturally occur in real food. However, supplementing is a different story. With any electrolyte, you can run into problems by taking too much. That’s why I suggest tracking your food intake first—so you know how much more of each you actually need.

In particular, excessive potassium can lead to heart arrhythmias. When taken correctly, potassium supplements are generally considered to be safe for adults whose kidneys are healthy. As always, ask your doctor if you’re not sure if they’re right for you.

The post Ways to Get Your Electrolytes (That Aren’t Sports Drinks) appeared first on Mark’s Daily Apple.

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A lot of people use Cinco de Mayo as an excuse to hit up their favorite taco shop and kick back with a margarita, completely unaware of the historical significance. Did you know that May 5th marks the anniversary of the day that Mexico drove out French military in 1862? Now you know why you’re clinking your salt-rimmed glasses and piling on the guacamole.

While there’s nothing wrong with a meal of Mexican food, it might be tough to stick with your eating style if you’re picking up takeout. Here are 6 Mexican-inspired recipes that you can whip up on May 5th, whether you’re following a gluten-free, paleo, or Primal lifestyle.

Shrimp and Cauliflower Rice Bowls Recipe

An artfully arranged rice bowl is a hearty meal that’s packed with a variety of colors, flavors, textures, and even temperatures. The thing is, the good stuff usually sits on top of a packed bed of rice, which could push your carbs over the edge if you’re trying to keep them low. Riced cauliflower is an easy substitute that creates just as satisfying a bowl as the real thing. While it looks like a lot of effort, this shrimp and cauli-rice bowl recipe comes together in just a few minutes.

Get the recipe here.

Keto Burrito Recipe

Everyone loves a good burrito. They’re hearty, filling, and you can stuff them with whatever you’re in the mood to eat. Wrap them up, and they make a convenient and flavorful meal on the go. Can you have burritos when you’re keto, though?

When you’re keeping your carbs low, good burritos can seem out of reach. Traditional flour tortillas send your carb counts through the roof, and inflammatory grains drain you of all of your energy. Other store-bought tortilla options are either just as carby, they have questionable ingredients, or they simply just don’t hold up.

We found a way. This keto burrito recipe has all of the flavor you’re looking for, without the carb-loaded carrying case. Instead, we use a thin, crepe-like egg pancake that compliments any burrito ingredient combination you can dream up.

Get the recipe here. 

Egg Tacos with Avocado and Lime Recipe

These aren’t fried eggs, nor are they scrambled. The eggs in these tacos are just slightly set, with a warm, runny yolk that is barely scrambled into the whites. Slide one of these gently cooked eggs into a warm tortilla, top with cool avocado and lime and slices of jalapeno and you’ve got the perfect breakfast taco. Although these egg tacos are delicious for dinner, too.

Get the recipe here. 

Sheet Pan Steak Fajitas Recipe

The whole point of sheet pan meals is to make life easier by delivering a flavorful, balanced meal to your table with very little cooking and cleanup involved. These sheet pan steak fajitas deliver on all counts. Strips of steak, bell pepper and onions served with avocado and salsa is a delicious mix of protein, colorful vegetables and healthy fat. Everything cooks together at the same time. After dinner, a cutting board, one bowl and two sheet pans are the only cleanup you’ll be stuck with.

Get the recipe here. 

Taco Salad in an Edible Bowl Recipe

Taco salad made from seared steak, avocado, tomato, shredded lettuce, and creamy chipotle dressing is delicious without any embellishment. But if you happen to have cheddar cheese in the refrigerator and a few extra minutes to grate it and bake it, then why not make an edible cheddar bowl?

Get the recipe here. 

Layered Taco Casserole Recipe

This layered taco casserole is comfort food without a helping of regret. There are still layers of everything that make taco casserole great: tortillas, seasoned ground meat, chile peppers, cheese, and a mile-high topping of shredded lettuce, fresh tomatoes, avocado and green onions. But the tortillas are Primal- and Paleo-approved, the ground meat is grass-fed, and the cheese is high-quality aged Cheddar.

Get the recipe here. 

The post Gluten-free, Paleo, and Primal Cinco de Mayo Recipes appeared first on Mark’s Daily Apple.