Magnesium Magic For Senior Skier Muscles
How’s Your Magnesium Level These Days?
Feeling fatigued on the hill despite intense pre-season training? Muscles cramping during or after a day on the slopes?
Magnesium deficiency may be the culprit.
Kale is a rich source of Magnesium. So is Spinach. Popeye was right!
Magnesium, essential for normal muscular contraction and relaxation, is a key player in over 300 biochemical reactions in the body, including production of ATP, the main source of energy for our cells!
Without proper magnesium levels, muscle cramping and fatigue can result. Even slight magnesium deficiency can impair athletic performance and intensify post-workout soreness. Unfortunately, about half of the US population lacks adequate magnesium—with seniors especially affected.
Processed foods are devoid of potassium and magnesium, and magnesium rich foods like dark green vegetables generally are seen (and consumed) as a side dish.
Stomach acid is an important factor in absorption of nutrients, including magnesium. But stomach acid declines with age, often resulting in reduced magnesium absorption, a process further complicated by heartburn reduction drugs like Nexium and Prevacid.
We also lose magnesium as we age because of increased excretion by the kidneys, something compounded by regular use of diuretics (e.g. Lasix or hydrochlorothiazide), prescribed for high blood pressure. Alcohol consumption doubles the rate of magnesium excretion as well.
Here’s how to improve your magnesium intake.
- Eat green leafy vegetables at least twice a day. These include foods like kale, spinach, chard, beet greens, mustard greens, and collard greens. Enjoy them raw and lightly cooked (magnesium is lost through boiling). Check out the SeniorsSkiing Mega Magnesium Smoothie recipe below.
- Munch hemp seeds, a great source of magnesium! They’re low in a substance found in other magnesium-rich nuts and legumes that inhibits intestinal absorption.
- Reduce reliance on acid blocking meds by identifying food sensitivities causing heartburn. This is best accomplished under the guidance of a physician or nutritionist.
- Limit intake of diuretic drinks (e.g. alcohol, coffee,) or counterbalance their influence with more green leafy vegetables.
Magnesium-up your diet makes sense as you age.
Credit: Vega-licious.com
If you follow those simple steps and still cramp on the mountain, consider supplemental magnesium. Magnesium chloride, magnesium citrate, and magnesium lactate are the types that absorb best. Dosages vary between 200 – 600 mg per day, depending on gender, age and health. People with kidney disease and those using bisphosphonates (e.g. Fosamax and Boniva) should use caution with supplemental magnesium. Consult first with a health professional experienced in nutraceuticals.
That said, magnesium pills are safer than the average over-the-counter NSAID, and a popular magnesium drink mix called Calm (available at natural food stores) can help with muscle cramping and soreness.
Once your body’s magnesium stores are replenished, you may find yourself getting the most use out of that season’s pass in years!
Recipe: SeniorsSkiing Mega Magnesium Smoothie
Try using organic ingredients, as they contain higher mineral content
1.5 cups milk of your choice (regular milk, hemp milk, soy milk, rice milk, coconut milk)
2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder (a great source of magnesium!)
1 banana
1 cup kale, spinach, or chard
2 teaspoons hemp seeds
Blend and enjoy!
Knee Replacement—Interviewing The Docs: Part 3
Practical tips to help you evaluate surgeons
Inspired by a Brighton, Utah, ski patroller with two artificial knees, I buckled down and researched the knee replacement process. I soon felt like I had a PhD on the subject. I’m glad I did the homework. It charted my course.
Make a list. From my research, I generated 20 questions to ask potential surgeons. [Editor Note: You can download Harriet’s Knee Replacement Questions here.] I typed the list, printed five copies, and took a sheet with me to each of the five knee surgeons I interviewed. The list allowed me to ask the same questions, and I had space to write down
Harriet waits to interview a surgeon amidst clear evidence of sports orientation.
Credit: Harriet Wallis
their answers. In addition, I could evaluate their answers later without forgetting what each one said.
I literally interviewed them while they examined my knees. It might sound ludicrous to interview five doctors, but why not? They’re my knees.
And their answers were amazingly different.
The visits were worth it. I evaluated the surgeon’s differences and choose the right one for me.
Use your radar. When you go to an appointment, look around the waiting room. Does anyone there look athletic? Or does everyone look fat, old and sedentary? It could be a clue for you.
Check the doc’s girth. Does an obese doctor understand an active life style? Will a fat doc comprehend how you want to use your new knees and that you want to ski?
Consider the alternatives. I bet you know at least one person with a replacement body part: a hip, knee or shoulder. But replacement might not be right for you. Be open to doctors’ recommendations to try another solution first.
I’ve heard many people say: “My knee really hurts. I want to have it replaced.” Replacement is not a magic bullet. And it is a major and irreversible action. You need to be sure that replacement is the right solution.
Editor’s Note: This is a 5 part series in which SeniorsSkiing’s correspondent Harriet Wallis describes her knee replacement journey with tips to guide you if you’re anticipating knee replacement. Part 1: Inspired by a ski patroller with artificial knees. Part 2: Research 101 – why and how to do it. Upcoming Part 4: How I found the right doctor for me. Part 5: Rehab and why to love it.
Chic CP Visor Helmet Replaces Goggles
Hot-Looking Helmet Channels F-15 Pilot Look.
I’ve written previously about the Osbe Proton Senior, a clever helmet with an integral visor which replaces goggles, providing an effective solution to the problem of foggy eyeglasses. Swiss-based CP raises the bar with their Italian-made Camurai, which adds some significant tweaks to the pivoting visor concept.
Both helmets feature a visor that allows a small, controlled airflow through the inside, which keeps your lenses from fogging. To achieve this flow, the Osbe’s visor does not actually seal against either your face or the helmet. Generally this works very well, but I have found
CP Camurai full visor helmet gives you that Top Gun aura.
Credit: Mike Conley
that occasionally fine snow can find its way inside and collect atop the foam “air-dam”. On the other hand, when closed, the CP visor’s foam seal lightly contacts your face and a rubber strip seals against the helmet at the top. Three small vents at the bottom edge of the visor allow air to circulate inside, and this does the trick. After an entire season in varying conditions, I never had the slightest fogging, nor did the smallest snowflake find its way inside. At the end of a long day wearing the Osbe I’ve sometimes felt a bit dry-eyed, perhaps from circulating air, but I have not noticed this happening with the CP.
Like Osbe, CP offers a range of UV-filtering visors which can be quickly changed, but the CP has no small loose parts to risk losing when you do so. CP will soon be offering a full-range, photochromic visor, which should be nice. They make an extensive line of sunglasses that translates to excellent visor quality. I’ve been using a mirrored yellow visor which is great in flat light. As I’ve done with the Osbe, I stick with that one visor and use my clip-on shades on bright days. Both helmets feature a retainer strap; so, you have to option of leaving the visor off and using goggles.
The CP is more of a three-season helmet than the Osbe with removable leather-covered ear-pads and far more venting, including 12 slots in front and on top that can be opened or closed with a slider as needed. Another nice extra is a knob in back to fine-tune the fit. The inmolded CP has a higher, domed profile and features a thick Coolmax-covered liner. I prefer the look of the Camurai; I felt the Osbe had a certain “bowling ball” look which brought back painful childhood comparisons to Charlie Brown.
Both helmets are priced similarly – around $300 – which is reasonable considering the cost of a helmet and goggles purchased separately. The Camurai is available in a pricier carbon-fiber version if your wallet needs slimming. Visit CP/Fashion/At/Sports website to see the full range of choices. For a US dealer, try contacting: CP SPORTS NORTH AMERICA, 365 Sinclair Rd, PO Box 5968, Snowmass Village CO 81615, Phone:+1 970 710 9633
All you need is an aircraft carrier to complete the ensemble.
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