Blog article

Have you ever had calf and foot cramps either during or after exercise or in bed in the middle of the night!  Very painful but why?

• You may be dehydrated - Do you drink 2L of water a day or 8 250mL glasses of water. Cut back on the caffeine and alcohol as these are dehydrating.
• Maybe you are low in Magnesium. 300mg a day of a powder or tablets help.
• Vitamin B complex will help mood and nerve function, sleep patterns and the production of serotonin a mood enhancing hormone.
• You may have a compressed nerve in your lower spine which can tighten the muscles in its path into the legs.

OR Maybe it is your micro circulation that is not good. As we get older the walls of our arteries get stiffer and our blood pressure increases. This is also true of the smaller blood vessels, the arterioles and venules found in the calves and foot area. We need flexible walls to increase the circulation of the blood which carries oxygen, food and waste to the muscles. 

So how can we help to improve our micro circulation? 

By using the 8 point dietary plan:

1. Increase nitrate : Green leafy vegetables like Chinese greens and baked or juiced beetroot. 
2. Cocoa: 85% chocolate 20g/day
3. Berries: 60-100g/day of blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, blackberries or cherries 
4. Fruit and vegetable juices such as: beetroot, ginger, celery, apple, banana, pineapple and ginger.
5. Green tea or hibiscus tea - several cups a day
6. Garlic fresh 1-2 cloves raw a day
7. Fibre: especially 30g/day of freshly milled linseeds. LSA, wheat or oat bran are good too.
8. Reduce salt to 3g/day

Increase potassium by eating one banana/day or 300mL of coconut water.

On top of this we need to have a Mediterranean type diet - low in saturated fats, sugars and salt with just a little red meat.

Now if you do not want to eat this huge array of foods you can take it as a supplement. Called 'Polyphenol Circ Support' it contains beetroot, cacoa, blueberries,green tea, cucurmin,ginger, grapeseed extract plus more. It is a powder and definitely helps to reduce the incidence of cramps after 6 weeks of use.  All these herbs are anti oxidants, anti inflammatory , circulatory stimulants and help to decrease blood pressure. 

In the massage area it is important to massage your legs before bed and even earlier in the afternoon. Also, stretch your calves, hamstrings, hip flexors and back to reduce tightness around nerves. 

If you want any help with how to stretch the body or use the herbs please give me a call. 

Join the discussion