The Right Dose was written by Patricia Hausman. She discusses over a dozen vitamins and minerals that are needed for good health. She also talks about approximate amounts of nutrients in various foods.

For example, calcium and Vitamin D are needed to maintain strong bones. Vitamins C and E and selenium help reduce the odds of a person developing cancer. Vitamin B1, Thiamine, helps the body's energy level. For example, a B1 deficiency could cause a high heart rate and leg cramps.

Potassium is a mineral that Patricia talks about in the book. It helps lower blood pressure in the body. It allows normal functioning of nerves and muscles, especially the heart. The safe range of potassium is wide, between 1,875 to 5,625 milligrams per day. Signs of deficiency are fatigue and an abnormal heartbeat.

Now, the author goes into important details of the approximate amounts of potassium in various foods, and she does this for other vitamins and minerals also. For example, one cup of tomato juice might contain as much as 600 milligrams of potassium. If you drink two cups of tomato juice, you are almost two thirds of the way toward the minimum daily requirement for potassium.

Beans are the greatest and most convenient way to get plenty of daily potassium. One cup of Great Northern white beans provides 750 milligrams of potassium. One cup of lima beans contains 1200 milligrams of potassium. One cup of orange juice gives 550 milligrams of potassium. So, one serving of beans every day along with vegetable and fruit juice would satisfy your daily requirement for potassium.

I cannot emphasize enough how valuable this book is. Patricia does the same in-depth analysis on Vitamin A, B vitamins, C, D, and other minerals. If you are having physical problems, there is a good chance that you are deficient in vital basic food nutrients, and the situation can be reversed by eating certain foods or by taking appropriate food supplements.