The Diet Logs

Potassium is a very important mineral that our bodies need.  Potassium helps control blood pressure, helps your muscles and nerves function properly, and maintains the proper electrolyte and acid-base balance in your body.
So even when dieting, make sure you are eating foods that contain potassium as part of your diet.

Here are some foods that you can make a part of your daily diet to ensure you get your potassium!

Potatoes, both sweet and regular

Beans, especially lima beans, soybeans, white beans and kidney beans,

Yogurt and skim milk.

Bananas, peaches, cantaloupes and honeydew melons.

Fish, such as halibut, yellowfin tuna, rockfish and cod.

Tomato products, such as tomato sauce, juice, puree and paste

Squash, Spinach and Avocado
Diets that are high in sodium and low in potassium are all too common.  This is probably due to the fact that we tend to eat far more processed foods that are high in sodium, than fresh fruits and vegetables that provide potassium naturally.
The symptoms of potassium deficiency include muscle weakness, confusion, irritability, fatigue, and heart disturbances. Athletes with low potassium stores may tire more easily during exercise, as potassium deficiency causes a decrease in glycogen (the fuel used by exercising muscles) storage.
So although you may not think much about potassium in your daily diet, it really is something you should be aware of.  Eat less fast food every day, or frozen entrees that could be high in sodium, and make eating fruit and veggies a bigger part of your diet.

Irene Bellamy wrote this on April 18th, 2008 and filed it under Diet Logs |