How often have all of us heard someone say that they are
eating bananas for the potassium and wondered what that meant or why anyone
cared about their potassium intake? When
I was young my mother was always eating bananas for the potassium since she had
high blood pressure. It was decades
later before I understood what was going on.
Since I assume that many of you didn’t learn this in school either I
thought I would explain it so we all understand why we should care about our
electrolyte intake and our ratio of potassium to sodium.
Potassium (K), sodium (Na) and chloride (CI) are all
electrolytes (mineral salts) which conduct electricity when dissolved in
water. These electrolytes serve
important functions in the body including playing roles in the maintenance of:
water balance, kidney and adrenal function, acid and base balance, muscle and
nerve function, and heart function. Doctors
have known for years that diet high in sodium and low in potassium was
associated with high blood pressure. Additionally many studies have showed that
a high-sodium and low-potassium diet is associated with both the development of
both cancer and cardiovascular disease. I
hope you are starting to see that the balance of these electrolytes in your
body matter, a lot!
I will not be talking much about chloride because chloride
coexists in nature with sodium and table salt is actually sodium chloride
(NaCI). Foods which contribute sodium to
your diet also provide chloride. Sodium
and chloride are highly bioavailable and are typically absorbed in the small
intestine. However people who experience
intestinal malabsorption (either due to disease or GI infections) can find
themselves sodium deficient. People who
experience severe diarrhea and vomiting can experience sodium and chloride
deficiencies. Healthy people are
unlikely to be sodium deficient.
Most Americans consume a potassium to sodium ration (K:Na)
of 1:2 or lower. What that means is that
they are consuming twice the amount of sodium as they are potassium. However the problem is that scientists think
the ratio should be 5:1 (potassium to sodium) or higher. Now the question becomes how do we increase our
potassium by 10 times and that is one way to look at the problem that we are
faced with. However don’t forget that
you can always decrease your sodium as well. The good news is that fresh fruit
and vegetables are packed with potassium while being low in sodium. Most fresh produce contains at least 100
grams of potassium to a few grams of sodium.
Here are a few examples of foods comparing milligram of potassium to
sodium so that you can see the difference in natural versus man-made items:
Acorn Squash,
1 cup cubed and baked (896:8)
Apple, 1
medium (182:2)Asparagus, ½ cup (165:1)
Avocado, ½ (680:5)
Banana, 1 medium (467:1)
Black strap molasses, 1 tablespoon (498:11)
Bread whole wheat, 1 slice (71:148)
Cantaloupe, 1/8th of a large (315:9)
Catsup, 1 tablespoon (72:178)
Chickpea, 1 cup cooked w/o salt (477:11)
Ham lunchmeat 1 slice (56:283)
Mozzarella, 1oz part-skim (24:132)
Mustard, 1 tablespoon yellow (24:168)
Orange, 1 medium (263:1)
Parmesan, 1 tablespoon shredded (5:85)
Potato, 1 medium (782:6)
Prunes, 1 medium (63:0)
Pudding mix, fat-free sugar-free chocolate , 1 svg prepared (122:318)
Quinoa, ¼ cup uncooked (314:8)
Tomato, 1 medium raw (444:5)
Tomato, 1 cup canned whole (530:440)
Soup Cream of Tomato, 10.75 oz can (644:1690)
Soy sauce, 1 tablespoon (64:871)
Swiss cheese, 1 oz (31:420)
The elderly are at a higher risk for potassium deficiency as
are athletes. In the elderly the problem
is typically due to inadequate intake or diuretic use (common with cardiovascular
disease), but in athletes the issue is usually potassium loss through
sweat. If you spend a lot of time
exercising (and therefore sweating) it is recommended that you should be
consuming additional potassium (produce).
I don’t recommend that anyone take potassium in supplement
form since it can cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Consuming fresh vegetables and fruits in
their natural form are unlikely to cause problems. People with kidney problems need to be
careful with how much sodium and potassium they include since the kidney is
what balances our electrolytes. If you have kidney disease you need to talk to
you doctor before you dramatically change the intake of potassium or sodium
containing foods. The adequate intake
(AI) of 4,700mg/day for adults is recommended. However it is worth knowing that
our ancient ancestors are thought to have eaten more than 10g of potassium per
day.
What about sodium is there any easier way to lower it? Actually it is easy to lower your sodium
intake but it involves eating a diet which is once again based on whole plant-based
foods. Once you start reading labels and
focusing on sodium content I think you will be shocked by the amount of sodium
in foods. I was very surprised by the amount of sodium in bread and canned
tomatoes. Most bread is also a problem
because it frequently contains both high fructose corn syrup and soy protein
isolates not to mention preservatives and other things that I don’t eat. Canned tomatoes contain not only a lot of
sodium but also BPA. *sigh* Sometimes it
feels like nothing is safe to eat anymore doesn’t it?
There is no RDA for sodium but a daily intake of 115mg
(which is very easy to both reach and to exceed) is considered essential. According to Dr. David Katz 500mg per day is
recommended, and we reach and typically exceed that every day either without
adding salt to food or eating processed food if that makes you feel better
about eating a diet like ours. It is
estimated that our ancient ancestors consumed less than 1,000mg of sodium per
day, far less than the 4,000mg+ which the average American now consumes daily.
Asian foods tend to be very high in sodium so be careful
with your use of soy sauce, liquid aminos, miso, and other Asian condiments and
sauces. As much as I love Asian food, I
try to keep our consumption to a minimum so that our average sodium intake
doesn’t get out of control.
If you still eat cheese that is also a hidden source of
sodium that you should keep in mind. Cheese like feta is particularly high in
sodium. In addition to sodium, cheese contains
an abundance of saturated fat which isn’t good for your arteries and it
increases your levels of IGF-1 which fuels cancer growth. As much as I love the taste of cheese I can’t
look at it now without seeing something that I now consider a toxin. There are days when I wish I could unlearn
some of the nutrition facts that I have learned. However I know it is in the best interest of
my family to keep cheese out of our diet.
Darn it! ;-)
If you eat lunch meat, bacon, smoked meats or processed meat
like sausage you are also consuming a lot of “hidden” sodium. The next time you
are in the grocery store look at the sodium content on lunchmeat and smoked
salmon and I think you will be surprised by how high it is. I calculated the potassium and sodium content
of a ham and cheese sandwich assuming 2 slices of whole wheat bread, 3 slices
of ham, 1 oz of Swiss cheese and 1 tablespoon of mustard and the potassium was
365mg but the sodium was 1,733mg.
Whoa! Even I was surprised by
those numbers. However it makes it easy
to see how the typical American diet would contain over 4,000mg of sodium doesn’t
it? Instead of a sandwich with lunchmeat
and cheese how about a veggie wrap with hummus (no salt), roasted and raw
veggies? That would contain a lot of
potassium, vitamins and micronutrients and not much sodium. Are you starting to see why I order those
when Ian makes my lunch? ;-)
The bottom line is that most of us are consuming too much
sodium and not enough potassium. We would all be healthier if we reduced our
consumption of packaged or processed food and ate more fresh food. If you just do those two things you will be making
a huge difference in your health.
Wednesday:
Breakfast for both of us was a green smoothie which was made
with: kale, frozen mango, frozen banana,
walnuts cinnamon, water, coconut extract and a little stevia. I ran out of frozen cherries but did have a
frozen mango which is why you aren’t seeing the chocolate cherry green
smoothies currently.
I spent some time reading a new textbook that I purchased on
health psychology before it was time see my girlfriend Deirdre for lunch. Deirdre is my friend who quit her federal
government job to go back to school to get her PhD in psychology. Have I said recently that Deirdre is my
hero? I am still in awe of her ability
to quit her job and go back to school being a single girl. Wouldn’t we all love to have chutzpah like
that?
Lunch with Deirdre took place at the usual place. Since
Deirdre lives in the neighborhood now we can get together at my favorite
place. Deirdre likes it enough that she
now goes there without me as well. I think that speaks volumes.
I started lunch with a bowl of the white bean, kale and
sweet potato soup. Deirdre had tomato
bisque, which I did not photograph.
For my entrée I asked if the kitchen would make the veggie
and hummus wrap and put a small salad with that. I never get tired of this combination. Deirdre had a turkey burger and sweet potato
fries which again I did not photograph.
Being girls Deirdre and I talked for hours and hours and
that meant there was time for Deirdre to have a little dessert. She ordered a
carrot cake cupcake which was so cute that I had to take its picture. Carrot
cake was always my favorite cake but I was good and didn’t have a bite. It smelled delicious even from across the
table. LOL
Dinner was a simple bowl of leftover curried lentil soup. Thank goodness for intentional leftovers.
Having intentional leftovers on hand is the primary reason that I am able to
keep such an uber healthy diet. If you are trying to eat a healthier diet,
start with making intentional leftovers.
I think you will be surprised by what a difference that makes.
Happy Thoughts:
·
Wednesday we had the most glorious weather. I
went to the dentist got a little beat up but it was all good. I took a few pictures leaving the dental
office to give you a sense of life in the city.
While I was at the dentist I learned something new. The outer covering of popcorn can get under
your gums and when it does that it also does not degrade and can turn into an abscess.
Thankfully mine just required some digging to remove (fun stuff!) but I won’t
be having popcorn for a while now that is for sure. After that little
revelation popcorn might just be off my “preferred” food list now. It wasn’t all that thrilling without oil and
salt anyway. ;-) Poor Binky, he is going to miss having popcorn when we watch movies. Yes, Binky actually eats popcorn which we found out by accident one day and I had to snap the picture of him getting his own. Only at our house would that be considered cute. LOL
·
I stopped at the library on Wednesday and picked
up more books. I know what you are thinking believe me. How does she have time to read all these
books? Dan asks the very same question. No matter where I am I have a book with me.
Tuesday while I waited for Deirdre to arrive at lunch I was reading. Wednesday I was reading while in the waiting
room at the dentist. I literally always
have a book with me. You didn’t think I got all this nutrition knowledge from
osmosis did you? LOL
·
While I was in Hunt Valley I stopped at Wegman’s
for provisions which in my case meant raw organic nuts and seeds (raw cashews,
raw pumpkin seeds and Brazil nuts), many bags of dried organic beans, black
strap molasses (an excellent source of potassium, calcium and iron), turmeric
(always good to have one hand), and some hulled hemp seeds to name a few
items. I must be quite the sight
checking out at the grocery store. I often wonder what the clerks think when they
ring this stuff up and put in the bags.
;-)
·
Thursday I spent most of the day at Hopkins
again. There are definitely positives
and negatives to sitting in hospital waiting rooms all day. Every time we are
here I am always reminded how fortunate we are with how things have gone for us. However I am also struck by the pain and
suffering that other people have to endure.
*long exhale* When you are
someone like me who feels for others it is extremely difficult to see other
people suffering. There were people in
wheelchairs who obviously didn’t have the energy to walk. Other people were on oxygen and many people
without hair. Cancer is a horrible
disease that I probably see more often than the rest of you. The fact that always surprises me is the
number of people that I see who are very obviously younger than I am. When I was in my 30’s I thought cancer was
something that happened to old people but that is not the case now. There were
plenty of people in their 30’s and 40’s in the waiting room again yesterday. That is part the reason I am so dedicated to
show you that it is more than possible to live a healthy life, and that it does
make a difference. You have no idea how
much I want you understand that. I don’t
want any of you to be one of those people I see in the Hopkins waiting room who
cause me to fight back tears when I see them.
·
Friday I expected to spend the afternoon with my
friend Will who just came back from NYU where he did a nutrition certification
program. However he needed to run to the
dentist for an emergency procedure so I ended up having a little time on my
hands to get caught up on some tasks at home.
·
We had incredible weather again on Friday with
temperatures in the med-50s and even a little sun. I love this time of year! Anytime it is still in the 50s at 8 o’clock
at night is fine with me. We went for a nice walk this evening before dinner.
Signing out:
This has been a crazy busy week for me. Every day this week I have been out of the
house for much of the day. Next week I
have much more free time in my schedule which I am definitely looking forward
to. Do you ever feel like your to-do
list is completely out of control? That
describes my life at the moment, too much to do and not enough time to do
it. On that cheery note I have to get
back to my to-do list so that I can relax a little and enjoy my weekend with Dan.
Talk with you again soon. I hope that
you enjoy your weekend.
I started reading this post while I was eating a delicious organic banana. Very informative Ali. The potassium to sodium ratios are pretty astounding.
ReplyDeleteI learned recently that bananas are considered truly ripe when they have little brown spots on them. I never knew that and realized I had been eating many not fully ripe bananas. I ripened mine well and have really been enjoying them the last few days.
I had the pleasure of using my very own Vitamix for the first time last night to make a "dinner smoothie" - it was so amazing! I put hemp, kale, banana, berries, mango, a bunch of supplements, walnuts and ice in it and it blended smooth in 30 seconds - I was so excited! The kale actually blended smooth :)
My hygienist gave me this neat tool that is like a soft bristle mini brush to clean the gums. I use it every time I eat popcorn and it really works.
I find hospitals to be very draining emotionally - you are such a trooper. *HUGS*
Possum (N),
DeleteYay for your new Vitamix. I know you were doing the happy dance last night. I just love mine and use it every day multiple times per day and bet you will too. Your smoothie sounds delicious! Now that you have your Vitamix you can store ripe bananas in the freezer. I let them get a lot of black spots, then I peel them and put them on a half sheet pan lined with a silpat and freeze them until they are solid and then pop them into ziptop bag. Frozen bananas are great in smoothies.
Great tip on the mini brush I will send my hygentist an email today to ask about those. Dan's office is literally one building away from our dentist so he can pick up the mini brushes for me on Monday. Binky thanks you for the tip because he loves popcorn during movie night and now gets his own bowl. Only at my house. LOL
Hospitals are definitely draining and I never realized that when I worked there. But then again I also didn't have as much exposure to patients as I do now and I am sure that is the difference. Thanks for the hugs, I appreciate them a lot! :-)
Enjoy your weekend,
Ali
Hi Ali,
ReplyDeleteMany of my hiking pals seem to think they need extra NaCl to prevent leg cramps--do you know if that's true?
What do you do with blackstrap molasses? I think I've only used it in cookies (healthy ones, of course)!
Laura,
DeleteThere are many possible of causes of leg cramps so I wouldn't automatically assume it is low sodium since most Americans are high not low. I wouldn't be taking sodium to "prevent" leg cramps that haven't happened particularly since too much sodium has been linked to both cardiovascular disease and cancer.
Blackstrap molasses is something that I add to green smoothies (sometimes) and I use a little when I make granola. It is also good in baked beans.
Ali
Hey Ali!
ReplyDeletehope you and Dan are doing well. I have a question which came up for me again today. If you've touched on it before and could point me to the info that would be great.
My cholesterol is good, but my HDL is low. I received the standard recommendation: fish oil pills, eat more salmon & tuna. I don't want to do that! Is the ratio really that much of a concern? Wouldn't chia and/or flax seeds accomplish the same thing?
Take care,
Neca
Hey Neca,
DeleteSorry for the delay in responding to this. There are a few ways to increase your HDL, a few glasses of red wine per week is the recommendation of a cardiologist friend of ourse. However I would probably opt for more exercise. How is your total cholesterol? I found that adding a tablespoon of chia, flax or hemp daily seemed to increase my HDL. Hope you find something that works.
Ali
It's been a month.... I miss you! Miss your facebook posts on all the latest research, too.
ReplyDeleteLaura,
DeleteLife got completely out of control at our house. It is a long story but hopefully things will be more like normal going forward. *fingers crossed* Sorry to make you worry.
Ali
No popcorn?! I'm pretty sure I would just die without popcorn. :-( But the food from the restaurant looks delicious!
ReplyDeleteBianca,
DeleteI was pretty sure I would die without popcorn too but it is okay. However I will admit that I still miss it. LOL
Ali
thanks for all the nutritional info., ali! xoxo
ReplyDeleteAimee,
DeleteHope all is well with you,
Ali
Alicia,
ReplyDeleteYou said the key word, "Hummus". I love hummus.
Is the white kitty eating popcorn?
Peace :)
Chandra,
DeleteYep Binky (the white kitty) was eating popcorn. I am not sure which one of us misses popcorn more me or the cat. LOL
Ali
Ali, I just thought I'd stop by and see if you're doing okay. I am thinking of you today! :-)
ReplyDeleteCindy,
DeleteThank you for thinking of us. Life has been crazy for a few months but I think I have things under control now. Only time with tell though. ;-) I hope things are going well for you.
Ali
Very good information about electrolytes. They are indeed very important. And I agree that eating them is the best way to obtain them. I am seeing more and more value in whole foods. I have stopped cooking with dairy and eggs, and am redoing my website to reflect that.
ReplyDeleteThe food all looks delish, both the restaurant food and your (I am sure very yummy!:) creations. The soup looks especially good to me. Thanks for instilling the value of intentional leftovers. I am now doing that more, and attempting to find uses for unintentional leftovers, which can be fun. :P
I am glad you are doing well, and I hope to see a new post from you soon! God bless! :)
Angel,
DeleteWoo hoo for eliminating the dairy and eggs and your house! Good for you. I hope that the transition was easy for you and for your family. :-)
Thank you for telling me that the idea of intentional leftovers was helpful for you. I really wouldn't know what to do without out.
thanks for checking on us,
Ali
Hi,
ReplyDeleteThis is the wrong place for this comment, but I've been searching all over and can't seem to figure out if you have posted this anywhere...
Basically, I'm just curious as to what you use in your kitchen as far as appliances. I know you have a vitamix, which is great because I do too, now :)
What kind of pressure cooker do you use? Electric vs Stovetop? I have an electric Cuisinart.
Do you use a food processor and a vitamix or just use the words interchangably?
Also, do you make your own breadcrumbs?
Thanks!
Yup,
DeleteI have a stove top pressure cooker which is a 6-quart Fagor. I also have a 14 cup Cuisinart food processor that I use when I want the food to have some texture.
Yes I also make my own breadcrumbs. I use my 100% whole wheat focaccia and turn that into crumbs in my food processor and then freeze them in ziptop bags.
hope that helps,
Ali
If this shows up twice, I apologize, my interwebs are acting up...
ReplyDeleteWhat kind of pressure cooker do you use? Stove top or electric? I have an electric.
Do you have a vitamix and food processor or do you just use those interchangably?
Finally, do you make your own breadcrumbs or use store bought?
Sorry for the barrage of questions ;)
Yup,
DeleteYour comment did show up twice but no worries. My connection seems to act up a lot too.
Ali