Salt and Sugar
Most Americans consume far too much sodium and far too little potassium, an eating pattern that puts them at higher risk of heart disease and death. Making a few changes in food choices can help shift the balance. Potassium levels are naturally high in vegetables and fruits, and sodium levels are naturally low. Large amounts of sodium are often added to foods during processing. So choosing produce that is fresh or frozen, or choosing foods that have not had salt added in processing, can help curb dietary sodium and boost potassium.
Balance
Keep in mind that the delicate balance of the right amount of Sodium, Potassium and liquid intake for individual balance is regulated by the miracle of the human body if there is a reasonable amount of intake without abuse. You listen to customers at the deli asking for low sodium cheeses and meats when you know dam well they have been instructed by their medical providers to cut back on their sodium intake in particular, because they know most of their patients are indiscriminately pigging out on other sodium chloride loaded bakery goods, restaurant salt factories, soups and other salt laden foods that are way over the top, let alone giving their patients an open season on foods that put them way over the top.
Liquid Intake
Liquid intake is one of the most important aspects of the critical role of Sodium and Potassium balance and in fact we personally use our liquid intake to provide a sizable contribution to our potassium intake. A tablespoon of Apple Cider vinegar in a glass of water three times a day will go a long way as apple cider vinegar is loaded with Potassium. Orange Juice, we have a glass of orange juice every day, split in two "with water" to limit the sugar impact of a full glass of orange juice. Nuts and seed are big contributor to the mineral intake, and our daily smoothie of dark green veggies along with berries, an apple, small piece of ginger, nuts, seed and especially a nice delegation of pumpkin seed all these components are heavy in potassium and instrumental in working in tandem with sodium and liquid to complete the cleaning and removal of waste generated by the cells and the process they go through. Much more on Potassium laden foods below.
Dehydration and Water Retention
This is very complex subject and best left to the medical provider one would be working with if either one of the above is evident. There is a great deal written on the two subjects and we would strongly advise anyone to bone up on them because a prospective patient could be subjected to symptoms before seeing a Doctor and would be alerted early in the process.
Actually dehydration can lead to water retention and for most this would be counterintuitive. My wife had an experience after a breast cancer exam that sent her into an anxiety attack that can cause dehydration and ultimately water retention. This sent off a series of bells and whistles with our medical providers that quite honestly with all due respect they did not know what the cause of her symptoms were. After a cardioversion test to get her heart back to normal, Lasix and a bunch of drugs she is back to normal.
We believe knowing what we know now we would have immediately increased her water intake, most likely spring water. In addition for a few days we engaged in a soup regimen loaded with sodium chloride that was the height of stupidity.
Our advice if you run into a
dehydration/water retention issue whatever the cause, start drinking the right
water, cut the salt down and use a natural salt as you do need salt.
Increase your potassium foods as listed in this feature. Last ASAP see
your Doctor. He/She will have different tests to lay their hands on what
is your problem that again could be an anxiety issue.
Currently, Nutrition Facts labels are not required to list the potassium content of foods.
But often foods that are highest in potassium are those that don’t carry a label:
Good sources include vegetables and fruits, especially leafy green vegetables (spinach, collards, and the like), orange vegetables (sweet potato, winter squash), and citrus fruits (oranges and grapefruits), as well as dried beans. Canned beans can be quite a bit higher in sodium, so make sure to choose low-salt
varieties.
Read more about potassium-based salt substitutes and other salt substitutes
Switching from table salt to a potassium-based salt substitute is another way to shift your sodium-potassium balance, and some preliminary research suggests that making this switch may have benefits for the heart.
But these potassium-based salt substitutes are not for everyone: Extra potassium can be dangerous for people who have kidney disease or who are taking medications that can increase potassium levels in the bloodstream.
So check with your doctor before trying a potassium-based salt substitute.
Blueeyedcurse note.
We have a big problem with potassium that is derived from unnatural sources and potassium salts are one of them.
Any type of a potassium supplement without the compliment of natural components as in whole foods that have high contents of potassium is a recipe for disaster.
As far as we are concerned No Thank you to substitute potassium salts. Just observe the caveats that are stated at the end of the paragraph above.
We believe that deriving the potassium you need to counter excess sodium intake from natural foods is almost impossible to overdose.
You can't say that for potassium salts and supplements. There are patients
that are put on extra potassium supplements when they have a water retention
issue and Lasix is required. We don't have an argument with that, as
that is an emergency, but this also requires a generous amount of water,
preferably distilled or spring water source intake to continue the
flushing process that is required in a water retention event. Dehydration
is also a issue and the plastic bags hanging in a IV drip hospital setting
procedure with the label Saline is an indication that salt is needed for the
process along with whatever the medical people deem necessary.
Now there are some warnings regarding certain foods that have a high content of potassium.
Let's take our favorite potassium food that also has other mineral benefits as well as an extremely high amount of fiber.
It is the sweet Potato. My wife and I share 4 to 5 a week and when we tell medical people as well as laymen the first response we get is SUGAR,
as sugar/carbohydrates are a big issue unless you do what we do. We scoop out about 80% of the pulp and discard it.
We leave about 20% of the pulp next to the skin of the potato that is where the maximum amount of nutrients reside.
Mother Nature consistently has designed most foods and their maximum benefits to reside in and close to the skin and explains why most nutritionists encourage us to always utilize the skin of each and every foodstuff we consume, especially how it applies to fruits and vegetables.
The skin of a potato is a seed source with their eyes ready to sprout with the
right environment. Consuming potato skin with it fiber and life's magic is
very welcomed by the human body. Chew the skin good and don't be
afraid to add a little natural butter and some Himalayan salt as long as you
don't pig out on breads and sweets in the bargain.
As far as foods with a high amount of potassium the most prominent are dried fruits such as prunes, apricots, cranberries and raisins.
Bananas have a high amount of potassium but again as the others they have a great deal of sugar that can be dealt with considering the fiber content of these foods that release the sugar in manageable concentrations.
The problem with indulging in these foods is that you have to eliminate the bad foods with sugar, like baked goods and all of the other good
stuff because for one reason alone and that is the amount of salt that is in
baked goods including breads, let alone the refined sugar that could send your blood
sugar sky rocketing.
As far as a salt shaker yes we use one, but we avoid Sodium Chloride as it is manufactured and stripped of the compliments of minerals that natural salts use. For our salt shaker we use Himalayan salt as it is one of the purest salts on earth and has the full compliment of minerals that we believe necessary to make natural sodium do the job it is designed to do.
So How Much?
So how much should we eat? There seems to be a great deal of ambiguity regarding this subject. The standard RDA is in the neighborhood of 1500 mgs of salt (for Diabetics) 2000 mgs for the average person and the rule of thumb ratio that medical sciences recommendations regarding the interaction with sodium that is in the 3 to 1 range. So if one were to ingest what I believe to be the optimum amount of sodium (1500 mgs of salt a day) that happens to be critical to ones health they would have to ingest in the neighborhood of 4500 mgs of Potassium with again generous amount of liquids.
Without going into the medical explanation of the role of sodium and potassium that I am not in any way qualified to do let me just lay out the basics of the process that I have researched and have been empirically proven.
Sodium's role in my humble degree of understanding is the water it generates around and in the cells of the body as the sodium has an affinity for the hydrogen/water ion whatever that means. When you wash your face you need water to do it. In addition you need the soap and potassium is the soap of the process because potassium that resides in the cells for the most part interacts in some type of a complex gradient with the sodium on the outside of the cells to send the results to the kidneys on its way for complete removal.
Keep in mind for those reading this that are on the verge of going to sleep, the cells control our entire being, cells control cancer cells, cells control the cardiovascular system and with the heart and cancer being the top killers in our society it certainly behooves all of us to maintain the health of our cells. We are not even going to cover in this writing the ramifications of cell health, diabetes for one and many other health issues.
Below is a list of Potassium foods with the highest amount of Potassium. Indulging in a high amount of potassium foods allows you to manage the amount of beneficial sodium intake. Sodium intake from foods and natural sources such as natural Himalayan salt are the best way to go. Again we would add that ingesting large amounts of potassium from natural foods cannot be overdosed as most if not all have a high degree of fiber that buffers the sugar.
Before
you go through the list below we would like to add one of our favorite sources
of Potassium. Braggs natural Apple cider vinegar is one of our favorite
sources of Potassium along with all of the complimentary minerals etc. that are
in the envelope of apple cider vinegar, along with pure lemon juice that
we partake in 365. There many individuals who have dissolved kidney stones
with high alkaline foods that have an affinity for acid wastes and if you have
ever tried to pass a kidney stone you can appreciate the role alkaline foods
loaded with Potassium can accomplish.
We have a special feature http://www.blueeyedcurse.com/ischemia.htm that covers 3 particular areas of tissue acid waste offenders. We have done a considerable amount of research trying to connect the dots regarding the salt aspects of waste as well as ischemia. These dots are very vague. In the case of sugar converting to this slime we refer to, that clogs up the arteries, etc. we cannot come up with a direct correlation between the ravages of salt that is not managed properly and ischemia. Unfortunately the combination of salt and sugar is common in most baked goods including bread and basically sets up what we refer to as a DOUBLE WHAMMY!
There definitely is a correlation and cleaning the cells as in the sodium/potassium process as detailed above definitely plays a role in the adequate cleansing process, but the scientific details are not just there in plain view. I am sure the answers are there but we have not been able to land our hands on it.
For the time being it is well worth the effort of getting the sodium/potassium balance in line because there is not doubt the failure to do so will contribute to the negatives concerning ischemia. Check out the link http://www.blueeyedcurse.com/ischemia.htm for the second time. Following the principles of both of this feature and the ischemia link will prolong your life and hopefully avoid the pain and suffering that goes along with the failure to do so.
1: White Beans
Potassium in 100g 1 cup cooked (179g)
561mg (16% DV) 1004mg (29% DV)
Other Beans High in Potassium (%DV per cup): Adzuki (35%), Soy (28%), Lima (28%), Kidney (20%), Great Northern (20%), Pinto (18%) and others at an average of 15% DV per cup cooked.
Use white beans on a regular basis as they are loaded with potassium but between
opening up cans of white beans find a way in meal preparation to prepare and
rotate the contents of a can. In another words don't try to preserve the
contents of a can when you are sparsely using the product.
#2: Dark Leafy Greens (Spinach)
Potassium in 100g 1 Cup (30g) 1 Cup Cooked (180g)
558mg (16% DV) 167mg (5% DV) 839mg (24% DV)
Other Greens High in Potassium (%DV per cup cooked): Swiss Chard (27% DV), Kale (8% DV), and Collards (6%
DV).
#3: Baked Potatoes (With Skin) Note: We discard 80% of the pulp
Potassium in 100g Average Potato (173g)
535mg (15% DV) 926mg (26% DV)
Warning: Potatoes are high in simple carbohydrates and not recommended for people with diabetes. Sweet potatoes are actually better for regulation blood sugar, an average baked sweet potato with skin (114g) provides 542mg (15% DV) of potassium.
#4: Dried Apricots
Potassium in 100g 1/2 cup (65g)
1162mg (33% DV) 755mg (22% DV)
Other Dried Fruits High in Potassium (%DV per 1/2 cup): Peaches (22% DV), Prunes (20% DV), Raisins (18% DV).
Warning: Dried fruits are high in sugar. cutt
#5: Baked Acorn Squash
Potassium in 100g 1 cup cubed (205g)
437mg (12% DV) 899mg (26% DV)
Other Squash High in Potassium (%DV per cup baked): Hubbard (21%), Butternut (17% DV), Zucchini (14% DV), Average Winter Squash (10%
DV).
#6: Yogurt (Plain, Skim/Non-Fat)
Potassium in 100g 1 cup (245g)
255mg (7% DV) 625mg (18% DV)
Other Yogurt High in Potassium (%DV per cup): Whole-Fat (11% DV), Chocolate Yogurt (24%
DV
#7: Fish (Salmon)
Potassium in 100g 1 3oz fillet (85g)
628mg (18% DV) 534mg (15% DV)
Other Fish High in Potassium (%DV per 3oz fillet (85g)): Pompano (15% DV), Lingcod (14% DV), Halibut (13% DV), Yellowfin Tuna (13% DV), Anchovies (12% DV), Mackerel (10% DV), Herring (10% DV) and most other fish at an average of 10%
DV. Our favorite source in this food catergory are sardines. They
have all the benefits including Vitamin D.
#8: Avocados
Potassium in 100g Average Avocado (201g) 1/2 Cup Pureed (115g)
485mg (14% DV) 975mg (28% DV) 558mg (16% DV)
An average avocado provides 322 calories, half a cup purred contains 184 calories.
#9: Mushrooms (White)
Potassium in 100g 1 cup sliced (108g)
396mg (11% DV) 428mg (12% DV)
1 cup cooked sliced white mushrooms contain 28 calories.
Other mushrooms high in potassium (%DV per cup sliced): Portabella (9% DV), Brown or Crimini (9% DV), Enoki (7% DV), Shiitake (5% DV), Maitake (4%
DV).
#10: Bananas
Potassium in 100g Average Banana (118g) 1 Cup Mashed (225g)
358mg (10% DV) 422mg (12% DV) 806mg (23% DV)
An average banana provides 105 calories, 1 cup mashed contains 200 calories.