Potassium

foxgl0ve

The mobile app has a great little nutrition breakdown where you can see if you're getting enough vitamin C, not too much fat and cholesterol, sugar, carbs, etc. I find it really helpful, but every week I seem to be getting no where even close to their recommended amount of Potassium.

Even if I focus on eating yogurt, baked potatoes, bananas, and other potassium rich foods, I'm not even reaching half of the daily goal. I'm not sure how you would get enough potassium in your diet without going over on several other nutritional markers.

Is anyone getting enough potassium, and if so, how?

126siany

It's extremely rare to get insufficient potassium. MFP is unreliable for tracking it because food labeling regulations don't require potassium to be listed.

rininger85

suggestion 1: substitute any salt you use in cooking / seasoning food for salt alternative (potassium chloride)... when it is on food it tastes exactly like salt to me, this helps you reduce your salt intake and increase your potassium intake (don't try it by itself, it tastes terrible if you just lick your finger and get a little potassium chloride on it, but on food it tastes exactly like salt (sodium chloride).

suggestion 2: take a potassium supplement pill.

I'm not sure how big of a difference potassium makes in a diet, but I know as an avid scuba diver I notice a big difference when my potassium is low where I cramp up while diving, getting enough potassium I don't cramp up...

diadojikohei

I eat 1 avocado, one banana and 10 dried apricots in fat free natural yoghurt. This should give me the 3500mg of potassium I should have.

cnphel0

I noticed that I have problems with my Potassium too. I also have more muscle fatigue when I'm not getting enough. I started taking a supplement and it has helped alot. I like the idea of the Potassium salt. I might try that one too. Any other thoughts???

diadojikohei

DO NOT take potassium supplements if you are taking medication for high blood pressure, go check with your doctor.

typo

km2830

Coconut water.

Add it to a smoothie or drink it straight. It has more potassium than a banana and very low in calories (as long as you stick to unsweetened!). It also is a good natural source source of electrolytes which makes it a better choice than many sports drinks.

126siany

Here's an article from the Mayo Clinic, stressing that insufficient potassium from your diet is extremely rare: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/low-potassium/MY00760

Unless a doctor has told you that you are low in potassium, it is extremely unlikely that you are. Messing around with your potassium levels on your own can do far more harm than good.

savonniere

Please check with your doc regarding potassium. I have chronically low potassium and the medical folks can't figure out why. Saturating my diet with potassium rich food helps a bit but still doesn't get me to my RDA. So I take a supplement called "Slow K" which is OTC where I live and it gets me to the low-normal range. I'm still monitored and my local pharmacist is aware of my condition to do an additional monitor for prescribed rx. that may interfere/react. Potassium is absolutely important in your diet, as others here have noted the effects if it gets low, but too much potassium is just as bad or worse.

alancheng

The mobile app has a great little nutrition breakdown where you can see if you're getting enough vitamin C, not too much fat and cholesterol, sugar, carbs, etc. I find it really helpful, but every week I seem to be getting no where even close to their recommended amount of Potassium.

Even if I focus on eating yogurt, baked potatoes, bananas, and other potassium rich foods, I'm not even reaching half of the daily goal. I'm not sure how you would get enough potassium in your diet without going over on several other nutritional markers.

Is anyone getting enough potassium, and if so, how?

Take a look at my diary, especially for the past Saturday and Sunday. It can be done -- with nuts, fruits, and vegetables.

raeleek

DO NOT take potassium supplements if you are taking medication for high blood pressure, go check with your doctor.

I second this. My sister works with kidney patients and she's told me this over and over. I do V8 low-sodium at breakfast and a spinach salad with lunch or dinner almost everyday. Been going over on potassium through food sources! :drinker:

martamierzejewski

I found the answer to this, I think. There's an error with the system on MFP and the system doesn't track potassium or other nutrients properly. I ate some foods which I KNOW have potassium (and lots too), logged them in, and to my surprise, it said ZERO next to the food in my diary.
I hope MFP can fix this, for at least, the major things like iron, calcium, potassium, becasue it can be really frutrating otherwise to all of who are trying to eat balanced meals.

diadojikohei

I found the answer to this, I think. There's an error with the system on MFP and the system doesn't track potassium or other nutrients properly. I ate some foods which I KNOW have potassium (and lots too), logged them in, and to my surprise, it said ZERO next to the food in my diary.
I hope MFP can fix this, for at least, the major things like iron, calcium, potassium, becasue it can be really frutrating otherwise to all of who are trying to eat balanced meals.

I don't think this is mfp's fault. A lot of food packaging does not include potassium in it's nutritional breakdown. When you add a food onto the data base you can only add the stats for what the manufactures gives.

Lopatton

My fitness pal mobile app tells me after having an energy ball with 75 calories my potassium level is 15000 +. Lol. Any idea on how to repair the glitch?