okay, what's the secret with potassium?

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elebel82
elebel82 Posts: 69 Member
in Food and Nutrition
So for the first time ever I've been watching all of my... well I guess you guys would call them macros?

To begin with I was down on everything, and with a bit of effort I brought up my vitamin a and calcium, I'm still working on iron, but there's an upward trend...

Potassium is the one I'm really struggling with. Yesterday I tried to eat foods I knew to contain potassium, checked where I was at after lunch and it was less than a third of what I needed. So I decided to have a plate full of vegies that I knew to have potassium for dinner. Except... it had to be a big plate to contain enough vegies to get enough potassium...

God, I ate that thing around 6pm and my belly was still full when I went to bed, and then I woke up several times throughout the night because, man, that many vegies -hurt-, and then missed my alarm for my intended workout.

So come on, spill, how do you get your potassium without having to binge on vegies and making yourself sick (I still feel full at 0935hrs and I haven't eaten anything yet).

Replies

  • patrnbabe
    patrnbabe Posts: 42
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    bananas, potatoes.....both have lots of potassium. I'm allergic to both, so I take a multi vitamin supplement.
    here's a website w/ a list of potassium rich foods.
    http://www.thepotassiumrichfoods.com/
  • juncture
    juncture Posts: 129 Member
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    Foods in the database are not particularly accurate when it comes to things like potassium, vitamins and minerals so I wouldn't stress about it too much :)

    And just for info from my understanding macronutrients/macros would be carbs, protein, fat (i.e. the things you have lots of)

    Things like potassium, vitamins, minerals, other trace elements you need would count as micronutrients/micros (things you only need in small quantities)
  • elebel82
    elebel82 Posts: 69 Member
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    Thanks for the list, I have been researching to find out what to eat, it's just that... I don't seem to be able to cram that much potassium into my day.
  • elebel82
    elebel82 Posts: 69 Member
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    Foods in the database are not particularly accurate when it comes to things like potassium, vitamins and minerals so I wouldn't stress about it too much :)

    And just for info from my understanding macronutrients/macros would be carbs, protein, fat (i.e. the things you have lots of)

    Things like potassium, vitamins, minerals, other trace elements you need would count as micronutrients/micros (things you only need in small quantities)

    Ahhh knew I'd get that word wrong if I tried to use it! I knew what I meant anyways ;)

    Any idea where I would be able to find something more accurate to track these things, or is it pretty much just get in the ballpark and you'll be find (I've definitely found that most australian products don't have the micronutrients listed, I've resorted to swapping them for what seems to be an equal american product (eg, can of tuna in springwater, similar calories but the american one has potassium listed)
  • Ejourneys
    Ejourneys Posts: 1,603 Member
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    I love iceberg lettuce and was pleasantly surprised at how high it is in potassium:
    http://www.dietandfitnesstoday.com/potassium-in-iceberg-lettuce.php

    Granted, I eat huge salads.

    Another source I use is V8:
    http://www.weightlossblogger.org/2010/01/v8-juice-is-great-source-of-potassium.html

    I use the Low Sodium V8 (1180mg Potassium per 11.5oz can) and add in a bit of hot sauce to perk up the taste.

    Other sources include foods on the potassium rich foods list: raisins, bananas, oranges.
  • amberaz
    amberaz Posts: 328 Member
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    I know V8 has a lot, but it's gross to me. I eat spinach, dried apricots, skim milk, carnation instant breakfast, chicken breast and pork when I need to get more potassium. I was barely getting any for a while and started to get symptoms of hypokalemia, so it is an important nutrient to track.
  • marceguerrero
    marceguerrero Posts: 27
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    I love bananas (594mg) but its too easy for me to go through all of them in 2-3 days. So I drink, Pure Naked Coconut Water, 35 cals per 8 oz, and has 440 mg of Potassium, after exercising instead of Gatorade or grabbing another banana. If you have never tasted it before it takes a minute to get used to.
  • needamulligan
    needamulligan Posts: 558 Member
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    Most food labels don't include potassium so it's not in the system. Most of us will be low when tracking. Unless your blood work shows that you need to lower/raise it, track something else. The only reason most of us should worry about potassium is if you experience cramping. In that case, eat a few bananas that week and drink more water.

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