Potassium-Rich Foods
Potassium is an element that contributes to tons of benefits towards the body. It can help lower sodium levels, help you avoid muscle tension, and even lower your blood pressure! Although potassium is in many foods, it is said that many people don’t get as much potassium as they need for each day – however it is also possible to have too much, in case of certain conditions. The required amount would be 4.7 grams every day, but if you’re a training athlete, you might need a little more more.
Many people know that bananas are a great source of potassium, but there are many great potassium sources out there. Surprisingly, there is a whole slew of different vegetables and milk products that can give you even more potassium than a banana can.
Let’s take a look at some of the foods that are not only filled with potassium but also have several different kinds of benefits to the other parts of your body.
Spinach, Cooked
A single cup of cooked spinach has a whopping 839 mg of potassium. Not only that, spinach is jam packed with antioxidants that can help combat different kinds of cancer such as ovarian and prostate. By just having a cup of spinach added into your diet each day, you’ll be giving your whole body a treat.
Serving size: 1 cup, 839mg of potassium - 41 calories
White Beans, cooked
All beans in general have great potassium content, but white beans have an especially high number per cup, plus there are tons of delicious ways to cook them. White beans, per cooked cup, contain 1004 mg of potassium. White beans are also a great substitute as they are high in protein and also do not increase your blood sugar level, meaning you will get fewer cravings and also lowers your risk for heart disease. So cook up some of these in a vegetable stew or nice soup and chomp away to a healthier diet.
Serving size: 1 cup, 1004mg of potassium, 249 calories
Avocado
This miracle fruit isn’t just something we put in our guacamole anymore. Avocado is one of the most vitamin rich fruits, and it is also full of potassium. Eating one whole avocado will give you 975 mg of potassium, almost twice as much as a banana. Some health experts suggest ingesting one avocado a day for the best benefits. With that, you will also gain defense against oral cancers and strokes. If you’re not sure how to eat your avocado, you can try making a fruit shake of them by simply adding milk and shaved ice in a blender.
Serving size: 1 average avocado, 975mg of potassium , 322 calories
Tomato Sauce
Believe it or not, tomato sauce is actually a great source of potassium. Mix it in with your favourite low fat pasta and you’ll be getting 909 mg with every cup. Be careful, however. Use your smart shopper skills and check the label. If you see an alarmingly high amount of sodium or sugars, don’t buy it. Pick those that are almost purely tomato sauce and combine it with a good low fat pasta noodle. By picking the right kind of tomato sauce, you’ll not only get potassium but Vitamins A and C plus lycopene, which is a great antioxidant. Better still – use fresh tomatoes and make your own!
Serving size: 1 cup, 909mg of potassium, 78 calories
Baked Potato
When you hear the word ‘potato,’ you might be reminded that it isn’t the healthiest food out there. But that’s only when you cook it in such a way that other factors like oil or salt is added in. The baked potato, however, has lots of surprising health benefits, and one is its potassium content. One whole baked potato has 925 mg of potassium, and if you enjoy its cousin, the sweet potato, that’ll give you 694 mg. The potato may be considered as “The Devil’s Food” by some, but with the right cooking (i.e baking), the potato can provide not just potassium but also fibre and a way to lower cholesterol. All you have to do is pick and cook them wisely.
Serving size: 1 potato, 925mg of potassium, 161 calories
Banana
Of course we couldn’t have this list without the banana. Probably the biggest reason why bananas are regarded as the most popular source of potassium is that it’s very accessible and tasty. Bananas are a very versatile fruit as well so you can put them in a healthy shake, cook them, or just eat them on their own. You’ll also get great heart and hair benefits from bananas too.
Serving size: 1 medium-sized banana, 422mg of magnesium, 105 calories
Milk
An 8 ounce glass of milk has 322 mg of potassium plus a lot of other great vitamins and of course, calcium. If you think that whole milk isn’t a good option, especially if you’re on a diet, note that 1% milk will still give you the benefits you need, without the extra calories.
Serving size: 1 cup, 366mg of potassium, 102 calories
Yogurt
But not just your regular yogurt, the fat free kind. You may know that yogurt is a great substitute to ice cream when it comes to milk products. And since yogurt is made of milk, you’d suspect correctly that it has high potassium content. You’d be surprised though that it actually has more. One cup of fat free yogurt has 579 mg of potassium and help you with digestion, plus there are studies that say yogurt can help prevent osteoporosis.
Serving size: 1 cup, 625 mg of potassium, 137 calories
Orange juice
The 100% pure kind! Orange juice is a favourite at breakfast or during snack time, but if you don’t drink it as much, you really should. Orange juice with give you 495 mg of potassium for every 8 ounces, which is quite a bit for just a glass. It is also a very healthy dose of Vitamin C which is great for your skin. The beauty of 100% orange juice is that even the kids will enjoy drinking it, so you won’t have to put so much effort into persuading them to make the healthy choice.
Serving size: 1 cup, 495mg of potassium, 112 calories
Important: Fragrant items for naturally scenting your home:
Thyroid Tonic Recipe
6 carrots, 1 cucumber, 10 radishes, 1/2 lemon
Juice together all the ingredients and drink immediately.
Radishes contain a substance called Raphanin. This is what Wikipedia says about Raphanin… “Given that Raphanin can be chiefly responsible for keeping the production of thyroxine and calcitonin in normal balance, in Russia, radishes have long been used for treating both types of thyroid problems.”
Carrots contain large amount of beta-carotene which is the precursor for vitamin A in the body. If you are low on vitamin A, your ability to produce thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) is limited.
B-complex vitamins are required for good thyroid function. Cucumbers contain B vitamins, so they are a good choice when trying to nourish the thyroid glands.
Disclaimer
The sole purpose of these blogs is to provide information about the tradition of ayurveda. This information is not intended for use in the diagnosis, prevention or cure of any disease. If you have any serious, acute or chronic health concern, please consult a trained doctor/health professional who can fully assess your needs and address them effectively. If you are seeking the medical advice of a trained Ayurvedic expert, call us or e mail.
Dr Unnati Chavda
Potassium is an element that contributes to tons of benefits towards the body. It can help lower sodium levels, help you avoid muscle tension, and even lower your blood pressure! Although potassium is in many foods, it is said that many people don’t get as much potassium as they need for each day – however it is also possible to have too much, in case of certain conditions. The required amount would be 4.7 grams every day, but if you’re a training athlete, you might need a little more more.
Many people know that bananas are a great source of potassium, but there are many great potassium sources out there. Surprisingly, there is a whole slew of different vegetables and milk products that can give you even more potassium than a banana can.
Let’s take a look at some of the foods that are not only filled with potassium but also have several different kinds of benefits to the other parts of your body.
Spinach, Cooked
A single cup of cooked spinach has a whopping 839 mg of potassium. Not only that, spinach is jam packed with antioxidants that can help combat different kinds of cancer such as ovarian and prostate. By just having a cup of spinach added into your diet each day, you’ll be giving your whole body a treat.
Serving size: 1 cup, 839mg of potassium - 41 calories
White Beans, cooked
All beans in general have great potassium content, but white beans have an especially high number per cup, plus there are tons of delicious ways to cook them. White beans, per cooked cup, contain 1004 mg of potassium. White beans are also a great substitute as they are high in protein and also do not increase your blood sugar level, meaning you will get fewer cravings and also lowers your risk for heart disease. So cook up some of these in a vegetable stew or nice soup and chomp away to a healthier diet.
Serving size: 1 cup, 1004mg of potassium, 249 calories
Avocado
This miracle fruit isn’t just something we put in our guacamole anymore. Avocado is one of the most vitamin rich fruits, and it is also full of potassium. Eating one whole avocado will give you 975 mg of potassium, almost twice as much as a banana. Some health experts suggest ingesting one avocado a day for the best benefits. With that, you will also gain defense against oral cancers and strokes. If you’re not sure how to eat your avocado, you can try making a fruit shake of them by simply adding milk and shaved ice in a blender.
Serving size: 1 average avocado, 975mg of potassium , 322 calories
Tomato Sauce
Believe it or not, tomato sauce is actually a great source of potassium. Mix it in with your favourite low fat pasta and you’ll be getting 909 mg with every cup. Be careful, however. Use your smart shopper skills and check the label. If you see an alarmingly high amount of sodium or sugars, don’t buy it. Pick those that are almost purely tomato sauce and combine it with a good low fat pasta noodle. By picking the right kind of tomato sauce, you’ll not only get potassium but Vitamins A and C plus lycopene, which is a great antioxidant. Better still – use fresh tomatoes and make your own!
Serving size: 1 cup, 909mg of potassium, 78 calories
Baked Potato
When you hear the word ‘potato,’ you might be reminded that it isn’t the healthiest food out there. But that’s only when you cook it in such a way that other factors like oil or salt is added in. The baked potato, however, has lots of surprising health benefits, and one is its potassium content. One whole baked potato has 925 mg of potassium, and if you enjoy its cousin, the sweet potato, that’ll give you 694 mg. The potato may be considered as “The Devil’s Food” by some, but with the right cooking (i.e baking), the potato can provide not just potassium but also fibre and a way to lower cholesterol. All you have to do is pick and cook them wisely.
Serving size: 1 potato, 925mg of potassium, 161 calories
Banana
Of course we couldn’t have this list without the banana. Probably the biggest reason why bananas are regarded as the most popular source of potassium is that it’s very accessible and tasty. Bananas are a very versatile fruit as well so you can put them in a healthy shake, cook them, or just eat them on their own. You’ll also get great heart and hair benefits from bananas too.
Serving size: 1 medium-sized banana, 422mg of magnesium, 105 calories
Milk
An 8 ounce glass of milk has 322 mg of potassium plus a lot of other great vitamins and of course, calcium. If you think that whole milk isn’t a good option, especially if you’re on a diet, note that 1% milk will still give you the benefits you need, without the extra calories.
Serving size: 1 cup, 366mg of potassium, 102 calories
Yogurt
But not just your regular yogurt, the fat free kind. You may know that yogurt is a great substitute to ice cream when it comes to milk products. And since yogurt is made of milk, you’d suspect correctly that it has high potassium content. You’d be surprised though that it actually has more. One cup of fat free yogurt has 579 mg of potassium and help you with digestion, plus there are studies that say yogurt can help prevent osteoporosis.
Serving size: 1 cup, 625 mg of potassium, 137 calories
Orange juice
The 100% pure kind! Orange juice is a favourite at breakfast or during snack time, but if you don’t drink it as much, you really should. Orange juice with give you 495 mg of potassium for every 8 ounces, which is quite a bit for just a glass. It is also a very healthy dose of Vitamin C which is great for your skin. The beauty of 100% orange juice is that even the kids will enjoy drinking it, so you won’t have to put so much effort into persuading them to make the healthy choice.
Serving size: 1 cup, 495mg of potassium, 112 calories
Important: Fragrant items for naturally scenting your home:
- citrus -- I've tried other fruits. Some of them smell good initially, but they don't hold up for more than one use. Citrus is sturdier, longer-lasting, and gives these scent recipes freshness. Lemons and oranges are particularly fragrant and have the best staying power in these scented waters.
- herbs -- Any herb can be used for making a room scent, but the ones that are sturdier and on woody twigs hold up the best. My favorites for room scents are rosemary and thyme.
- pine or cedar twigs/needles -- There may be other fragrant trees that will work, too; pine and cedar are the two I've tried for their appealing, fresh fragrance.
- extracts -- A touch of vanilla or almond extract improves most room fragrance mixtures. Mint extract has a nice fresh scent. You can also use whole vanilla beans instead of vanilla extract; pricey but amazingly fragrant.
- spices -- You can use ground or whole sweet spices. The whole spices look prettier, if your scented water will be in a location where it will be seen. I have found that cinnamon sticks and whole cloves have the most scent staying power. Cinnamon sticks can be rinsed off and reused several times. They keep on giving.
Thyroid Tonic Recipe
6 carrots, 1 cucumber, 10 radishes, 1/2 lemon
Juice together all the ingredients and drink immediately.
Radishes contain a substance called Raphanin. This is what Wikipedia says about Raphanin… “Given that Raphanin can be chiefly responsible for keeping the production of thyroxine and calcitonin in normal balance, in Russia, radishes have long been used for treating both types of thyroid problems.”
Carrots contain large amount of beta-carotene which is the precursor for vitamin A in the body. If you are low on vitamin A, your ability to produce thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) is limited.
B-complex vitamins are required for good thyroid function. Cucumbers contain B vitamins, so they are a good choice when trying to nourish the thyroid glands.
Disclaimer
The sole purpose of these blogs is to provide information about the tradition of ayurveda. This information is not intended for use in the diagnosis, prevention or cure of any disease. If you have any serious, acute or chronic health concern, please consult a trained doctor/health professional who can fully assess your needs and address them effectively. If you are seeking the medical advice of a trained Ayurvedic expert, call us or e mail.
Dr Unnati Chavda
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