I discovered a few weeks ago that apparently I cannot eat whisky and tatties with abandon without it sticking to my posterior. Since then, I've been keeping track of what I eat (and drink) with a fancy iPhone app. Don't worry, it's set to "maintain current weight" rather than lose weight because, well, I still like chocolate and cocktails (and my pants still mostly fit). Truthfully, I've gone well-over my caloric intake every day, but that is mostly because of my newfound obsession to get a completely balanced nutrient intake. You see, the app I'm using tells me how much of my RDA I've gotten for every vitamin and nutrient. This brings me to today's PSA: You are potassium-deficient.
A person of my height and weight should get around 3500mg of Potassium a day, according to various books, websites, and the NHS (I've seen some American sites suggesting lower amounts, such as 2000mg. Even if that's correct, it's still a hard-to-maintain amount.) Now I don't know if you've ever kept track of your potassium intake, but I am betting you don't get near to that.
I've tried concentrating only on high-potassium foods, but it seems impossible to get close to 3500mg a day without doubling my caloric intake or without eating constantly. And don't you crazy meat-proponents start telling me to eat meat, as just about all the highest-potassium foods are fruits, vegetables, legumes, and herbs, all of which I eat daily anyway. (Even fish, which is pretty high in potassium, would require eating six and a half fillets a day to add up to 3500mg.)
Suggestions I've read on how to get lots of potassium:
-Eat 100grams of dried apricots for about %50 of your potassium RDA. Do you know what would happen to me if I ate that many dried apricots? The last time I did that I was in college and had to miss class because I was still on the toilet. I get tons of fiber, but 10 apricots is my limit. And that's only if I'm home alone for a few hours.
-A sweet potato (including the skin) has just about the highest potassium of any food out there, but even one average sweet potato has just 500-600mg. Seven sweet potatoes is what it would take, my friends. Seven!
-Bananas don't have as much potassium as I thought. Wasn't that always the rumor? Have a leg cramp, eat more bananas? If I ate 9 bananas a day, maybe...
I suppose I could give up on all other nutrient goals, and focus entirely on potassium. How about this for a daily menu?
-a sweet potato (600mg)
-one banana (400mg)
-a cup of boiled black beans (600mg)
-a cup of prune juice (700mg)
-10 dried apricots (500ishmg)
(still not there, and just think about the combination of prune juice and apricots)
-a cup of cantaloupe or an avocado (500mg)
-a few dates (300mg)
Well, now that I typed that out, it doesn't seem as hard to get. But it also doesn't seem like a menu I'm likely to eat every day. Maybe that's because I can't get good cantaloupe or avocado in Scotland. Anyway, I suppose if I forgo all whisky and girl scout cookies, I could get enough potassium and stay within my recommended caloric intake. But where's the joy in that?
If I've now got you worried about your own potassium intake, I'm sorry. I don't mean to preach fear. I've been obsessively researching this for weeks now, and there are loads of websites on the subject. Here's one that gives you serving sizes and potassium-rich foods, just in case you become neurotic about your RDA like I have. I actually told my doctor about my potassium concerns last week at my check-up, and she kind of rolled her eyes and told me she's sure I get more potassium than most because of my vegetarian diet and not to worry. But, but, but!!!
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A person of my height and weight should get around 3500mg of Potassium a day, according to various books, websites, and the NHS (I've seen some American sites suggesting lower amounts, such as 2000mg. Even if that's correct, it's still a hard-to-maintain amount.) Now I don't know if you've ever kept track of your potassium intake, but I am betting you don't get near to that.
I've tried concentrating only on high-potassium foods, but it seems impossible to get close to 3500mg a day without doubling my caloric intake or without eating constantly. And don't you crazy meat-proponents start telling me to eat meat, as just about all the highest-potassium foods are fruits, vegetables, legumes, and herbs, all of which I eat daily anyway. (Even fish, which is pretty high in potassium, would require eating six and a half fillets a day to add up to 3500mg.)
Suggestions I've read on how to get lots of potassium:
-Eat 100grams of dried apricots for about %50 of your potassium RDA. Do you know what would happen to me if I ate that many dried apricots? The last time I did that I was in college and had to miss class because I was still on the toilet. I get tons of fiber, but 10 apricots is my limit. And that's only if I'm home alone for a few hours.
-A sweet potato (including the skin) has just about the highest potassium of any food out there, but even one average sweet potato has just 500-600mg. Seven sweet potatoes is what it would take, my friends. Seven!
-Bananas don't have as much potassium as I thought. Wasn't that always the rumor? Have a leg cramp, eat more bananas? If I ate 9 bananas a day, maybe...
I suppose I could give up on all other nutrient goals, and focus entirely on potassium. How about this for a daily menu?
-a sweet potato (600mg)
-one banana (400mg)
-a cup of boiled black beans (600mg)
-a cup of prune juice (700mg)
-10 dried apricots (500ishmg)
(still not there, and just think about the combination of prune juice and apricots)
-a cup of cantaloupe or an avocado (500mg)
-a few dates (300mg)
Well, now that I typed that out, it doesn't seem as hard to get. But it also doesn't seem like a menu I'm likely to eat every day. Maybe that's because I can't get good cantaloupe or avocado in Scotland. Anyway, I suppose if I forgo all whisky and girl scout cookies, I could get enough potassium and stay within my recommended caloric intake. But where's the joy in that?
If I've now got you worried about your own potassium intake, I'm sorry. I don't mean to preach fear. I've been obsessively researching this for weeks now, and there are loads of websites on the subject. Here's one that gives you serving sizes and potassium-rich foods, just in case you become neurotic about your RDA like I have. I actually told my doctor about my potassium concerns last week at my check-up, and she kind of rolled her eyes and told me she's sure I get more potassium than most because of my vegetarian diet and not to worry. But, but, but!!!
Like this blog? Click here to follow The Red Accordion Diaries on bloglovin for an easier way to stay updated on posts.
1 comments
that was really funny, I have the same worries! I am trying to make my potassium, and I am not ever coming close... Even though today I had coconut water, banana, fruit, salad... still not there, and I am a small person, I cannot consume that much food!
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