Rachel Lukasavige is a Health Coach at Lukas Coaching. Visit www.lukascoaching.com/resources.htm for a ton of free tools to help you improve your health, finances, business, career & life!
www.lukascoaching.com
For more free columns and articles, visit www.lukascoaching.com/articles.htm
The number of Americans with high blood pressure continues to climb every year. The American Heart Association estimates that currently, one third of U.S. adults over age 20 have high blood pressure. Incorporating more potassium in your diet may be the key to lowering it.
High blood pressure is a serious disease because it often has no symptoms, so it goes undetected for years. Left uncontrolled, it can lead to stroke, heart attack, heart failure, or kidney failure. The only way to determine if your blood pressure is high is to have it checked.
We used to think that controlling our sodium intake was the best way to keep blood pressure in check. It was not until 2005 when the updated Dietary Guidelines for Americans came out that attention was given to the influence potassium has on our health.
The new guidelines sparked interest in the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet, which limits sodium intake to control hypertension. It also recognizes the role of three other minerals – calcium, magnesium, and potassium – in lowering blood pressure.
Volunteers who participated in the DASH study ate nine to 11 servings of fruits and vegetables per day, three servings of low-fat dairy foods, and lower amounts of sodium. The benefit of potassium was confirmed when their blood pressure decreased within two weeks of following the DASH diet.
The latest guidelines from the Institute of Medicine encourage Americans to consume 4,700 milligrams of potassium each day. Food is the best way to get the potassium you need, and most fruits and vegetables are full of it. If you thought bananas were your best bet for potassium, think again.
1,000 mg
Avocado (1 cup
Baked potato (8 ounces with skin)
Edamame (1 cup shelled, cooked)
750 mg
Winter squash (1 cup, cooked)
Tomato sauce (1 cup)
Salmon (6 ounces)
500 mg
Bananas (1 large)
Orange juice (1 cup)
Yogurt (1 cup plain low-fat)
250 mg
Broccoli (1/2 cup, cooked)
Orange (1 medium)
Milk (1 cup)
By eating fruits and vegetables throughout the day you will do more than just lower your blood pressure. They contain many vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants and the fiber in them will keep you full.
- Related Videos
- Related Articles
- Ask / Related Q&A
- Healthy Nutrition Diet - Vitamins and Minerals
- An Indian Medicine Bag Might Give You Good Luck To Stick To Your Diet! Vitamins And Herbs Are Also Good!
- Do You Mind Having Vitamin Supplements For The Atkins Diet
- The Best Vitamins for Bodybuilders
- Does a Multiple Vitamin Boost My Health and Wellness?
- Vitamins Are The Spice Of Life
- Your Dog's Diet Does it Need to Include Supplements?
- Information About Multiple Sclerosis Diet
What Is The EODD diet?
By: Christian Walker | 25/11/2009Just what is the EODD diet? What makes it special? Could it help me lose weight? Read on to find out.
Help I Can't Lose Weight And I Don't Want To Fall For A Weight Loss Scam
By: Christian Walker | 25/11/2009Can't Lose Weight? Need a diet plan that isn't a scam? Read on for more information.
What Makes Soda So Bad For Your Weight Loss?
By: Jone Dow | 24/11/2009Everyone knows that soda is bad for you. But did you know that human body does not recognize calories contained in liquids? Continue reading to learn more!
Diet Basics - Learn What Your Diet Should Be And Why
By: Jone Dow | 24/11/2009Diet - many people have a love/hate relationship with this word. But why do you even need to diet in the first place? Read this article to find out!
Lose Your Weight Quickly - You Can and Here's How
By: Jodie Russell | 24/11/2009If you want to lose your weight quickly find out the best way to lose your weight.
Fast Easy Weight Loss - Find Me An Easy Weight Loss Method
By: Jodie Russell | 24/11/2009Find a fast easy weight loss method that suits you and helps you achieve the results you deserve.
How Fish Oil Quality Can Make the Difference Between the Maximum Health Benefits or None At All
By: Rich Hawkins | 24/11/2009With so many supplements flooding the market today as more of us choose to make this natural oil a part of our daily routine, there is a real danger of not getting many of the possible health benefits at all. Here is a brief guide so you know what to look for to get the purest and most effective ones.
Trim Down Fast With An Eat Every Other Day Diet Plan
By: Christian Walker | 24/11/2009Want to trim down fast? Maybe you past failures has more to do with the way you were trying to trim down fast and not the goal itself. Can an EODD diet help? Read on to find out.
Who Influences You?
By: Rachel Lukasavige | 15/09/2008 | Mental HealthThe people we are closest to, and spend the most time with, influence who we are; that should come as no surprise. But your friends may have much more of an impact on your health than you realized. If you struggle to lose weight, or want to gain insight into your health, start by taking a look at your closest friends.
Where Does Your Food Come From?
By: Rachel Lukasavige | 15/09/2008 | NutritionLife without a car really limits your options for grocery shopping, especially in the winter. The thing that I love about being in Boston in the spring and summer are all the farmers markets that suddenly pop up throughout the city.
Is Your Fuel Gauge on Empty
By: Rachel Lukasavige | 15/09/2008 | NutritionDo you find yourself lacking energy throughout the day, despite getting 7-9 hours of sleep each night? Many people report feeling fatigue, even though they do their best to get enough sleep.
The Surprising Benefit of Potassium
By: Rachel Lukasavige | 06/08/2008 | NutritionThe number of Americans with high blood pressure continues to climb every year. The American Heart Association estimates that currently, one third of U.S. adults over age 20 have high blood pressure. Incorporating more potassium in your diet may be the key to lowering it.
Debt is More Than a Pain in the Neck
By: Rachel Lukasavige | 29/07/2008 | Stress ManagementI am not unique in the fact that there are several sources of stress in my life. It is easy to push stressful events to the side and not think twice about how our life is really impacted by them. It isn’t usually until we start getting headaches, backaches, not sleeping well, or at worse suffering a nervous breakdown that we acknowledge just how much stress is affecting us.
Food Label Confusion
By: Rachel Lukasavige | 23/07/2008 | NutritionI went grocery shopping last weekend, as I usually do, and planned to pick up tortillas for my lunches during the week. The first thing I do with tortillas is check to make sure they are whole grain. The second thing I do is make sure each serving is low in calories.
You are What You Eat
By: Rachel Lukasavige | 08/07/2008 | NutritionI recently read an article about how many whole foods have a pattern that resembles a body organ or physiological function. The similarities between the food and organ signal the benefit that food provides. Basically saying, you are what you eat.