Nutrition - Diet and Food

Dear Lauren,

Why is potassium important and how can I get enough? What are some food sources?

Ettie from Akron

Dear Ettie,

Potassium is important in the regulation of the heart. It may also aid in regulating normal blood pressure and can prevent hypertension or high blood pressure. If you keep your sodium (salt) intake to under 2000 mg per day, your body will be less likely to retain water. Excessive sodium intake upsets the fluid balance in the body and can cause a number of serious problems.

One of the dangers inherent in eating or drinking too much sodium is that it draws water and potassium out of the cells where it’s needed to maintain the body’s electrolyte balance. That is a balance necessary to keep your body running smoothly.

In America we have a diet rich in salt. All processed food – canned or packaged products – have salt in them as a preservative and to enhance flavor.

POTASSIUM IN FOOD
Potassium is found in most wholesome foods – fruits, vegetables, whole grain breads and cereals, lentils, beans, nuts and protein foods. Refined or highly processed foods, sweets and oil foods (salad dressings, butter, etc.) are poor sources of potassium.

You can best increase the potassium in your diet by eating:

• Whole wheat, oatmeal and dark breads instead of white bread and flour products.

• Salads and raw vegetables or steamed veggies cooked in only a small amount of water. That’s because the potassium leaches out of vegetables and into the water.

• Steaming removes only 3 to 6% of the veggies’ potassium compared to a 10 to 15% loss with boiling.

• Natural fruit juices instead of flavored beverages or soft drinks,

• Suggested daily intake for potassium is approximately 2,600 mgs per day.

Dear Lauren,

I was told by a diet instructor that I shouldn't eat watermelon because there's too much fat. Is that true?

Sheryl (From Toledo)

Dear Sheryl,

Absolutely NOT true !!! Watermelon is 92 percent water. Per cup, it provides 50 calories and 0.68 gram of fat. Compare this with an average size apple, which, with the skin, provides 81 calories and 0.5 gram of fat.

Watermelon is high in beta-carotene, vitamin C, potassium, and magnesium. These are vital nutrients, making watermelon healthy calories rather than empty ones. Watermelon is a natural diuretic, stimulating urine flow. Ground watermelon seeds have been used through the ages as an herbal diuretic and kidney cleanser. The seeds can also be roasted and eaten like sunflower seeds.

Given that watermelon is 92 percent water, it is extremely satisfying in hot weather. Eating watermelon gives you a great jump start on the liquids you need to drink on a daily basis. Your body needs water to run efficiently.

Without hydration your body won’t burn fat---burning fat is a luxury not a necessity. Necessity for body to run efficiently.

YOUR WATER NEEDS

By Lauren Braun

Eight 8 ounce glasses of water may be adequate for a sedentary person, but it's probably too little if you are a more active individual. If you exercise 30 to 60 minutes in a day, you should drink twelve to fifteen 8 oz glasses of water throughout the day. Rather than count glasses of water, drink fluids with every meal, first thing in the morning, mid-morning, mid-afternoon and evening. By doing this, your water consumption becomes part of your lifestyle rather than a counting chore. And, it’s true that if you drink water before you eat you will eat less. That’s because as we go through life, we lose the ability to connect with our thirst mechanism. What we think of hunger is often thirst so if you drink before you eat, you find you weren’t really as hungry as you thought, your body was actually craving hydration.

In hot weather, drink a little more than what you are thirsty for so as to protect yourself against dehydration. If you do drink more than your body needs, you'll pass the fluid through your system.

You don't have to restrict your fluid intake to water. Almost any nonalcoholic fluid will provide you with the moisture your body needs to run efficiently. Without hydration you have no chance of burning fat. And that’s important for every body shape and size. Here are some healthy water substitute suggestions: seltzer, juice, herbal tea, lemonade, soups, skim milk, and even soft drinks (in moderation).

Lauren R. Braun, R.D., L.D. runs her own nutrition consulting firm: Nutritional Lifestyle Designs. Her company does nutrition labeling and nutrition analysis for commercial food products as well as for schools and restaurants. As a private practitioner, Lauren works with physician referred clients to find a nutrition regimen that makes sense and is ‘do able’ for the long run. She specializes in food allergies and intolerance, heart disease, diabetes and wellness.