potassium-related stories
Cheesecake Parfait with Blackberry Sauce
Recipe Rehab with Tanya Zuckerbrot, Nutrition & Supplements
Recipe may vary from photograph
Photo: Getty Images
I switched out the full-fat cream cheese for the fat-free version and traded the white sugar for a zero-calorie sweetener -- this reduced the fat and sugar content tremendously. For a kick of fiber, I included raspberries and blackberries, which also contain high levels of vitamin C and potassium. By swapping traditional cheesecake for my low-fat version, you are not only eating a fraction of the calories and fat, you are also getting a full serving of fruit from the berries. Sneaking a serving of fruit into your meal may not seem like a big deal, but most adults and children do not meet their daily recommendation of fruit and vegetables.
Want a better way to help meet your requirements? Try my delicious dish and satisfy your cheesecake craving!
Runners - Fuel Yourself With These 4 Foods
Fitness, Nutrition & Supplements
Running isn't just an effective form of exercise, it's cost-efficient (you need nothing more than a good pair of shoes), you can do it anywhere and it's an excellent way to work through life's little stressors. If running is your exercise of choice, you may want to fuel yourself with these four foods, recommended by running coach Jenny Hadfield:- Almonds. The vitamin E in almonds helps to prevent achy muscles. Grab a small handful for a snack -- but watch your portion sizes. Even though almonds are rich in healthy fats, they still pack quite a few calories.
- Oranges. Vitamin C helps repair muscle damage caused by running.
- Sweet potatoes. A great source of healthy carbs, sweet potatoes are rich in potassium and magnesium -- minerals that runners lose through sweat.
- Tuna. Serious runners need 60-90 grams of protein a day to help repair muscle. Tuna is a convenient and lean source of protein.
Potassium - Best Food Sources for a Better Diet
I was a cheerleader back in my high school days. When my squad was training for competitions, we really worked out long and hard. Many times, the muscles in our legs would visibly shake with strain. Our coach, restricted from recommending vitamins or anything of that sort, always brought bananas with her to practice to help us with muscle weakness and muscle cramps. Bananas aren't my favorite fruit, but I have to admit that they helped.While bananas are a decent source of potassium, there are many other options. Potassium-rich foods are important for your diet. Not only do they help with muscle cramps, but they can also have a positive effect on blood pressure. Good sources include:
- Avocado
- Baked potato with skin
- Edamame
- Papaya
- Sweet potato
- Salmon
- Tomato sauce
- Winter squash
- Cantaloupe
- Dried apricots
Pump up your muscles with peaches
(Click the photo for more muscle-pumping foods)
If muscles are on your mind, you might want to head to the gym, dust off those weights buried in your garage, and start eating peaches. RealAge says the potassium-rich peach gives muscles what they need to stay toned, healthy, and strong.
A diet heavy in proteins and cereal grains can cause blood to become too acidic, causing muscle tissue to waste away. Add fruits and veggies to your eating routine, though, and your body's pH will turn more alkaline. Potassium is the secret.
RealAge recommends we get at least 3,000 mg of potassium every day but suspects they'll recommend even more after reviewing the latest science. The government currently advises we get 4,700 mg. One caution: Don't start taking a potassium supplement without first consulting your physician -- too much of this mineral can be toxic.
If peaches aren't your fruit of choice, check out the following gallery for some other great potassium sources.
Keep it short
Womens Health, Diet & Weight Loss, Fitness, Celebs & Entertainment, Nutrition & Supplements, Men's Health
I've admitted a number of times before that I'm a blurb reader. I like punchy, to-the-point bits of information, usually served in terse and mostly prosaic turns of phrase. This is probably why I'm such a fan of ESPN's Plays of the Day, the rapid-fire sports talk show Pardon the Interruption, and the Facts of Life blurbs that appear in every edition of Men's Health magazine. With respect to the last of the three, the most recent issue of Men's Health does its usual good job of entertaining those of us with a thirst for information but short attention spans. Here are this month's Facts of Life:
26. Percentage of men who know all major signs of a heart attack.
180. Average number of days annually you have to experience a headache for it to be considered "chronic."
1 in 11. Number of online personals that are ripped directly from the online personals of other internet daters.
19.9. Average amount, in ounces, of a single restaurant serving of soda. The official FDA serving size: 8 ounces
3,114. Amount of potassium, in milligrams, the average guy consumes daily -- nearly 1,600mg less than the RDA
Keep your muscle
Healthy Habits, Healthy Home, Womens Health, Diet & Weight Loss, Fitness, Nutrition & Supplements, Men's Health
For some people, merely talking about exercise seemingly causes their muscles to grow. For the rest of us mere mortals, building lean and strong muscle takes a great deal of time and dedicated effort. That's why preserving even the smallest amount of muscle gain is paramount.Well, it turns out that keeping all your hard-earned muscle from atrophying doesn't require taking expensive nutritional supplements or spending your entire life in the gym. In fact, you probably have just what you need in your kitchen right now.
A study from Tufts University in Massachusetts found that older people who consumed the highest amount of potassium also had the most amount of total body muscle. One possible reason for this mineral/muscle link can be the neutralization of acid that causes muscle breakdown as we age.
Note to self: Add bananas to grocery shopping list.
Fitz's Bapaloneo Pops: A perfectly healthy summer snack
Healthy Habits, Healthy Home, Vegetarian, Womens Health, Healthy Recipes, Healthy Kids, Cellulite, Obesity, Diet & Weight Loss, Fitness, Celebs & Entertainment, Reviews & Products, Alternative & Green Health, Nutrition & Supplements, Men's Health
The other day, while hosting over a dozen of my children's playgroup friends here at my house for some outdoor fun....I created a frozen treat guaranteed to fill their little tummies up in a completely nutritious and fun way. Bapaloneo (a weird word my three and five year old children made up) Pops served the purpose I had intended and energized the group for several hours of insanity. Try them this summer.
- Cut bananas in half length-wise, and stick a popsicle stick in the flat end.
- Coat the banana with creamy peanut butter.
- Roll the peanut butter coated banana in a bowl of regular cheerios.
- Place pops on a pan covered with freezer paper and then put them in the freezer for an hour or so.
How Many Calories ... in a Baked Potato?
When you're grabbing a meal on the run, most of us know better than to order our meal with fries. Why? They're loaded with fat and sodium, and will make a big caloric dent in our daily intake.
But when a sandwich isn't enough, what can we get to go with our fast food entree? Most places now offer sides of stuff like salad, fruit or other healthy fare. And at Wendy's, you can even enjoy potatoes without having to order them deep-fried and covered in salt -- you can order a baked potato on the side.
But are baked potatoes a healthier option than fries? One would think so, based on the fact that they're cooked in the oven instead of the deep fryer. But what baked potatoes lack in deep-fried goodness, they make up for with add-ons like sour cream, bacon bits, butter and cheese. Still, how bad can it be? You tell me.
But when a sandwich isn't enough, what can we get to go with our fast food entree? Most places now offer sides of stuff like salad, fruit or other healthy fare. And at Wendy's, you can even enjoy potatoes without having to order them deep-fried and covered in salt -- you can order a baked potato on the side.
But are baked potatoes a healthier option than fries? One would think so, based on the fact that they're cooked in the oven instead of the deep fryer. But what baked potatoes lack in deep-fried goodness, they make up for with add-ons like sour cream, bacon bits, butter and cheese. Still, how bad can it be? You tell me.
You Are What You Eat: Give peas a chance
Each week, we'll be naming a Super Food and offering unique ways to use those Super Foods that pack nutritional power. After all, you are what you eat -- make it count!
Peas are one of my favourite vegetables -- especially when they're fresh from the garden. Crunchy, juicy and just a little bit sweet, they're absolutely delicious. Even in the winter, when they come frozen from a bag in the freezer, they're still really tasty. And usually, things that taste good aren't good for you (and vice versa) but peas are the exception; not only do peas taste good, they're really good for you too.
But just what about green peas makes them so nutritious?
Peas are one of my favourite vegetables -- especially when they're fresh from the garden. Crunchy, juicy and just a little bit sweet, they're absolutely delicious. Even in the winter, when they come frozen from a bag in the freezer, they're still really tasty. And usually, things that taste good aren't good for you (and vice versa) but peas are the exception; not only do peas taste good, they're really good for you too.
But just what about green peas makes them so nutritious?
5 energizing nutrients: Are you getting enough?
Diet & Weight Loss, Nutrition & Supplements
Even those of us who try to eat really well occasionally come up short on certain vitamins and nutrients. Fitnessmagazine.com gave this list of five nutrients that people commonly short themselves. Don't be surprised if you find that you're not getting enough of something -- according to the study, you're in good company!
A grape way to stay healthy
Healthy Habits, Healthy Home, Healthy Kids, Diet & Weight Loss, Fitness, Reviews & Products, Nutrition & Supplements
We frequently mention the benefits of drinking a glass of red wine here on That's Fit. But, something we should also mention is that drinking grape juice (especially the not-as-easy-to-drink concentrate) is a non-alcoholic beverage that can also improve your circulation and reduce bad (LDL) cholesterol -- minus the fun of getting drunk and peeing in public.
The flavonols found in red wine are found in equal abundance in Concord and other purple grape juice; which, let's face it, makes sense considering they are both made from grapes. And, just like wine, grape juice can help your heart in three ways: By reducing the oxidation of bad (LDL) cholesterol, improving elasticity of the arteries, and reducing platelet clumping. Also, grape juice contains many essential vitamins and minerals, in addition to containing almost as much potassium as a banana.
In a research study held in Spain, the power of grape juice concentrate was put to the test. Researchers found that when people consumed 7 ounces of the ultra-sweet juice concentrate daily for two weeks, their LDL cholesterol dropped by 13 percent while their good (HDL) cholesterol rose by 16 percent.
Fortunately, you don't have force down grape juice concentrate if its sweetness is too much for you to take, because drinking a 100 percent grape juice like Welch's can provide similar benefits.
Don't miss out on your potassium
Get enough potassium every day? The mineral that is essential for proper cellular functions in the human body is most often associated with eating bananas, but what if you don't like that tropical fruit?Nutritional supplements are a fine way to supplement your potassium intake, although the word supplement is the operative word there. Eating potassium-rich foods is really the best way to get a balanced diet along with all the other vitamins and minerals required for healthy living.
You may even have a potassium deficiency and not even know it. Do any of the symptoms below sound familiar to you?
- An abnormal heart rhythm (particularly in people with heart conditions)
- Constipation
- Fatigue
- Weakness in the muscles, or muscle spasms
- Paralysis, including paralysis of the lungs
Jumpstart Your Fitness: These roadblocks may surprise you
Feeling derailed from your fitness and weight loss plans but the usual culprits aren't to blame? Consider these 10 roadblocks that you probably didn't think of:Roadblock #1: You diligently stick to your 6am workout
Although as a general rule working out in the mornings statistically means you'll be more likely to stick with your plan, if you don't make a point to get enough sleep you're most likely secretly sabotaging yourself. It's no problem if you get 7-8 hours of sleep each night (that means in bed and sleeping by 10pm), but if you're getting more like 6 or less then you're at greater risk (as much as 30%) of gaining substantial weight and having a higher BMI -- 6am workout or not.
Roadblock #2: You avoid alcohol like the plague
Alcohol is one of those things that is best not done in extremes. Avoid it completely and you may miss out on some awesome heath benefits (people who indulge in 1 drink a couple times a week generally weigh less/have lower BMIs), but overdo it and you'll only tip the scale the other way (and increase your chances of developing obesity). Fight blood pressure, naturally
Diet & Weight Loss, Nutrition & Supplements
Sodium is usually the first to go for someone diagnosed with high blood pressure. There's also another way to fight this condition, though, without drugs.
It's a simultaneous approach that involves cutting back on sodium intake while increasing consumption of potassium-rich foods. For greatest benefits, sodium should total 2,300 milligrams per day while potassium milligrams reach 4,700. Avoiding processed foods is a wise choice if you're watching your blood pressure -- sodium is added to most of these foods -- and upping your intake of potassium should come from foods, not supplements. Do check with your doctor about the amount of potassium you need. Some people with kidney ailments may have trouble processing potassium.
Once you get the go-ahead to pack some potassium power into your diet, here's what you might eat:
1 baked sweet potato, 694 mg
1 small baked potato, 610 mg
8 ounces non-fat yogurt, 580 mg
3 ounces cooked halibut, 490 mg
1 banana, 422 mg
1 cup milk, 380 mg
1 cup cantaloupe, 368 mg
1 cup orange juice, 355 mg
1 cup oatmeal, 120 mg
It's a simultaneous approach that involves cutting back on sodium intake while increasing consumption of potassium-rich foods. For greatest benefits, sodium should total 2,300 milligrams per day while potassium milligrams reach 4,700. Avoiding processed foods is a wise choice if you're watching your blood pressure -- sodium is added to most of these foods -- and upping your intake of potassium should come from foods, not supplements. Do check with your doctor about the amount of potassium you need. Some people with kidney ailments may have trouble processing potassium.
Once you get the go-ahead to pack some potassium power into your diet, here's what you might eat:
1 baked sweet potato, 694 mg
1 small baked potato, 610 mg
8 ounces non-fat yogurt, 580 mg
3 ounces cooked halibut, 490 mg
1 banana, 422 mg
1 cup milk, 380 mg
1 cup cantaloupe, 368 mg
1 cup orange juice, 355 mg
1 cup oatmeal, 120 mg
Listen up ladies: 10 vitamins we all need
Vitamins and Supplements, Healthy Recipes, Diet & Weight Loss, Reviews & Products, Nutrition & Supplements
I like the view in this piece that we shouldn't rely on a pill to get all of the vitamins and minerals we need to keep our bodies healthy. Many exist in abundance in food so why no make a commitment to include them as part of a regular diet rather than always turning to a multivitamin? I'm not saying they multivitamins are useless, but if it's possible to absorb vitamins in food, why not give that a try too?
For those who are interested in giving it a go, here is a list of 10 essentials, along with one of the many reasons each is so good for you and some of the foods that are packed full of them:
- Iron - Prevents anemia, found in tofu, lean red meat, nuts and seeds, dried fruit and fortified cereal.
- Vitamin C - Helps your body deal with stress, found in orange juice and citrus fruits, strawberries, broccoli, spinach and bell peppers.
- Vitamin D - Aids in cancer prevention, found in fortified milk and yogurt, salmon and can be absorbed from a small amount of sun exposure.
- Vitamin E - An antioxidant that helps lower the risk of a stroke, found in almonds and sunflower seeds.
- Vitamin K - Aids in blood clotting, found in avocados, kale, spinach and pine nuts.
- Calcium - Essential for bone health, found in milk and dairy products, broccoli, almonds and sesame seeds.
- Folate - Fights cancer, found in peanuts, lentils, corn and spinach
- Selenium - Keeps immune system strong, found in shellfish, Brazil nuts and sesame seeds.
- Magnesium - Helps keep bones strong, found in beans, seeds, nuts and green leafy vegetables.
- Potassium - Works to keep blood pressure level, found in sweet potatoes, cantaloupe, kiwi and bananas.
To find out more about why these are all so good for you, as well as other foods that contain the 10 vitamins and minerals, take a look here. The article even includes a recipe for each, and they all look pretty tasty.
