Healthy with Jodi

Potassium Info & Top Ten Foods highest in this essential nutrient

    Potassium Rich Foods-Top ten

    Potassium is an essential nutrient used to maintain fluid and electrolyte balance in the body.
    Potassium is the third most abundant mineral in the body and is a required mineral for the function of several organs including the heart, kidneys, brain and muscular tissues.
    Potassium also plays an important role in keeping the body hydrated and works with sodium to support cellular function with your bodies sodium-potassium pump.
    Potassium deficiency symptoms can include severe headaches, dehydration, heart palpitations and swelling of glands and tissues.
    Also, potassium deficiency can lead to:
    * Fatigue
    * Irritability
    * Muscle cramps
    * Weight gain
    * Increased blood pressure
    * Cellulite buildup

    The main culprits that can cause low levels of potassium are endurance cardiovascular exercise without proper hydration, vomiting, diarrhea and a diet low in fruits and vegetables.
    Unless you are on dialysis, or have a special condition, overdose of potassium from natural sources is very rare.
    The RDA for potassium is 4700 mg/day.
    Keeping in mind Sodium should be 2300mg.
    Think Double potassium for your sodium intake!

    Consuming these 3 servings of this high potassium foods list daily to ensure optimal levels of potassium.
    Top 10 Potassium Rich Foods List
    1) Avocado. 1 whole: 1068 mg (30% DV)
    2) Spinach. 1 cup: 839mg (24% DV)
    3) Sweet potato. 1 medium: 952 mg (27% DV)
    4) Coconut Water. 1 cup 600 mg (17% DV)
    5) Kefir or Yogurt 1 cup: 579 mg (15% DV)
    6) White Beans ½ cup: 502 mg (15% DV)
    7) Banana 1 large: 422 mg (12% DV)
    8) Acorn squash 1 cup: 899 mg (26% DV)
    9) Dried apricots ½ cup: 755 mg (22% DV)
    10) Mushrooms 1 cup: 428 mg (27% DV)

    Potassium Health Benefits
    Cramps
: One of the main benefits of consuming high potassium foods is decreased muscle cramping and improved muscle strength.  Muscle cramps are a common side effects of low potassium levels.  This can happen if an athlete becomes dehydrated and isn’t consuming enough potassium rich foods before and after exercise.
    Reduced Risk of Stroke
: Several observational studies have found that those with high potassium levels experience a lower risk of stroke. The health benefits of potassium are likely through reduction of blood pressure combined with a diet high in fruits and vegetables.
    Alleviation of High Blood Pressure (Hypertension): 
Studies show that a diet high in potassium, especially potassium from fruits and vegetables, lowers blood pressure. This is especially true if the increase in potassium foods is not accompanied by an increase in high sodium foods.
    Reduced Cellulite Appearance
: One of the main causative factors of cellulite buildup is fluid retention.  Most people consume far too much sodium and not near enough potassium.  Sodium brings nutrients into your cells where potassium helps flush excess waste out of your cells.  For this reason, if you reduce sodium intake and start consuming potassium rich foods you can reduce the appearance of cellulite.

    Osteoporosis Protection
: Several studies have found a relation between increased bone density and increased intake of dietary potassium. These studies were true even for post- menopausal women and older men.

    https://draxe.com/top-10-potassium-rich-foods/

    Obesity Facts

      Food for thought as you prepare for the super bowl today? The alarming rates of Obesity need to published and talked about.  Everyone wants to “live in the moment” But we are stealing precious moments due to our repeated poor food choices.  If you want to be around to outlive your kids, and you want to be the fun mom or fun grandparent that can keep up with the kids we need to educate ourselves and start making better choices to make that happen.

      You can do it.  We can do it, and I can help!

      Obesity facts:

      Today, about 75% of US men and 67% of US women are either overweight or obese. Between 1988 and 1994, 63% of men and 55% of US women were overweight or obese.

The NHANES says that about 35% of men and 37% of women are obese, 40% of men and 30% of women are overweight. 2/3 of US adults are at a unhealthy weight.

      US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that Americans have been gaining weight since the 1960’s. The average US woman weighs about 166 pounds compared to 140 in 1960. 166 was the average for a man in 1960.
      Our children are not expected to outlive us. Obesity is one of the biggest contributors to this shortened life expectancy, it is the root of a lot of chronic health conditions.

      Our environment contributes in some of the following ways:
      Overuse of antibiotics in food production and medicine
      Growth-enhancing drugs used in food animals
      Endocrine-disrupting chemicals and pesticides
      Social media centered around junk food and artificial sweeteners.
      Highly processed genetically modified (GM) foods are full of ingredients that contribute to metabolic dysfunction and weight gain/obesity.

      The McKinsey Global Institute says the annual global cost of obesity is now $2 trillion. (For comparison, alcoholism costs are $1.4 trillion annually, road accidents cost $700 billion, and unsafe sex costs $300 billion)  The McKinsey report estimates that nearly 1/2 of the world’s adult population will be overweight or obese by 2030.

      In the US, 8 obesity related diseases account for 75% of healthcare costs. These include type 2 diabetes, heart disease, dementia, cancer, Polycystic ovarian syndrome, hypertension, lipid problems, NAFLD (nonalcoholic fatty liver disease).

      The National Health Expenditure Accounts (NHEA) are the official estimates of total health care spending in the US. In 1960, the NHEA measures annual U.S. expenditures for health care goods and services, public health activities, government administration, the net cost of health insurance, and investment related to health care.
      U.S. health care spending in 2014 reached $3.0 trillion or $9,523 per person.
      The nation’s Gross Domestic Product accounted for 17.5% of health care costs.

      cms.gov/research-statistics-data-and-systems/statistics-trends-and-reports/nationalhealthexpenddata/nationalhealthaccountshistorical.html
      http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=189100
      http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/calls/
      http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2015/07/08/increasing-us-adult-weight.aspx
      http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=189100
      http://atlanta.cbslocal.com/2015/06/15/cdc-average-american-woman-now-weighs-as-much-as-1960s-us-man/
      http://archinte.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=2323411