Potassium Rich Foods are a Needed Part of Your Diet

Most fresh vegetables, meats and fruit are all potassium rich foods.  Many people do not realize how important potassium is in their diet.  You need potassium in order for your muscles to function the right way. Also, potassium keeps your nervous system and vital organs such as your heart and kidneys working properly.  Potassium is basically an electrolyte that your body needs.  Without enough potassium, your body will become tired and weak and you may experience confusion and lack of coordination.  A lack of potassium also causes heart issues.

If you exercise a lot, you will need more potassium than someone who does little to no exercise.  The reason for this is that when you exercise, you sweat a lot and that sweat contains potassium electrolytes.  You do need to stay hydrated when you are exercising or doing anything that makes you sweat but you also need to replace those electrolytes that you are losing.

One thing that definitely will make things worse is alcohol. If you are a social animal and must drink when you go out, try sticking to the lowest calorie alcohol you can find. Low calorie alcohol drinks will definitely help offset the effects on your electrolyte levels. 

If you are currently eating foods that are high in potassium and they are fresh foods, you most likely are getting enough potassium.  But if you are not getting enough potassium, you may want to think about adding potassium rich foods as part of your daily eating.  Foods that are considered high in potassium are apricots, raisins, figs, veal, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, bananas and bran cereal.  Bananas, for example, have about 100 calories in a medium sized banana but have 400 milligrams of potassium. There is a comprehensive breakdown on the nutrition facts of Bananas and other fruits at crazyfatloss.org.

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