Lately I have learned the hard way about the proper electrolyte, digestive, and cardiovascular balance, more specifically, the balance between Potassium and Sodium. We have all heard that high Sodium (Salt) levels leads to high blood pressure and an increased chance of a heart issue. However, I have learned this is only one part of the whole. If your Potassium levels are low even if your Sodium levels are not very high you could still be doing yourself an incredible disservice. Potassium works to remove Sodium from the body through a balance in the digestive tract. Additionally, if your blood pressure is already high you could talk with your doctor about increasing your Potassium intake instead of taking a beta-blocker (like Metoprolol) that ultimately increases the Potassium in the bloodstream but sometimes comes with other side effects.
However, don't make huge diet changes without consulting your doctor. I made the mistake of increasing my Potassium intake to the daily recommended 3,500mg a day but was met with a few unpleasant surprises. It upset my stomach and I felt very ill and dizzy. As it turns because of the Metoprolol I take for my heart condition I was already getting enough Potassium and the extra was actually doing me physical harm.
You may be wondering why you should care about this beyond making sure your sodium levels aren't hurting your heart. The answer is simple - water retention. My whole purpose in finding balance was to help reduce the water retention I had been fighting since I've been chronically dehydrating myself for as long as I can remember. My weight would fluctuate as much as 6 pounds in a day primarily due to water retention and it was getting difficult gauging my weight-loss progress without addressing the issue. I noticed some improvement after drinking 80 oz a day over two weeks but I found I was still retaining water and so I did the scary thing - I googled it. I was reading that Potassium levels if they don't balance with your Sodium levels could be yet another reason beyond dehydration that you could be retaining water. It proved to be accurate. I find I'm carrying considerably less extra water around my middle.
If you've spoken with your doctor and it's safe for you to increase your Potassium the following are some excellent solutions: Campbell's Homestyle Healthy Request Chicken Noodle Soup - 1 can (2 servings in a can) is 200 calories but it has a whopping 1,780mg of Potassium. Even if you haven't talked to a doctor but you slowly want to increase you intake this might be an easy place to start. If you're looking for jam-packed raw veggies and fruits as the solution the best is beet greens - 1 cup is 1,309mg. Baked potatoes are another good choice but the calorie content without a large quantity in other healthy bits might make it a less attractive choice. 1 cup of Canteloupe and a medium Banana have the same Potassium content at about 358. Be careful with adding lots of greens all at once to your diet if you don't already eat them - it made me feel really sick.
Sources:
LIVESTRONG The Effects of Potassium on Water Retention
Natural News Balance Sodium with Potassium for Good Health
LIVESTRONG The Relationship Between Potassium and Sodium
LIVESTRONG Metoprolol & Potassium Chloride
