What are you doing about potassium?
 

For the past month or so I have been having really painful charlie-horses (cramps) in my legs and feet at night. From what I understand, this is from a lack of potassium. In checking my FitDay results I find I just have --- in the potassium column, so apparently I'm not getting any from natural foods. I am taking a one-a-day vitamin that says it has 2% potassium, plus a potassium supplement (but it only says 3%) So--where are you guys getting your potassium from? In checking with the druggist he said I'd need a prescription to get anything higher in potassium from him.

I take 2 pottassuim pills after each meal. Also avacados are a good source.

I take a potassium in the morning, and one at night--but I'm also getting K in my food. So if you really don't get any, go with LadyBelle's regime.

Try going here and click on the W in the "Potassium" row. That'll download a PDF showing all the foods in the USDA database sorted by potassium content. Pick a couple low-carb things you like from the first page or two and there you go. (hello, beet greens!)

In FitDay for Potassium it doesn't have an RDA, but if you look in the column before that it will tell you how much you've been getting. I was having terrible leg cramps the first month or so when I started this WOE. Instead of Potassium I started taking a Magnesium Supplement per my doctors advice and now I take that as well as Calcium/Magnesium and I haven't had any cramps since. :D

Alli

I also take a potassium in the morning, and one at night. Along with 2 pills of 600mg of calcium mag in am and the pm.
I suffered for years with the painful chaley horses and they disappeared when I started taking the above dosages.
I hope this helps.
Shasta :-)

Yep, I concur with doing the CaMag supplements. I've been doing that, and the cramps have gotten better, but occassionally I do still get them. The reason you have to have a prescription for higher potassium dosages is because a high level of potassium (k) can cause heart arrhythmias. It depends on how well your kidneys are working. You really need to be under a doctor's supervision taking anything more than 15mg/day.

Peach (an R.N. in my pre-kid life!)

I just got a potassium supplement called 'potassium gluconate', in 500mg tablets. Is this the same as potassium (used to take chelated potassium), and is it ok to just take 1 a day?

I really, really hate trying to remember to take supplements, so I make sure I eat foods that will cover almost everything, and this includes a healthy dose of potassium.

Great sources are: pork and other meats as well as nuts. Good sources are: broccoli, celery, and marginally cauliflower (and there are more--I read the veggie nutrient chart at WalMart to see which veggies were high). Most foods have at least some potassium in them and it all adds up.

Today I had 1922.7 mg of potassium just from my food. No need to take a supplement with that. :)

I get my potassium from
strawberries
Asparagus (has a lot)
Artichokes (has tons)
Broccoli (has tons)
Cabbage
Celery
string beans
peppers
Lettuce
Onion
Pumpkin (when I can bring myself to eat some)
Spinach and
Tomatoes
also brazil nuts are loaded with it
peanuts and salmon

I take 2 Walgreens Pot tabs after dinner every day. I forget Saturday night (feel asleep on the sofa) and woke up with a charley horse (ouch!!!)

Oh, that reminds me, strawberries are almost in season!

My doctor put me on prescription Potassium supplements. If you really think you're low, you need to be tested by a professional. Potassium helps to regulate your heart.

Here's my list of super foods because they contain high amounts of calcium, magnesium or potassium. And they're all great low-carb choices.

If you had a spinach salad with salmon and avocado, you would be getting a whopping amount of potassium, calcium and magnesium. A 99 mg pill pales in comparison!

For the record, if you're on cardiac medication, you should only take potassium supplements under the supervision of your doctor.

Raw Kale, 1 cup chopped
Calcium 90.450 mg
Magnesium 22.780 mg
Potassium 299.490 mg

Raw broccoli, 1 cup chopped
Calcium 42.240 mg
Magnesium 22.000 mg
Potassium 286.000 mg

1 cup cooked Chinese Broccoli
Calcium 88.000 mg
Magnesium 15.840 mg
Potassium 229.680 mg

1/2 cup regular tofu
Calcium 434.000 mg
Magnesium 37.200 mg
Potassium 150.040 mg

1 cup plain, whole milk yogurt
Calcium 295.715 mg
Magnesium 28.371 mg
Potassium 378.770 mg

1 can sockeye salmon
Calcium 881.910 mg
Magnesium 107.010 mg
Potassium 1391.130 mg

1 can waterpacked white tuna
Calcium 24.080 mg
Magnesium 56.760 mg
Potassium 407.640 mg

1 cup raw spinach
Calcium 29.700 mg
Magnesium 23.700 mg
Potassium 167.400 mg

1 Californian avocado’
Calcium 19.030 mg
Magnesium 70.930 mg
Potassium 1096.820 mg

1 oz whole roasted pumpkin seeds
Calcium 12.191 mg
Magnesium 151.389 mg
Potassium 228.501 mg

1 oz. whole roasted sunflower seeds
Calcium 19.845 mg
Magnesium 36.572 mg
Potassium 240.975 mg

1 raw, Eastern oyster
Calcium 4.000 mg
Magnesium 11.000 mg
Potassium 84.000 mg

1 oz Brazil nuts
Calcium 49.896 mg
Magnesium 63.788 mg
Potassium 170.100 mg

1 oz almonds
Calcium 82.499 mg
Magnesium 77.679 mg
Potassium 198.167 mg

Flax seeds, 1 Tbsp.
Calcium 23.880 mg
Magnesium 43.440 mg
Potassium 81.720 mg

Karen