If you have been diagnosed with high blood pressure, chances are high your doctor told you to reduce the sodium in your diet and to increase your potassium intake. This is because, while your body needs some sodium to function properly, too much can cause problems.
Sodium is important because it helps the body maintain the right balance of fluids, transmit nerve impulses, and it even influences how your muscles move. These are all good things, but like most good things, too much is not. When you have excess sodium in your system, your body begins to hold onto a lot of extra fluid in your blood stream. All that extra fluid causes your heart to work harder, which in turn, raises your blood pressure.
As you take steps to limit the sodium in your diet, you should know that there are many sources of sodium, which most folks are not aware of. Here is a quick reference list of things you can look out for and how to combat it:
1. Processed foods vs. natural foods
Canned and packaged goods can contribute the most sodium to your diet. If it comes in a can, bag, or box—read the labels of the food you buy. Be on the look out for salt and sodium-containing compounds. Some words to watch for are:
⁃ monosodium glutamate (MSG)
⁃ baking soda
⁃ baking powder
⁃ disodium phosphate
⁃ sodium alginate
⁃ and sodium nitrate or nitrite.
All these ingredients are warning flags for sodium.
Natural foods are naturally low in sodium, because no extra ingredients are added to them. A simple switch from canned and packaged goods to fresh or frozen can make a noticeable difference for the better on your blood pressure. According to the Mayo Clinic, meals prepared with fresh whole-foods and minimally processed ingredients can eliminate up to 77% of the sodium in your diet.
2. Restaurant meals vs. eating at home
Many restaurants use processed foods, therefore their food will be high in sodium. To avoid this, you can ask your server how the food is prepared or eat at home. Preparing your own meals is an excellent way to know exactly how much sodium is going into your diet.
3. Salt and other condiments
Salt is pure sodium chloride. Chances are when your meal was prepared salt was added to it. Many folks do not realize this and add salt again when it is placed on the table. A good way to avoid over salting your food is to taste it before adding more salt to it.
Other things, which are often added to meals, are condiments. No one really thinks twice about using ketchup, mustard, or barbeque sauce, but all three are laden with sodium. Just one ounce (one fast-food condiment packet) of any of these three popular condiments has 13% of your daily sodium. Soy sauce, butter, salad dressings, sauces, and dips are also great hiding places for extra sodium. For items like this, moderation is key.
But, why did your doctor tell you to increase your potassium? Potassium is a mineral that helps your body get rid of all that extra sodium. When the excess sodium is gone, your blood pressure goes back down to where it should be. Chances are high that your doctor told you to eat more bananas, because they are a good source of potassium. This is the standard advice and has been for years. I took a short, informal survey among my family and friends and discovered that this is still the standard recommendation.
However, I did some research on good resources for potassium and discovered that one medium banana only has 12% of your daily potassium. I also discovered that there are numerous other foods which are a much better source of the mineral. I invite you to scan the list below to find some items that you would be willing to add to your diet. As Hippocrates said a millennia ago, “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.”
Sources of Potassium (% of recommended daily requirement):
63% in 1 cup dehydrated (low moisture) apricots
53% in 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes
52% in 100 grams raw palm hearts
49% in 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes (packed in oil, drained)
46% in 1 cup dried peach halves
46% in 1 cup potato flour
45% in 1 cup raw green soybeans
44% in 1 cup dried spirulina
43% in 1 cup dried apricot halves
40% in 1 cup dehydrated (low moisture) prunes
37% in 1 cup cooked beet greens
37% in 1 cup dried Zante currants
37% in 1 cup fresh pickled Japanese style cabbage
36% in 1 cup pitted dried plums (prunes)
35% in 1 cup raw cubed yam
31% in 1 cup golden seedless raisins
31% in 1 cup seedless raisins
30% in 1 raw Florida avocado
30% in 1 cup raw or frozen durian
29% in 1 cup dried figs
28% in 1 cup cooked green soybeans
27% in 1 cup dried pear halves
27% in 1 medium baked red potato with skin
27% in 1 cup cooked Swiss Chard
27% in 1 cup cooked sweet potato (baked in skin)
26% in 1 cup cooked cubed acorn squash
26% in 1 medium plantain
26% in 1 medium baked potato with skin
26% in 1 cup cooked cubed yam
24% in 1 cup durum wheat
24% in 1 cup cooked drained spinach
23% in 1 cup sliced raw bamboo shoots
23% in 1 cup raw passion fruit
22% in 1 cup of buckwheat
22% in 1 cup cooked frozen baby lima beans
22% in 1 7-inch raw Oriental radish
22% in 1 cup cooked mashed sweet potato (boiled without skin)
22% in 1 cup tamarind pulp
21% in 1 cup cooked cubed Hubbard squash
21% in 1 cup raw Lima beans
20% in hard red winter wheat
20% in 1 raw California avocado
20% in 1 cup cooked blackeyed peas (cowpeas)
20% in 100 grams Medjool dates
20% in 1 cup raw guava
20% in 1 cup canned Lima beans
20% in 1 cup raw sliced Chinese water chestnuts (matai)
19% in 100 grams Deglet noor dates
19% in 1 cup cooked frozen edaname
19% in 1 cup raw chopped mustard spinach (tendergreen)
19% in 1 cup oats
19% in 1 cup sorghum
19% in hard red spring wheat
18% in 1 cup cooked mashed acorn squash
18% in 1 cup cooked Chinese cabbage (pak-choi)
18% in 1 cup raw sliced Jerusalem-artichokes
18% in 1 cup grilled portabello mushroom
17% in 1 cup cooked cubed butternut squash
16% in 1 cup cooked sliced parsnips
16% in 1 cup boiled potato (cooked in skin)
16% in 1 cup cooked cubed rutabaga
16% in 1 cup cooked frozen spinach
15% in 1 cup cooked mustard spinach (tendergreen)
15% in 1 cup oatbran
15% in 1 cup cooked ripe red tomato
14% in 1 cup raw cubed acorn squash
14% in 1 cup cooked beet slices
14% in 1 cup cooked borage
14% in 1 cup cooked broccoli
14% in 1 cup cooked Brussels sprouts
14% in 1 cup raw cubed butternut squash
14% in 1 cup corn (white or yellow)
14% in 1 cup cooked frozen fordhook lima beans
14% in 1 cup cooked garden cress
14% in 1 cup cooked mashed Hubbard squash
14% in 1 cup raw jackfruit
14% in 1 cup raw kohlrabi
14% in 1 cup raw lemongrass
14% in 1 cup sliced raw parsnips
14% in 1 cup boiled potato (peeled)
14% in 1 cup canned pumpkin
14% in 1 cup raw sliced salsify (vegetable oyster)
14% in 1 cup cooked frozen summer squash (crookneck & straightneck)
14% in 1 cup cooked cubed winter squash (all varieties)
13% in 1 cup raw beets
13% in 1 cup raw celeriac
13% in 10 slices (2-2/3″ diameter) raw lotus root
13% in 1 cup raw cubed rutabaga
13% in 1 cup rye
13% in 1 cup frozen succotash (corn and lima beans)
13% in 1 cup raw cubed sweet potatoes
12% in 1 dried ancho pepper
12% in 1 medium banana
12% in 1 cup cooked red cabbage
12% in 1 cup cubed cantaloupe
12% in 1 cup cooked celery
12% in 1 cup cooked frozen collards
12% in 1 cup cooked sweet white corn
12% in 1 cup raw elderberries
12% in 1 cup raw lava beans in pod
12% in 1 raw portabello mushroom
12% in 1 cup cooked green peas
12% in 1 cup pommelo
12% in 1 cup raw ripe red tomatoes (chopped or sliced)
12% in 1 cup raw cubes winter squash (all varieties)
12% in 1 cup cooked frozen zucchini (with skin)
11% in 1 cup dried apples
11% in 1 cup raw apricots
11% in 1 cup raw carrot slices
11% in 1 cup diced honeydew melon
11% in 1 cup raw cubed hubbard squash
11% in 1 cup raw pumpkin cubes
11% in 1 cup cooked sliced salsify (vegetable oyster)
10% in 1 large Asian pear
10% in 1 cup cooked broccoli raab
10% in 1 cup raw Brussels sprouts
10% in 1 cup cooked sweet yellow corn
10% in 1 cup whole-grain cornmeal (white or yellow)
10% in 1 cup raw European black currants
10% in 1 cup raw sliced fennel bulb
10% in 1 cup sliced raw oyster mushrooms
10% in 1 cup cubed papaya
10% in 1 cup raw green peas
10% in 1 cup diced raw rhubarb
10% in 1 cup raw sprouted soybeans
10% in 1 cup sliced cooked summer squash, all varieties
10% in 1 cup raw tomatoes (green, orange, yellow and cherry)
Note: Nuts and seeds do not have significant levels of potassium
Resources:
Esselstyn, Rip. The Engine 2 Diet. New York: Wellness Central, 2009.
Mayo Clinic. How to Tame Your Salt Habit. March 3, 2011. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/sodium/NU00284 (accessed December 8, 2011).
Nutrition Data. Self Nutrition Data. http://www.nutritiondata.self.com/ (accessed December 8, 2012).
