Question about my potassium pill

hazeldazel · 06-10-2009, 04:06 PM

I've noticed now that I'm tracking all my food in FitDay, that my ratio of sodium and potassium is really off (potassium is too low). In addition to needing to lose a good deal of weight, I have issues with water retention so I decided to supplement my potassium. Since I've been tracking on Fitday my sodium typically runs around 120% of RDA but my potassium hovers around 50% (73% today). The label on the bottle is a bit confusing, on the front it says Potassium citrate 550mg but in the nutritional information it says Potassium (from 550mg Potassium citrate): 99mg. So am I really only getting 99mg total?

P.S. Yes, I am drinking lots of water (well, lots more than I used to).
P.P.S. I have added a banana to my daily menu.

PlankIt · 06-10-2009, 04:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hazeldazel

I've noticed now that I'm tracking all my food in FitDay, that my ratio of sodium and potassium is really off (potassium is too low). In addition to needing to lose a good deal of weight, I have issues with water retention so I decided to supplement my potassium. Since I've been tracking on Fitday my sodium typically runs around 120% of RDA but my potassium hovers around 50% (73% today). The label on the bottle is a bit confusing, on the front it says Potassium citrate 550mg but in the nutritional information it says Potassium (from 550mg Potassium citrate): 99mg. So am I really only getting 99mg total?

P.S. Yes, I am drinking lots of water (well, lots more than I used to).
P.P.S. I have added a banana to my daily menu.

Yep.
A lot of people have found Morton's Lite Salt (which is 1/2 sodium and 1/2 potassium) or NuSalt (potassium) in place of regular salt to be much more helpful

PlankIt · 06-10-2009, 04:25 PM

This thread might help

Drowning--Need some help

LisaS · 06-10-2009, 04:38 PM

Yes, you are getting 99 mg of K

hazeldazel · 06-10-2009, 04:46 PM

thanks for the quick reply! I use kosher salt, but very, very sparingly.

I read the thread you linked above, I guess I really need to work on getting more fresh veggies in my diet. I loooooooooove carbs and have gotten so much better at getting them at the right % but yeah, still a struggle. Just would soooo rather eat a crapload of breads, sodas, juices, chips and other processed crap-food, then spend my meals eating fresh veg and fruits. Wierd thing is, I really like veggies and fruits, just love the crap more. I've cut the chips/processed non-food out almost 100% and just recently cut the sodas out, but I guess I still get waaay to much of my carbs from breads. I'll work on switching in fresh fruit/veggies for the starchy carbs, keep an eye on my potassium levels and see how it goes.

LisaS · 06-10-2009, 04:54 PM

1 medium stalk celery = 104 mg potassium
10 oz frozen cauliflower = 548 mg potassium

I take a 16 oz bag of caulflower and make garlic cauliflower mash and we split it for two people.

100g (about 1/2 C) sweet potato = 475 mg potassium

hazeldazel · 06-10-2009, 05:06 PM

thanks!

Sometimes, we'll roast yam/sweet potato or do parsleyed cauliflower but I tend to get stuck in a rut of brown rice, or a piece of sourdough bread.

hazeldazel · 06-11-2009, 02:10 PM

gah! I *still* cannot get my levels of potassium high enough!

I've added in:
1 banana in the morning (1/2 pre, 1/2 post workout)
1 cup cauliflower at lunch
1/2 cup edamame at afternoon snack
1 cup broccoli at dinner
2 potassium pills at breakfast, lunch, dinner (total: 6)

According to Fitday, my potassium will be at 72% and my sodium 110%. (I put in everything that I'm planning to eat today.)

So frustrating!

LisaS · 06-11-2009, 02:15 PM

If you are determined to make a balance, what about cutting your sodium then? Are you eating processed foods that might be inflating on that side?

hazeldazel · 06-11-2009, 04:06 PM

thanks again for the advice, I switched out brown rice i was planning for dinner for another banana and I'm up to 84% potassium, 107% sodium. That's good enough for today I guess.

Good suggestion at lowering the salt, I went through line by line looking at sodium for each item and the few things I eat that are processed (whey protein powder, casein protein powder, 4oz of V8 fusion juice, 1 FiberOne yogurt) are actually pretty low in sodium. Just surprised how much juggling I needed to do even taking the supplements.

I'll stop by the store and get some yams, if I'd had one today my potassium would be at 94%. They're so yummy just cubed up and roasted in the oven until they get golden brown.