Low Potassium Diet Foods And Potassium Diet

Please suggest me some diet and tips to reduce high potassium levels.

Potassium is a mineral salt or electrolyte, which is important for the nervous system, adrenal, heart and kidney function, fluid balance, and muscle function. A deficiency of potassium in the diet can lead to problematic muscle coordination, heart irregularities, confusion, fatigue, and weakness. If you eat a balanced diet that includes plenty of vegetables and fruits, then you should be able to get the amount of potassium that your body needs. If you exercise a lot, then your body will need more potassium than someone who doesn’t exercise much. People who suffer from diseases like kidney failure and diabetes need to check the level pf potassium in their diet as less is more for them.

Tips for Reducing Potassium In Diet

Reducing potassium in your diet: If you wish to reduce the amount of potassium in your everyday diet, then you must cut down on food products that contain potassium and keep a check on your portion sizes. You can follow a few simple guidelines to check the quantity of potassium in your diet:

• Since milk is rich in potassium, you must limit your intake to a cup a day.
• To cut down potassium in cooked veggies, cook a lot of vegetables in unsalted water and drain the liquid later.
• You must also reduce your intake of foods that contain more potassium like meat, nuts, vegetables and fruits.
• You must also avoid salt substitutes in your food – these have potassium in them instead of sodium.
• You must also avoid using seasoning and spices that contain potassium.
• To bring down the level of potassium in your food, eat about half cup of fruits and vegetables every day. Even milk and milk products should be limited to half cup.
• You must avoid molasses, nuts, beverages and chocolate as these contain high amount of potassium.
• You must also keep checking food labels to check the ingredients that contain potassium. Artificial sweeteners also contain a lot of potassium.
• Some of the fruits that contain a high amount of potassium include plantains, nectarines, honeydew, cantaloupe, avocado and apricots. Vegetables that one must reduce in order to decrease the amount of potassium are peas, dried beans, yams, winter squash, tomato paste, sweet potatoes, potato chips, French fries and artichokes.
• In order to reduce the amount of potassium in your food, you must know which foods contain high levels of potassium. Here is a list: Kiwi, honeydew, cantaloupe, banana, avocado, apricots, vegetable juice, tomatoes, spinach, prunes, potatoes, oranges, milk, lima beans, and winter squash. Meat, fish and poultry products are also high in potassium.