Eating high potassium foods will change your energy in a short time. Potassium is not a stimulant. It is not a source of direct energy to the body. It is a mineral. Although a mineral, it is involved in many of the functions of the body and helps to maintain and improve those functions. It is involved in the function of the cell membranes of every cell in the body. The membranes of the brain cells, nerve cells, and muscle cells are heavily involved in how much energy we feel we have.
Healthy dietary programs that lower cholesterol, or are for weight loss, or are to improve blood pressure also contain high amounts of potassium containing foods. Potassium energizes us by keeping the brain alert and the muscles relaxed. With low potassium we feel fatigued and have tense muscles.
By eating high potassium foods (assuming you are healthy and do not have one of the medical conditions that contraindicates taking in potassium) you will be taking in food that has cholesterol lowering, weight normalizing, antioxidant, and intestinal regulatory effects.
The general categories of foods that are high potassium foods are the whole foods, vegetables, fruits and legumes. Most lean meats, lean fish, and wild game have high amounts of potassium. Grains without the bran (i.e., not whole grain) are low in potassium. All legumes are high potassium foods — kidney beans, lentils, garbanzo beans (chickpeas), black beans, pinto beans are high potassium foods. Using them in salads, chili or soups will increase the potassium in the dish.
Fresh foods are best. Some dried fruits are good sources — raisins, dried apricots. Canned foods may be okay if not high in sodium, which is a frequent component of food preservatives use in canned foods. Frozen foods also should have no added salt.
When cooking high potassium foods, steaming or broiling or microwaving is the best way to prepare the food. Boiling draws the potassium out of the food into the water. If the food is boiled, the water should be consumed to get the potassium into your body. This can be done by making the dish a soup or a stew.
Good snacks are those that have high potassium — whole grains that include the bran, fruits – fresh or dried, raw or steamed vegetables. Many of the bagged snacks have excess salt. Some of the bars available now have the whole grain and thus have high potassium levels.
