Tag: Potassium

Peas Please

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Bowl of peas

Green peas grow inside pods and are sweet and starchy. They belong to the legume food group. Despite their small size, they pack in a lot of protein, fiber, and essential vitamins and minerals. A 1/2 cup serving of green peas has 70 calories, 4 grams of protein, 12 grams of carbohydrates, and 4 grams of fiber.

Health Benefits of Peas

  • Weight Management—Peas are low in calories and high in protein and fiber, helping you feel full longer.
  • Blood Sugar Control—With a low glycemic index, peas have little impact on blood sugar levels. The fiber content helps slow down glucose absorption, making them a great choice for those with insulin resistance or type 2 diabetes.
  • Blood Pressure—Potassium in peas helps relax artery walls and offsets the effects of sodium, helping to lower blood pressure.
  • Eye Health—Lutein and zeaxanthin, found in peas, promote eye health and may reduce the risk of age-related macular degeneration and cataracts.

Source: WebMD, go.iastate.edu/PFHCME

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Potato 101

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Potatoes are a staple in many households. While potatoes may have a bad reputation, they’re versatile (baked, mashed, fried, boiled) and nutrient rich. They are an excellent source of vitamin C and potassium.

Potatoes

Keeping an eye on your blood sugar? You can still enjoy potatoes. Compared to many vegetables, potatoes may raise blood sugar quickly. However, the effect on your blood sugar is influenced by the type of potato and cooking method. For example, a white potato can increase blood sugar more quickly than a sweet potato, while a boiled russet potato raises blood sugar more slowly than a baked russet potato.

It’s also important to look at your entire meal versus just one food. When you enjoy potatoes with foods higher in protein and healthy fat, the potato is digested more slowly, which slows the rise of blood sugar.

FUN FACT: Don’t store potatoes with apples. Apples and many other fruits produce ethylene gas, which promotes sprouting.

Sources:
What Potatoes Have the Highest Glycemic Index?, nutritionletter.tufts.edu
7 Health and Nutrition Benefits of Potatoes, healthline.com
Produce Basics – Potatoes, spendsmart.extension.iastate.edu/cook/produce-basics/

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July is National Watermelon Month!

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“Watermelon—it’s a good fruit. You eat, you drink, you wash your face!”—Enrico Caruso

watermelon

Watermelon is delightful, no doubt. It’s a sweet, low-calorie, fat-free food. Did you know watermelon is also a good source of vitamins A, B6, and C? Vitamin A promotes good eyesight. Vitamin B6 helps make antibodies and maintains blood sugar and nerve function. Vitamin C helps heal wounds.

Watermelon is a good source of potassium and magnesium, which aid in muscle and heart function. It’s 92% water, making it an excellent thirst quencher. Finally, watermelon is high in lycopene. Lycopene reduces blood pressure and cancer risk and maintains healthy skin.

Easy ways to enjoy watermelon:

  • Cut up bites of fresh watermelon.
  • Dip in yogurt.
  • Blend into a slushy or smoothie.
  • Freeze and enjoy as a fruit popsicle.

Source: Wide World of Watermelon—Registered Dietician Toolkit, www.watermelon.org

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Why You Might Need More Potassium

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Vegetables

If you read Nutrition Facts labels, you may have noticed they now list the potassium content of foods. So why is potassium a mineral we need to pay attention to?

For starters, potassium controls your heartbeat, builds muscle, and helps your body make proteins. Potassium can protect you from heart disease, stroke, muscle wasting, osteoporosis, and kidney stones. If you get enough of it, you can lower your blood pressure and cut your risk of dying from all causes by 20%!

Potassium is in many common foods, such as bananas, citrus fruits, potatoes, broccoli, milk, yogurt, beans, and leafy greens. However, fewer than 2% of adults meet their daily recommended potassium requirement. Adults should aim for 4,700 mg of potassium a day.

For example, this is one potassium-rich meal that would fulfill 40% of that requirement:

1/2 cup Swiss chard480 mg
1 baked potato610 mg
3 ounces turkey breast249 mg
1 cup low-fat milk366 mg
1 cup fruit cocktail225 mg
Total1,930 mg

Please do not rush out to buy potassium pills. High-dose potassium supplements can disrupt heart rhythm. They are also dangerous for those who have undetected kidney disease. Enjoy your potassium by eating a variety of fruits and vegetables!

To find out more about potassium-rich foods, visit MedlinePlus, medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002413.htm.

Source:
Today’s Dietitian, www.todaysdietitian.com/newarchives/121112p50.shtml

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