Hey, guys.
Dr. Axe here, founder of draxe.com and doctor of natural medicine.
In this video, I'll be going through the top 10 potassium rich foods you should be getting
in your diet every single day along with the incredible benefits of potassium and how to
get more in your diet every single day.
And I'll tell you, this key nutrient is something that almost everybody is not getting enough
of in their diet.
Most of us get way too much sodium, not near enough potassium, and it's a major reason
for holding extracellular fluid, cellulite, heart disease, and a number of other health
problems.
So let's dive right in and talk about some of the dangers of low potassium.
So if you have any one of these symptoms, it can be caused by low levels of potassium.
Fatigue, so if you have those low energy levels and maybe you even get a good night's sleep
and you're still tired the next day, you can have a mineral or vitamin deficiency.
One of those minerals is potassium.
Also, chronic constipation.
Now, I'll say this, both magnesium and potassium help with constipation.
Vitamin B12 and potassium help with fatigue, irritability, muscle cramping.
So again, if you tend to be an athlete and get muscle cramps on a regular basis in your
hamstrings and your calve muscles or even your arms and shoulders, that can be a warning
sign.
Weight gain, blood pressure issues, heart palpitations, nausea, depression, all of those
are warning signs that you might have low potassium.
So here are some of the biggest benefits that medical research has shown, through clinical
studies, of what happens when you get more potassium in your diet and some of the benefits.
Number one, overall health for your heart.
Remember this.
Your heart is a smooth muscle.
Potassium helps with something called your "sodium-potassium pump" which is one of the
things that really helps support healthy rhythms within your body.
So again, potassium is great for your heart.
Number two, fewer cramps.
If you're a person that gets any type of cramping especially in your calves or feet, that's
a warning sign that your potassium levels are low and you have an electrolyte imbalance
in your body.
Remember this, staying hydrated is not just about drinking water, it's about getting plenty
of fluids and electrolytes like potassium in your diet on a daily basis.
Number three, it actually lowers your risk of a stroke.
You know, most people don't know they're going to have a stroke until they're having it.
So for you and everybody, everyone you love, 50% of people struggle with some form of heart
disease or 50% or more in their lifetime.
It's one of the top two killers in America today.
You want to reduce your risk?
Get more potassium in your diet.
Number four, helps lower blood pressure.
We know high blood pressure, it's very taxing on the heart, causing your heart to wear.
Also, high blood pressure increases your risk of having a heart attack.
You want to get more potassium because it naturally lowers blood pressure by helping
bring more nutrients into your cells there as well.
Number five, it hides cellulite.
If you're a person with cellulite, a lot of times, the big part of that is fluid retention.
If you want to get rid of cellulite, here's what you need to do.
Cut down on your sodium intake, increase your potassium rich food intake, and also make
sure that you're getting foods like bone broth and collagen in your diet on a daily basis.
So those help strengthen connective tissue.
And number six, fights osteoporosis.
You know, when it comes to bone health, our mind always goes to calcium, but our mind
should also go to other minerals like magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium here are all important
minerals for your bones, as is vitamin D, and vitamin K2, all of these can help with
your bones.
Now, here's the secret on getting potassium rich foods in your diet every single day or
how to get potassium in your diet via the foods you're eating.
Number one potassium rich food are avocados.
Now avocados, they're not a fruit, they're not a vegetable, they're not a nut, they're
actually a one seeded drupe.
And avocados are incredibly benefit for having healthy fats, high magnesium, but also potassium.
This is one of nature's, sort of, great mineral-rich foods.
Do an avocado a day.
All right, number two here, acorn squash.
Now, I love squash in the fall time, and I love doing this just with a side of chicken
or beef, but acorn squash and all types of squash including butternut squash, those are
high in potassium, as is pumpkin.
Also, by the way, with the avocados, just cut up a few, add them to a salad, add them
to a burger, or make guacamole.
Lots of great ways there to get avocado in your diet.
Number three, spinach.
Now spinach is high in lutein, xanthine, vitamin K, vitamin A, magnesium, calcium, also potassium.
Getting green leafy vegetables in your diet is a great way to get more potassium along
with alkalizing your body by increasing the minerals available to your body.
Number four, sweet potatoes.
We know that sweet potatoes are a very, very potassium dense superfood.
And again, this is good for anyone and everybody.
Most likely today needs to get more potassium because we're getting too much sodium in our
diet as well.
Number five, wild caught salmon fish can be a good source.
Number six, dried apricots can be great as a snack.
Number seven, pomegranates.
Now pomegranates are also very high in certain types of antioxidants that really help with
anti-aging, out as potassium.
In fact, this is one of the greatest foods to help tighten and tone and firm your skin,
helping you look younger.
Number eight, coconut water.
Coconut water is known as nature's sports drink.
It doesn't have any of the food coloring or any of the chemicals that a lot of today's
sports drinks has.
It just has lots of potassium, lots of electrolytes to help you stay hydrated.
It's a great thing for a young athlete to do.
Coconut water, sprinkle a little bit of sea salt in there, drink that throughout the day
for hydration.
Number nine, white beans.
White beans also have lots of potassium.
And number ten, of course, bananas.
We all know that bananas have potassium.
I want to mention another good food high in potassium, it's actually bone broth has good
levels of potassium.
If you just do like a bone broth protein supplement, bone broth protein mixed with a banana for
a smoothie.
Great way to get more potassium in your diet on a daily basis.
So remember this, potassium is critical for your heart pumping.
It's critical for your muscles firing and to keep your muscles from getting cramped.
It's also so important for your body's exchange of fluid and the health of your kidneys doing
it in proper ratios.
Now again, if you do have a kidney issue or on kidney dialysis, those people want to stay
away from potassium for a time being and consume lots of vegetables and fruits that aren't
rich in potassium.
But for the most part, most of us, 98% of the population, needs to get more potassium
in our diet on a daily basis.
As you can see here all of the many benefits.
Guys, so remember most of us today, way too much sodium, 10 times too much, one-seventh
of the potassium we should be getting on a daily basis.
And you get potassium through eating lots of fruits, lots of vegetables every single
day.
And hey, if you've enjoyed this article and you want a more detailed list, check out my
website or just do a Google search in a new tab, Dr. Axe Potassium, you'll see an in-depth
article there on potassium along with many other minerals.
And also, don't forget to subscribe here to this page, I've got a lot more advanced nutrition
tips coming out on the top foods high in other minerals like magnesium and calcium, essential
oils, and a whole lot more, guys.
This has been Dr. Axe, me, talking about the many benefits of potassium.
Hi.
Dr. Axe here.
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