Welcome back to Health Solutions Today—this is your health bestie, Barbara. In the last episode, we explored propylene glycol, a common synthetic in cosmetics, food products, and antifreeze.
Cosmetics can be silent saboteurs—especially when your body is already dealing with:
- Nervous system overload
- Mineral depletion
- Hormonal sensitivity
- Skin permeability after workouts/saunas
Stay vigilant to synthetic ingredients like fragrance, parabens, PEGs, and chemical preservatives. They can:
- Spike inflammation
- Disrupt hormones
- Trigger immune or histamine responses
Let’s shift gears—from what to avoid in your products to what to include in your plate.
In this episode we discuss potassium. If you find yourself unexplainably exhausted at the end of everyday, you may benefit from intentional consumption of foods containing Potassium. At the end of the episode there will be some recipes to help you with Potassium intake.
Potassium in Our Life
Potassium is an electrolyte. It plays a role in multiple functions of the body. Some of these functions include enzyme activities, cell growth and division. It also helps to maintain the acid-base balance in the body.
As we age, potassium imbalances can develop—due to kidney decline, chronic illness, or medication.
Experiment with Your Nutrition
Nutrition is something we establish through experimentation.
Many believe that Potassium deficiency cannot be involved with rheumatoid arthritis. Think of it as chronic muscle cramping. There has been very little testing in this area. Other diseases such as gout, diabetes, heart disease and metabolic shock could stem from inadequate intake of Potassium as well.
It is common to believe that foods our parents taught us to eat could not be harmful. This may not be the case.
When indegenous cultures trade their traditional foods for Western ones, they end up with the same chronic Western health conditions.
We tend to believe that health conditions are hereditary. What is hereditary are the food choices and lifestyle. If our parents and grandparents ate certain foods, chances are when we eat these foods we will have similar health conditions.
We can love our parents and everything that they shared with us and still experiment to see if it is truly beneficial. My parents still love me eventhough I don’t eat many of the foods we ate while I was growing up.
We do this with Our careers and many other decisions we make in life. We may not want to have the same occupations as Our parents. One of my Grandmothers never learned to drive. I became licensed to drive when I turned 16.
Nutrition and food choice is part of Our sense of autonomy. Experimenting with food and what feels right for Us is fun, adventuresome and it can have a positive impact on Our health and worldview.
Always seek medical and nutritional consultation when making health and dietary changes. Professionals have more information available and can run tests. They can also customize food selections according to your needs. It is difficult to tell without testing and know if we have enough Potassium.
Further, Potassium needs to be consumed daily—our bodies can’t store it.
For health we are aiming for unprocessed, unfrozen not canned foods. The vegetables need to be free of synthetics. It is possible, that a large majority of people can remain healthy this way without fad diets.
Heart Disease and Health
July 3, 2000, Tropicana Products, Inc.
(Tropicana) submitted to the FDA a notification containing a proposed claim about the positive relationship of Potassium-containing foods to blood pressure and stroke.
There is an important connection between Potassium and B vitamins as well. You need a balance of both to maintain proper heart function.
Potassium + B Vitamins = Heart + Nerve Protection
Potassium supports:
- Heart rhythm
- Nerve signals
- Muscle contraction
- Fluid balance
But B vitamins are the cofactors—they make sure Potassium is actually used safely and effectively inside the cell.
Vegetables are a better source of Potassium than fruit. But if you prefer fruit then go for it. Grains are not the best source of Potassium either. Fat and oil does not contain Potassium.
Adequate Potassium intake can range between 2-4 grams per day. Sodium intake should max around 2 gram per day depending on your activity level and personal needs.
Indigenous Insights into Potassium :
Several South American Indigenous populations (like the Yanomami) have been shown to consume 6–11 g of Potassium daily through:
- Roots and tubers
- Fruits
- Leafy greens
- Wild plants
- Mineral-rich water sources
And they do it:
- Without supplements
- Without hypertension
- With far greater mineral diversity than most of us get
These populations often have the lowest rates of cardiovascular disease ever recorded.
Why It Works for Them
- No processed foods stripping Sodium-Potassium balance
- High Magnesium and Calcium from natural sources
- Naturally low sodium diets (compared to standard Western diets)
- Active lifestyles that keep mineral turnover high
- Unstressed nervous systems = better mineral absorption
Your Nutritional Experiment
Vegetables and meat are preferred. Minimize grains and fat. Keep a diary of your food intake, emotions and sleep to see how your body responds to changes you make. Start your own experiment!
It is important that salt intake remains low. Excessive salt intake will cause excretion of Potassium even if your body needs it.
Here’s the Cycle:
- High Sodium intake
- Body retains water to maintain Sodium balance
- To compensate, it excretes Potassium
Result: Potassium deficiency symptoms even if you’re eating enough Potassium.
Even though Sodium is essential, it has to be in ratio with Potassium.
Ideal Potassium-to-Sodium Ratio
Ancestral diets: ~5:1 (Potassium:Sodium)
Modern diets: Often 0.5:1 or worse
Your body thrives best around 2:1 to 4:1, depending on activity level and sweat loss
Sample meals can include:
Lean Chicken with Spinach, Kale, Lemon juice and Garlic
This is lean, low fat, high in potassium, magnesium and B vitamins.
Turkey and Zucchini Stir Fry
Lean ground turkey sauteed with zucchini, celery and cabbage. Season with your favorite spices.
Cod with steamed Bok Choy and Mushrooms
Lean Beef with Broccoli
This one is popular at Chinese food restaurants. You can prepare it with less oil by steaming the vegetables or frying them in a tablespoon of oil with your favorite spices. Ginger and garlic can go well here.
Nuts are acceptable as a replacement for meat. I enjoy hemp hearts. They contain all the amino acids your body needs. Nuts are a healthy way to consume fat as well.
What’s one small experiment you’ll try this week to support your potassium levels?
Hippocrates is quoted as stating:
If we could give every individual the right amount of nourishment and exercise—not too little and not too much—we would have found the safest way to health.
This is the real work of healing—balance, awareness, and trust in your body. I’m Barbara with Health Solutions Today. Your wellness is in your hands. For everything else, there’s a doctor.
Do you feel caught in a loop of anxiety, fatigue and strange symptoms but never seem to find relief? Next week we will start to decode your nervous system. When the nervous sytem is off balance you may feel lost in constant chaos.
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