| FEMININE NUTRITION & RECIPES Did you know that you could lose potassium through sweat when you exercise or exert yourself in other ways? Did you know that if you’re taking diuretics, you could lose potassium through your urine? Athletes and pregnant women really need to increase and monitor their potassium intake. Kidney disease can affect your potassium blood levels. If you have a bout of vomiting or diarrhea, your potassium levels could be negatively affected. Remember, potassium levels are serious and can be life-threatening if not handled properly by you and your medical team. Maintaining the right level of potassium for your body is dependent upon your sodium level. Too much sodium can have a negative effect on your potassium level. High blood pressure is one condition that occurs when sodium and potassium levels are not working well together. Potassium helps to maintain fluid balance and blood pressure. If you are a diabetic, it is imperative to monitor your potassium and sodium levels. Two dangers of potassium include Hypokalemia, which is too little potassium in your blood and Hyperkalemia, which is too much potassium in your blood. If you take potassium supplements, consult your physician or dietician to make sure you’re taking potassium citrate rather than potassium chloride if you are post-menopausal. Potassium citrate is more favorable for bone density. Some of us may only think of bananas when we think of a food enriched with potassium. As this chart reveals, there is an abundance of foods rich in potassium. Food Sources of Potassium ranked by milligrams of potassium per standard amount, also showing calories in the standard amount. (The AI for adults is 4,700 mg/day potassium.) Food, Standard Amount | Potassium (mg) | Calories | Sweetpotato, baked, 1 potato (146 g) | 694 | 131 | Tomato paste, 1/4 cup | 664 | 54 | Beet greens, cooked, 1/2 cup | 655 | 19 | Potato, baked, flesh, 1 potato (156 g) | 610 | 145 | White beans, canned, 1/2 cup | 595 | 153 | Yogurt, plain, nonfat, 8oz container | 579 | 127 | Tomato puree, 1/2 cup | 549 | 48 | Clams, canned, 3 oz | 534 | 126 | Yogurt, plain, lowfat, 8oz container | 531 | 143 | Prune juice, 3/4 cup | 530 | 136 | Carrot juice, 3/4 cup | 517 | 71 | Blackstrap molasses, 1 Tbsp | 498 | 47 | Halibut, cooked, 3 oz | 490 | 119 | Soybeans, green, cooked, 1/2 cup | 485 | 127 | Tuna, yellowfin, cooked, 3 oz | 484 | 118 | Lima beans, cooked, 1/2 cup | 484 | 104 | Winter squash, cooked, 1/2 cup | 448 | 40 | Soybeans, mature, cooked, 1/2 cup | 443 | 149 | Rockfish, Pacific, cooked, 3 oz | 442 | 103 | Cod, Pacific, cooked, 3 oz | 439 | 89 | Bananas, 1 medium | 422 | 105 | Spinach, cooked, 1/2 cup | 419 | 21 | Tomato juice, 3/4 cup | 417 | 31 | Tomato sauce, 1/2 cup | 405 | 39 | Peaches, dried, uncooked, 1/4 cup | 398 | 96 | Prunes, stewed, 1/2 cup | 398 | 133 | Milk, nonfat, 1 cup | 382 | 83 | Pork chop, center loin, cooked, 3 oz | 382 | 197 | Apricots, dried, uncooked, 1/4 cup | 378 | 78 | Rainbow trout, farmed, cooked, 3 oz | 375 | 144 | Pork loin, center rib (roasts), lean, roasted, 3 oz | 371 | 190 | Buttermilk, cultured, lowfat, 1 cup | 370 | 98 | Cantaloupe, 1/4 medium | 368 | 47 | 1%—2% milk, 1 cup | 366 | 102—122 | Honeydew melon, 1/8 medium | 365 | 58 | Lentils, cooked, 1/2 cup | 365 | 115 | Plantains, cooked, 1/2 cup slices | 358 | 90 | Kidney beans, cooked, 1/2 cup | 358 | 112 | Orange juice, 3/4 cup | 355 | 85 | Split peas, cooked, 1/2 cup | 355 | 116 | Yogurt, plain, whole milk, 8 oz container | 352 | 138 |
Source: Nutrient values from Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 17. Foods are from ARS single nutrient reports, sorted in descending order by nutrient content in terms of common household measures. Food items and weights in the single nutrient reports are adapted from those in 2002 revision of USDA Home and Garden Bulletin No. 72, Nutritive Value of Foods. Mixed dishes and multiple preparations of the same food item have been omitted from this table. DIE TARY G UID E LI N E S FO R AM E RIC AN S, 2005 Compliments of U.S. Department of Health and Human Services U.S. Department of Agriculture www.healthierus.gov/dietaryguidelines
 This great recipe is from a great chef and entrepreneur, Delilah Winder, author of Delilah’s Everyday Soul. Learn more at http://www.delilahwinder.com/ SWEET POTATO CHEESECAKE (makes one 10-inch cheesecake) Ingredients Crust § 1 ½ cups of finely ground graham crackers § ½ cup finely ground pecans § 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon § ½ cup light brown sugar § ¼ pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted Filling § 3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature § 1 ¼ cups sugar, 4 eggs, 1 cup sweet potato puree (about 1 medium sweet potato, cooked, peeled, and pureed) § 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon § ½ teaspoon ground ginger § ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom § 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Sour Cream Topping § 2 cups sour cream § 1 cup sugar Preheat the oven to 325ºF. To make the crust, combine all of the ingredients in medium bowl, mixing until crumbly. Press into the bottom of a 10-inch springform pan and set aside while preparing the filling. To make the filling, combine the cream cheese and sugar in a large bowl and beat on high speed using a hand mixer until smooth. (You can also do this on a stand mixer using the paddle attachment.) Add the eggs one at a time, mixing until incorporated and stopping occasionally to scrape the sides of the bowl. Add the sweet potato puree, spices, and vanilla and beat until just incorporated. Pour the filling into the prepared pan and bake until the center is almost completely set. (The center will still jiggle slightly.) Place the cheesecake on a wire rack to cool completely. To make the sour cream topping, stir together the sour cream and sugar in a small bowl. To serve, carefully remove the cooled cheesecake from the pan, place on a cake plate, and spread the sour cream topping over the top. | |