Potassium and Heart Health

John Bagnulo and are heading to Costa Rica this week. Our focus will be living the good life. You know all the things that make life good- well, make us feel good! Things like: walks in the woods (jungle), going barefoot, eating super fresh foods, swimming in the ocean, taking in the ocean breezes, playing games, practicing yoga or meditation or just having a good laugh each morning. John has long talked about potassium playing a key role in heart health and besides partaking in all good things in life, we will show participants how to get 6000 mg of potassium from our meals each day!Having enough potassium rich foods in your diet can do a lot more than lower your blood pressure. Potassium, a mineral, works by protecting blood vessels from oxidative damage and keeps vessel walls from thickening.John writes:If there is one single daily nutrient whose intake I could use to assess or predict an individual’s risk for developing some type of cardiovascular-related disease, it would be potassium. No single nutrient has as much influence on blood pressure and circulation as potassium. Many folks believe that sodium or amount or type of fat in their meals plays a major role. No single nutrient has as much epidemiological evidence as potassium. When our consumption is low, our risk is high. When our consumption is high, it is likely protective and our risk is low. Adults should aim to get 6000 mg of potassium a day. (Too much potassium, usually from supplements, can be dangerous, so try to get your intake from food! I will be leading cooking classes on how to make this potassium rick meals delicious.Here is an outline of how we will demonstrate a daily intake of potassium rich foods:We all think of bananas as being the food to go to when we need to boost our potassium, but there are better options than a banana.Shoot for 6000 mg per day:Swiss Chard 1 cup of chard is a whopping 1200 mg. Eat three cups and you are more than half way to getting your daily potassium needs met! Beet Greens 1 cup equals 1000 mg. It is a great deal to buy beets with the tops- you get 2 for 1 for the same price!Sweet Potatoes One medium (one cup) sweet potato offers  950 mg of potassium and only 130 calories with loads of fiber, beta-carotene with energizing good carbs and resistant starch (feeds our gut bacteria- if eaten at room temperature)Spinach  1 cup = 830 mgAvocado  1 cup =725 mgBrussels Sprouts 1 cup  = 500 mgYogurt Look for Grass-fed Full fat yogurt form Guernsey cows goats or sheep. REAL (loaded with bacteria)   8 ounces of plain yogurt made contains 420 mg.Artichokes, avocados, bananas, broccoli, coconut, dried fruits, leafy greens, oranges, papayas, potatoes, prunes, spinach, tomatoes, winter squash, yams.The recommended potassium intake for an average adult is 6,000 milligrams (mg) per day. Here is what one day of 6000 mg of potassium in your diet looks like:Breakfast 1260 mg2 cups of yogurt (840mg) with 1 oz almonds (200mg) and 1 cup of strawberries (220mg)Lunch 2885 mg 2 cups of cooked spinach (1660mg)  with 1 cup avocado (725mg) 4 ounce tuna  (600mg)Dinner 2000- 2450 mgone sweet potato (1 cup= 950mg) 1 cup brussels sprouts (500mg) 1 cup lentils (750mg or one cup beet greens (1000mg)