Kenna Morton's Journal, 15 July 2018

What potassium rich foods do you eat? 

Interestingly, on holiday I began to get swollen ankles. Admittedly, it was hot in Italy but I couldn't really understand why it was happening as they don't swell in England when it's hot. Checked on Google and it talked about salt. Now I don't eat much salt normally but every time we ordered a drink they gave us crisps (chips) and often salted peanuts. Of course, with them sitting there in front of me I happily tucked in! So, I didn't touch any more salted snacks and, no more swollen ankles. Yay - result! Incidentally, I always used to get swollen ankles on the plane going home. Finally worked out why - always bought a sandwich and crisps to eat on the plane. No crisps this time and, again, no swelling. Salt is my enemy! 

meat tends to be potassium rich as well as avocado's, you can get a food list on the web.  

Because I hold water in the heat like the Hoover Dam, I found if I add lemon- fresh to all my water, I don’t experience water retention. Lemon and limes are natural diuretics and they make the water taste great! 

I always forget to log it but I start every morning after coffee with my water and 1/4 wedge of lemon  

It is said on a hot day we loose half a teaspoon of salt per hour through sweat. Not replenishing can lead to collapse and death. It is essential for good reasons. Bought various ready-made electrolyte powder to mix in water at the pharmacy yesterday, and noticed they all have potassium. Potassium do make me feel better, and I like seeing it adressed in your post. Good one. 

I always know when I am "low" on magnesium, I get more frequent migraines!! I take a supplements just to be sure I'm up on my magnesium, also ironically crave bananas in all my pregnancies. so definitely important. Thanks for sharing.  

When I was an ER nurse we sometimes got paramedic calls for full arrest on a “DD”— dead dieter. Electrolyte imbalance that leads to heart attack and death 

You have to research this stuff—- you die from a low potassium and you die from a high potassium.  

Doobrie—salt is not the enemy per se. most people today eat horrific amounts in their daily life. For those that are salt sensitive it can IMMEDIATELY drive your BP up 10-15 points. And, if you already have hypertension that is not a good thing. Our bodies need salt to function, people who have outdoor jobs in the heat AND WHO SWEAT A LOT Have to make sure they get sufficient salt and potassium.  

There is iodine in salt that is essential for our bodies to function, as well. 

Iodine was added to salt back in the 1920s because the incidence of goiter in the U.S. was out of control. They picked salt to add it to to mask its slightly bitter taste and because salt was the one thing all people used.. goiter has since essentially been eradicated. However, it is enjoying a resurgence because of the high usage of designer salts. This Himalayan pink salt that many people use has lots of trace minerals in it that regular salt doesn’t but the amount is so small as to be clinically insignificant..  

Fortunately Kenna, I don't have high blood pressure so that's one thing I don't have to worry about. For some reason, I don't sweat hardly at all. My clothes are certainly never wet with perspiration even in hot weather. My forehead will perspire a little. Strange 🙂 

The book, 'The Salt Fix' by Dr James DiNicolantonio is a good read. Good reference that has changed many doctors opinion about salt.  

I do follow the research on this subject. We will see how it plays out.