Wrt:  the issue of Lite Salt and potassium and low-carb diets, by my
calculations (using nutrition books and info from an article I wrote on
potassium for a men's fitness magazine). By my calculations, and from my own
experience, one can eat a lot of vegetables---if one makes wise
choices---even if/when one wants to keep carbs at 30-40 grams a day.  (I'm
not saying that is the ideal long term, but if one chooses to do that for a
period of time, it is still possible to take in  4,000 mg. of potassium in a
day---eating a large salad at one meal, stir fried or sauteed leafy green or
mixed vegetables at a second meal, and having a salad or steamed veggies at
a third meal with a 4-6 oz. of fish or poultry (with dressing, avocado,
nuts, or olive oil at each meal as desired).

If one is allowing for more carbs, 60-80 or even 100 grams/day, one can
surely take in more potassium with some other veggies or a couple of
servings of fruit.

Note:  For almond butter, the digestible carbohydrates in it amount to zero,
after one subtracts the fiber.

POTASSIUM IN COMMON FOODS:

2 cups lettuce = 320 mg.
10 red radishes =104 mg.
1/2 cup parsley = 166 mg.
14 slices raw cucumber (~1 cuke) = 81 mg.
1 cup raw bell pepper = 177 mg.
1 cup celery = 451 mg.
1 cup chopped tomato = 400 mg

1 cup cooked zuccini = 450 mg
1 cup cooked kale = 455 mg
1 cup cooked broccoli =456 mg.
1 cup cooked asparagus =288 mg.

1/2 avocado= 602 mg.
1 Tbsp. almond butter =121 mg.
1 oz. cashews = 160 mg.
1 oz. walnuts= 142 mg.
1/2 cup coconut, shrdd = 142 mg.

6 oz. cod =690 mg.
6 oz. flounder = 996 mg.
6 oz. salmon = 756 mg.
6 oz. chicken = 414 mg.
6 oz. turkey =518 mg.


There are *sea salts* which are not 97% nor 98% sodium chloride.  Celtic sea
salt is sun dried, unrefined, and has a high moisture content.  It is 85 to
86% sodium chloride.  The remaining 14-15% comes from trace minerals and
moisture.  Celtic sea salt has far more magnesium than conventional *sea
salt* which is highly refined, and at least in the US, is usually 99.99%
sodium chloride.

It seems to me that one could just eat a lot of leafy green and fibrous
bargain vegetables and plenty of fish and poultry to get more potassium,
whether one is low-carbing or not.

If one wants to increase magnesium intake, as the Eades suggest, without
resorting to isolated pills, one can get a product from health food stores
called CONCENTRACE liquid minerals, from the great salt lakes.  It tastes
great (to me) in filtered water; I actually think it makes the water taste
sweeter .

Btw:  I'm not using distilled or reverse osmosis water; the water I use has
minerals in it and is filtered through a solid carbon block water purifier
which removes the contaminatns of concern to health (including MTBE,
herbicides, pesticides, trihalomethanes and other chlorine byproducts,
volatile organic chemicals, heavy, metals, and microcysts, etc.).  Even if
one is using water with minerals, adding such a mineral product to some of
one's drinking water can provide some important trace minerals in a form
that is highly assimilable.

Rachel Matesz
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