Good post from crossfit Norcal:
I had a new client wonder out loud why we don’t encourage bananas…and essentially pose the question ‘how else am I going to get my potassium?’.
If you’ve ever eaten one–you know that bananas are pretty darn sweet–and you know how we feel about sugar…so you can guess why we don’t encourage much banana consumption! Bananas do provide about 450 mg of potassium…along with 35 grams sugar! There are plenty of other delicious foods out there that can meet your potassium needs (2500-4500mg/day) that don’t cause an insulin spike! My favorite is the avocado…just one half will provide over 500mg of potassium—with only 7 grams of carbohydrate.
Here are a few reasons why you need potassium:
* It helps your muscles and nerves function properly
* It maintains the proper electrolyte and acid-base balance in your body
* It helps lower your risk of high blood pressure
