Prescription Drugs

I've recently been diagnosed with hypertension and my doc, a handsome young man who reminds me of my older brother, has prescribed a medication to bring down the blood pressure. I'm not a big fan of taking meds, so I wasn't all that happy about it, but neither did I want to court a stroke or a heart attack. We make choices in life, albeit sometimes reluctant ones.

Unfortunately, this medication, rarely, can effect one's electrolyte balance. The result is, in my case, extreme fatigue and the occasional interesting dizzy spell within days of taking the pills.

I reported these symptoms via email to my doc, like a good little patient, and he sent me to the lab for a blood test that revealed slightly low potassium levels. If you recall from your biology class, the body uses a combination of calcium, potassium and sodium to bring nutrients into and out of your cells. Grossly simplified, if the balance between these three is disrupted - voilà!, fatigue and dizzy spells.

So, here's his latest prescription, foods high in potassium. Now, this is a prescription I can really get behind! Potatoes are among my favorite foods, avocados are everyone's favorite food, and strawberry season has just begun in earnest here in NOCA, where it will continue in a luscious rush until October. My list of medications also includes oranges, orange juice, raisins, cantaloupe and bananas. The only one I'm reluctant to take is bananas, since they come with such a heavy carbon footprint, but I may need to resort to those when the strawberries stop and the oranges aren't yet in season.

In the meantime, I hit the farmer's market yesterday and stocked up on these high-potassium items - doctor's orders!