A high sodium diet increases your risk of stroke, hypertension and heart disease. The recommended daily allowance of salt is 2300mg a day. This is for people who are not at risk of heart disease, hypertension or stroke. A high sodium diet equals not only poor health but also some other bothersome symptoms such as, water retention and thirst. People who do have a predisposition to hypertension, stroke or heart disease should limit their sodium intake to 1500 mg a day. This daily allowance can easily be met, if your not careful of what you eat. For example, a slice of pizza can range from 200-875 mg of sodium. Most people eat more than one slice of pizza in one sitting. Even an uncooked chicken breast without seasoning can contain 150mg of sodium as a preservative. This poses a problem because most people will apply additional salt prior to cooking.
Salt is in just about everything you eat and that means even pastries as well as some candies. Processed foods still remain the biggest culprit of salt but can be avoided by preparing your own food using fresh ingredients. Here are a few tips if you’re trying to lower your sodium intake.
· Use herbs and spices to season your food.
· Try olive oil, pepper and lemon as a salad dressing.
· Read food labels. Look for foods containing less than 300mg of salt per serving.
· Watch your food portion size.
· If you’re eating at a restaurant ask for a nutritional guide.
Cutting salt might be a challenge if your not use to low sodium foods, but it’s not impossible. Overtime with patience, your palate will get an acquired taste. Keep in mind that salt is salt. In other words, Sea salt is not a better alternative. Sea salt does contain trace amounts of minerals but still needs to be monitored.
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