Sodium!

Khovde07
Khovde07 Posts: 508 Member
edited November 11 in Food and Nutrition
Hi all! I'm craving sodium today like my life depends on it! I think it might be because I've had to eat high sodium foods the past several days for lack of other options and now my body just wants it. How do you guys fight these? Are there any foods you have to "trick" your body into thinking you're enjoying a salty snack?

Save me before I go buy a salt lick!

Replies

  • AmazonMayan
    AmazonMayan Posts: 1,168 Member
    Depending on what you are eating, lemon can be a great salt substitute. I don't even salt chicken at all anymore if I have some fresh lemon juice and zest.
  • Khukhullatus
    Khukhullatus Posts: 361 Member
    There's a fair amount of new evidence that sodium isn't as bad as we thought. If you aren't in a high risk group, go ahead and just taper it off. You'll be fine.
  • Khovde07
    Khovde07 Posts: 508 Member
    edited February 2015
    Ooooh lemon chicken breast for dinner does sound good! Thanks for the tip.

    As far as what I'm eating... I've always loved salty things. Instead of a sweet tooth, I have a salt tooth. It's a curse.
  • illyich
    illyich Posts: 195 Member
    I'd say I'm not really worried about sodium, but I don't know if anyone should really listen to me. I'm currently sitting around 134% bodyfat, so...
  • christiec2015
    christiec2015 Posts: 85
    Mmmm, salty pork scratchings :p I feel like I'm in the same boat - I love my salt too, but I'm trying to cut down. It's so hard though! One stock cube and that's pretty much my entire days recommended sodium intake
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    Garlic, onion, celery, strong-flavoured vegetables like parsnip.

    http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/nutrition/sodium/index-eng.php
  • Khovde07
    Khovde07 Posts: 508 Member
    I love garlic (probably a little too much) so I could use that. I came across a website for low-sodium recipes but I still can't figure out how to curb salt cravings.
  • trina1049
    trina1049 Posts: 593 Member
    edited February 2015
    Once you're off the salt for awhile food will taste so much better. Use other spices, and herbs instead of the salt and the cravings will disappear. Give it some time. The more you eat the more you want and sodium will make you retain water making weigh-ins very sad. Try to keep your sodium intake to 1,500mg or less.
  • bigd66218
    bigd66218 Posts: 376 Member
    More Water!!!
  • vickiesmirch
    vickiesmirch Posts: 2
    fresh garlic on everything!!! fresh garlic is salty by itself..
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    Is there a reason you can't have sodium?
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    I actually just eat all the sodium and hope for the best.
  • holly55555
    holly55555 Posts: 306 Member
    If you don't have a health concern from your doctor about it, there is no real reason to not eat sodium. I have to eat a lot of sodium for a medical problem. It sometimes confuses my scale (my water weight fluctuates quite a bit) but the fat loss is the same either way.
  • Khovde07
    Khovde07 Posts: 508 Member
    There's no particular reason that I can't eat sodium. Heart problems and diabetes do run in my family, so I'd like to get out of the habit of having too much of anything. It's mostly just that I crave salty snacks, especially when I'm stressed. For example, yesterday was incredibly stressful and I was craving salt so much that if I wasn't eating something salty, I didn't want to eat anything at all. I'm going to try and drink water today like it's my job to try and wash out some of the sodium I'm sure I'm retaining.

    Mostly, I'm looking for something to snack on when I'm craving something salty like chips or pretzels, that isn't actually packed full of sodium.
  • peter56765
    peter56765 Posts: 352 Member
    edited February 2015
    FoCoAlphaNerd wrote: »
    There's a fair amount of new evidence that sodium isn't as bad as we thought. If you aren't in a high risk group, go ahead and just taper it off. You'll be fine.

    This is true however there's no simple test to determine whether or not you are in the high risk group, i.e. sodium sensitive. High blood pressure itself is notoriously asymptomatic which is why it is often called the "silent killer". As we age, more and more people become sodium sensitive so there's an argument to be made that perhaps we shouldn't get in the habit of consuming a lot of sodium when we are younger.
  • Khovde07
    Khovde07 Posts: 508 Member
    Ok so totally off topic, but peter56765, I LOVE your profile pic! I'm crazy about the Percy Jackson Heroes of Olympus book series lol
  • peter56765
    peter56765 Posts: 352 Member
    edited February 2015
    Khovde07 wrote: »
    Ok so totally off topic, but peter56765, I LOVE your profile pic! I'm crazy about the Percy Jackson Heroes of Olympus book series lol

    We're all big fans in my family. All my kids have read the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, the Heroes of Olympus series and the Kane Chronicles. We've been to two Rick Riordan appearances and have gotten a bunch of our books signed. He's currently working on a series based on Norse mythology. Good stuff.

    I picked Grover as an avatar because he's my daughter's favorite character and I told her I'd change to Grover if she joined MFP too. Since then she's lost 50 lbs and I've lost 80 and we both reached our goal weights so I'm sticking with the satyr!
  • Khovde07
    Khovde07 Posts: 508 Member
    Good for you! My husband and I are huge Rick Riordan fans. I haven't had time to read the Blood of Olympus yet, but I'm so excited to (yet hating the fact that it's going to end).

    I tried Kane Chronicles and couldn't quite stick with it, but I'm super excited for the Norse books!

    Talking about Grover is making me crave enchiladas, though. ;)
  • thingal12
    thingal12 Posts: 302 Member
    I'm a salty foods person myself. I try to stop myself from consuming too many salty foods, because if I don't my tummy bloats. Lemon & Warm water first thing in the AM can help.
  • Khukhullatus
    Khukhullatus Posts: 361 Member
    peter56765 wrote: »
    FoCoAlphaNerd wrote: »
    There's a fair amount of new evidence that sodium isn't as bad as we thought. If you aren't in a high risk group, go ahead and just taper it off. You'll be fine.

    This is true however there's no simple test to determine whether or not you are in the high risk group, i.e. sodium sensitive. High blood pressure itself is notoriously asymptomatic which is why it is often called the "silent killer". As we age, more and more people become sodium sensitive so there's an argument to be made that perhaps we shouldn't get in the habit of consuming a lot of sodium when we are younger.

    Well the "high risk" referred to in most research is very well defined by weight and blood pressure measurements. A doctor can tell you whether or not you are in the defined high risk category. As with every other aspect of every human body, there are exceptions, but for the most part, the medical definition of someone in the high risk category will do just fine. If, later on, you get new health information specific to you that shows that you have or are developing some kind of sensitivity, adjust your behavior accordingly.
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