Tips for lowering sodium intake.

juliebowman4

In short, I love salt! Always have, even as a little kid.
But I'm trying to lose the 30lbs I gained from quitting smoking (year and a half ago) and I recognize that the excessive salt intake simply isn't good for me.
Salt substitute? Ick. Tastes horrid.
Any other ideas? Are there any seasonings/spices that will satisfy my salt cravings?

juggernaut1974

Well..from a medical perspective, unless you have hypertension issues, excess salt/sodium usually isn't a big deal.

That said, I'd start by analyzing my 'average' daily diet and see where the excess salt is coming from. Canned foods, cured meats, snack foods, and restaurant meals tend to be the biggest offenders, and a good place to start would be finding reasonable substitutes for those things that are lower in sodium.

As far as substitutes, Mrs. Dash is a popular brand that makes a wide variety of low-sodium/sodium-free seasonings. Look for low/no salt added canned vegetables and soups.

DaveAkeman

This one's hard. I've been eating low calorie and low sodium since I was diagnosed with high blood pressure in early Feb. I find that low calorie isn't hard, but low sodium is BARBARIC!!! I aim for 1500mg/day, but my average is about 1800. And I have never even liked salt! I have never salted food; I usually omit salt from recipes; and I have always used low sodium products (soup, etc) because the regular stuff is too salty. And that was all BEFORE reducing sodium.

I will say this . . . it was very, very tough at first. Just track it, like calories. But be careful, because there are a LOT of things that will completely blow away your daily limit with ONE serving. (Yesterday I had a ham and swiss on rye at a deli. After eating it I learned that it had 2300mg of salt!!!) And there are a lot of "healthy" and "low calorie" foods out there that still have a lot of salt. However, after a while your taste changes, and you don't notice anymore. I think it's a lot like the fat . . . at first low-fat foods taste different, but after a while fatty foods are the ones that taste bad.

One thing I look forward to is when I have lost enough weight and am getting enough exercise that I can let the sodium intake go a little looser without affecting my blood pressure too much.

Need2Exerc1se

Eating less processed and premade foods will cut it significantly. Adding spices and herbs makes food taste delicious so you need less salt. Try using Mrs. Dash type salt free seasoning blends and fresh herbs.

tlflag1620

Most of your sodium intake doesn't come from table salt anyway. Processed/packaged foods are where most comes from- things like canned or frozen foods (especially frozen meals), bread, cheese, and soft drinks. There is a lot of hidden sodium in things that don't even taste very salty! Eating freshly prepared foods and adding your own salt (to taste) is almost always going to mean lower sodium intake. And watch out for restaurant food, fast food, and take out - it's usually loaded with salt. Minimizing or eliminating those will make a huge difference. Beyond that, read labels. Opt for reduced sodium varieties of processed foods whenever possible.

Nuke_64

I love salt and I have normal blood pressure even at my highest weight. My daily sodium intake is 3000+ but I drink a lot of fluids as well. So unless you have a medical need to not consume salt, don't worry about it.

That being said, since your diary is open, it easy to see where its coming from--process foods like canned soup, canned vegetables, and frozen dinners. A salt substitute is not going to reduce you sodium intake as long as you eat those things. Using table salt is typically not the cause of a diet high in sodium.

257_Lag

I used to be a salt (and fat) fiend until I started this. I did have HBP so I had to watch it. There are always exceptions so read the label of course but in short if it comes in a can, a vacuum sealed jar or the deli case it is probably high sodium.

One trick I use is to steam vegetables in water with a little balsamic vinegar. Tastes salty even though it isn't.

What surprised me a little is that you can usually find a low sodium version of most foods if you look for them. My latest find was Francesco Rinaldi Traditional Pasta Sauce, No Salt Added. 40 mg for 1/2 cup I think. Most other brands are over 400-600!

terrenceobrien1

The hard way: It is possible to reset your threshold for saltiness. You eat plain fruits, vegetables, and beans with no added salt. After a couple weeks formerly dull bland foods taste fine, and salty foods-- something like potato chips taste very, surprisingly awfully salty. It's a neat experiment.

sixxpoint

What is your average daily sodium intake?

Do you get plenty of potassium? Sodium and Potassium have a strong relationship. Potassium should be higher day to day, but I would bet money that the relationship is reversed for the majority of America.

Adequate hydration/water intake will also combat the sodium.

DianaLovesCoffee

terrenceobrien1 wrote: »

The hard way: It is possible to reset your threshold for saltiness. You eat plain fruits, vegetables, and beans with no added salt. After a couple weeks formerly dull bland foods taste fine, and salty foods-- something like potato chips taste very, surprisingly awfully salty. It's a neat experiment.

^^ This.

You actually can taste the flavor of the actual food instead of the salt. There are fabulous herbs and spices that don't use sodium. Buy the real thing not the dried in the can spices. So basil, cilantro, rosemary, real lemons, etc. Wow! Packed with wonderfulness.

DaveAkeman

Nuke_64 wrote: »

So unless you have a medical need to not consume salt, don't worry about it.

If you believe the American Heart Association, then this is absolutely not true. Check out their infographics on sodium here. In particular, look at number 6 on this infographic.

EVERYBODY should consume no more than 1500 mg per day, and, according to the AHA, the average American consumes more than twice that amount.

By the way - there is a lot of good information on how to reduce sodium on these infographics, too. And a lot of it boils down to what others have said here . . . most of your salt doesn't come from your shaker.

1500 mg of sodium, by the way, is about 3/4 of a teaspoon of table salt.

sixxpoint

DaveAkeman wrote: »

Nuke_64 wrote: »

So unless you have a medical need to not consume salt, don't worry about it.

If you believe the American Heart Association, then this is absolutely not true. Check out their infographics on sodium here. In particular, look at number 6 on this infographic.

EVERYBODY should consume no more than 1500 mg per day, and, according to the AHA, the average American consumes more than twice that amount.

By the way - there is a lot of good information on how to reduce sodium on these infographics, too. And a lot of it boils down to what others have said here . . . most of your salt doesn't come from your shaker.

1500 mg of sodium, by the way, is about 3/4 of a teaspoon of table salt.

^Misinformation at its finest.

I bet you believe everything Dr. Oz. says, too.

juliebowman4

My blood pressure is actually on the lower side.....I'm starting to think (for now) maybe I shouldn't stress too much about the sodium (?)
I had assumed that excessive salt intake would impede my weight loss goals.

sixxpoint

juliebowman4 wrote: »

I had assumed that excessive salt intake would impede my weight loss and health goals.

Only if you're eating a regular amount of processed foods, drinking very little water, not eating enough veggies, abusing alcohol, low diversity in your diet, not getting enough potassium and macronutrients, overeating, and not exercising/sweating.

Sodium is not the enemy. Poor lifestyle and diet choices are.

DaveAkeman

sixxpoint wrote: »

DaveAkeman wrote: »

Nuke_64 wrote: »

So unless you have a medical need to not consume salt, don't worry about it.

If you believe the American Heart Association, then this is absolutely not true. Check out their infographics on sodium here. In particular, look at number 6 on this infographic.

EVERYBODY should consume no more than 1500 mg per day, and, according to the AHA, the average American consumes more than twice that amount.

By the way - there is a lot of good information on how to reduce sodium on these infographics, too. And a lot of it boils down to what others have said here . . . most of your salt doesn't come from your shaker.

1500 mg of sodium, by the way, is about 3/4 of a teaspoon of table salt.

^Misinformation at its finest.

I bet you believe everything Dr. Oz. says, too.

Nope. But I DO believe everything the American Heart Association says.

skullshank

CICO.

as mentioned already, no need to avoid salt unless you've been advised to do so for medical reasons.

DaveAkeman

Okay . . . I'll be a little more clear.

Sure - sodium doesn't make you gain weight (other than perhaps temporary water weight). Calories in/Calories out is what matters, and if weight is the only thing you care about, then there is no reason to watch your sodium.

However, if you also care about your heart health, you should also watch your sodium, REGARDLESS of whether you already have heart problems. It's a lot like diabetes . . . if you overload on sugar your whole life, you WILL likely develop diabetes, at which point your doctor will tell you to cut sugar in order to help control the diabetes. Sodium and blood pressure are the same . . . if you overload on salt, it will eventually lead to high blood pressure, at which point your doctor will tell you to cut back on sodium.

So . . . you can watch your sodium NOW in order to avoid health problems in the future (as recommended by the American Heart Association, and by every cardiologist I've ever met . . . in fact, I had a cardiologist tell me this not 12 hours ago), OR you can disregard sodium until a doctor tells you that you have developed high blood pressure and you must watch your sodium. Your choice.

Nuke_64

Its Time to End the War on Salt

DaveAkeman

Very interesting article, @Nuke_64; thank you for that! Although I do respect and love to read Scientific American, I'm not sure I would take them as the definitive expert on the subject. But this is a very interesting discussion that I had not seen before. I am interested enough that I will do a bit more reading.

Here's what I know . . . I had HBP 3 months ago. My cardiologist told me to eat less salt, and I did. Now I don't have HBP. Same cardiologist just told my wife (today) to eat less salt, even though her heart is as healthy as an ox. And she's going to eat less salt.

But, in response to the OP, I think we are all in agreement . . . this is not a weight issue. It is a long-term health question.