Low Sodium Diet

leeanneowens

My husband spent the night in the hospital with blood pressure issues and has been told he has to eat a low sodium diet (which is very hard for him). Does anyone have suggestions for herbs and spices to use in place of salt?

kam26001

Dulse flakes

nvmomketo

This is not really low sodium, but a low carb diet will lower insulin, which will lower water and sodium retention. Some find lowering carbs helps lower BP. YMMV

workinonit1956

Maybe look into the Dash Diet. I’ve been following the guidelines for 3 weeks and my BP has lowered considerably.

GOT_Obsessed

Mrs Dash. There are several flavours.

wizzybeth

Look for recipes on Pinterest. That may give you some good ideas

BeccaLoves2lift

Mrs Dash seasonings. Look into the dash diet, there are lots of recipes on Pinterest.

TonyB0588

leeanneowens wrote: »

My husband spent the night in the hospital with blood pressure issues and has been told he has to eat a low sodium diet (which is very hard for him). Does anyone have suggestions for herbs and spices to use in place of salt?

Why is it hard for him? Does he find it easier to be in and out of hospital with health issues, than to accept a slightly different taste profile in his meals?

Apart from different recipes, my suggestion would be to start using the MFP food diary to enter all food consumed each day then go through it to see which foods are showing the highest numbers. Then he can more intelligently start to make adjustments to his regular menu.

jgnatca

The killers are commercial soups and sauces. I became expert at making my own. Instead of salt, use pepper, onion, garlic, and fresh strong flavoured vegetables.

For your own chicken stock, cook a whole chicken in the slow cooker. Enjoy the chicken at dinner and save all the bones. Roast the bones in the oven for maybe ten minutes. Put the bones back in the slow cooker in with the original juices, bay leaf, celery leaves, carrot peelings and onion. Add about four cups of water and let it slow cook overnight. In the morning strain it all and you have yourself low salt home made chicken stock. Go ahead and freeze it in ice cube trays.

jgnatca

Try this thickener. It makes a wonderfully rich sauce.

http://www.sherryshungariankitchen.com/roux-thickener/

TyTravis007

Please be careful when your husband reduces the amount of sodium in his diet. While it is the goal per the doc that talked to you in the Emergency Department, there is such a thing as consuming too little of it as well. Absence or low amounts of sodium in the body results in hyponatremia which can cause one to syncope, among other things you'd want to avoid. Your husband really should talk to his primary care provider so he can get guidance for general lifestyle changes and acquire a safe diet plan from a certified nutritionist. I hope he gets well soon!

Note: The above content is based off of my own independent research, experience, and knowledge. This is not intended to be used for or considered as real medical advice, and does not represent the company/association/group I am either employed or associated with. Consult your own healthcare provider if you have any medical concerns.

StevefromMichigan

GOT_Obsessed wrote: »

Mrs Dash. There are several flavours.

Yep. I use these all of the time, and highly recommend them.

StevefromMichigan

TyTravis007 wrote: »

Please be careful when your husband reduces the amount of sodium in his diet. While it is the goal per the doc that talked to you in the Emergency Department, there is such a thing as consuming too little of it as well. Absence or low amounts of sodium in the body results in hyponatremia which can cause one to syncope, among other things you'd want to avoid. Your husband really should talk to his primary care provider so he can get guidance for general lifestyle changes and acquire a safe diet plan from a certified nutritionist. I hope he gets well soon!

Note: The above content is based off of my own independent research, experience, and knowledge. This is not intended to be used for or considered as real medical advice, and does not represent the company/association/group I am either employed or associated with. Consult your own healthcare provider if you have any medical concerns.

This is something that the Dr. can easily test through blood work. Most people tend to consume too much sodium as opposed to not enough, but if your husband exercises frequently or has a physically demanding job, too little sodium in the blood can be an issue.

I agree that working with your husband's regular doctor is a sound approach.

mram3582

Morton makes a salt substitute that is sodium free. You can get it off of Amazon (I haven't checked the stores)

StevefromMichigan

I am on a low sodium diet based on my doctor's recommendations, and usually try to keep it around 2000mg, sometimes a little less, depending on the day. Feel free to add me as a friend if you want to peek at my diary for suggestions. I tend to BBQ a lot, but you can use the meats in your own recipes. Just leave out the salt and add some Mrs. Dash for flavor and you are all set.

Jenniferakajacel311

Better than Boullian products are wonderful to cook with. 1 tsp=1 stock cube and dramatically lowers the sodium count (500 mg sodium vs. 1700 mg). Bragg Amino Acid liquid is about 1/3 the sodium content of soy sauce. Try fresh herbs like parsley, basil, ginger, dill weed, oregano. Garlic and black pepper and onions. Giving taste to foods with lemon and lime also help. Agree with the above of watching processed foods and soups.