Sodium=frustration

gbreault87

Hey everyone,
Im kinda frustrated...trying to stick to the plan but my sodium is through the roof. Like almost 4500mg a day like a whole 2000mg over my recommmended amount. Basically this is what I eat Oatmeal for breakfast with milk, canned black beans and chicken with cheese for lunch, a tuna salad sandwich for a snack, and then an omlette for dinner and im coming in a few calories under my daily limit but my sodium is almost double. Even if i cut out the black beans from lunch and the ham from my omlette for dinner I would still be over by almost 1000mg im really lost here. I cant cook my own black beans i just dont have the time to spend hours preparing my daily meals i work alot and commute over an hour to work.... is this sodium ok as long as i drink alot of water???

selfepidemic1

Sodium = water weight, so plenty of water should shift that.

I have to increase the amount of salt because of my touching-the-floor blood pressure, I get dizzy every time I stand up

That said, I can't really tell you, perhaps talk to your doctor?

prattiger65

Do you have an underlying medical condition that is made worse by sodium? ie. hypertention? If not, I wouldnt be concerned about it. Excess sodium may make you retain water, but thats about it. I dont track sodium at all.

chivalryder

As long as you get plenty of potassium and drink lots of water, I wouldn't worry about it. At one point in time, I ate 5000+mg every day and still lost plenty of weight.

Sodium will only make you retain water/gain weight if everything else you're eating is unhealthy.

MB_Positif

Alright, start by buying the low sodium beans if you can find them. If not, be sure to rinse the beans before you add them to your food. This reduces the sodium by about 40%. I also commute an hour each way to work, but I spend a lot of time prepping food on the weekends, maybe you could try doing your own beans on the weekend. This website gives the recipe as well as freezing instructions for portioning them out so you can make a huge batch! http://www.5dollardinners.com/how-to-cook-dried-beans/

tinamariecleg

Great thread! I was wondering the same because I tend to eat canned soups and veggies when I am running late. My sodium is also over today.

Briargrey

Make your own beans so you don't have to have any with sodium added? You can make a big batch easily and freeze/refrigerate them.

If you want lower sodium, you're going to have to pick lower sodium foods. I very rarely go over unless I'm eating at Red Lobster or something, where their sodium levels are through the roof. But unless you have an underlying medical condition, you may not have to worry about it TOO much - that's where your physician would best be able to advise you though.

darkangel45422

Unfortunately the hard truth is that you'll either have to look for low sodium prepared foods or prepare foods yourself. It doesn't take hours; I prepare ALL of my own food (nothing is boxed/prepared/etc.) and spend maybe an hour a day in the kitchen (and that usually includes things like doing the dishes, etc.)

MinnieInMaine

Wow, you just happened to have chosen a lot of foods that tend to be high in sodium - ham, eggs, cheese, canned beans. You could you try to switch to some lower sodium options for those foods. And rinse your beans, even if they are the lower sodium version. It's kind of hard to track but at least you know you've rinsed them so the sodium content is a lot less than what the label says. The article attached below claims it can reduce the sodium by up to 41%

http://todaysdietitian.com/newarchives/011110p62.shtml

Not sure what you're eating for oatmeal but if it's instant, there will likely be a lot more sodium than if you make it yourself - but check your labels to be sure. And if you have a crock pot it's even easier. I cook up a week's worth of steel cut oats in the crockpot every weekend - quick and painless!

Is your chicken canned too? If so, try cooking up a bunch of fresh instead.

MysteriousMerlin

Drain and rinse the black beans until the water runs clear, you'll still have sodium, but the liquid is where most of it is. I have found frozen black beans at my local walmart, they're very low sodium (10 mg per serving, I believe).

Most cheeses are going to be high in sodium, you'll need to read the packages and compare when shopping for lower sodium types. Cheeses made from greek yogurt are full of protein and are a bit lower in sodium.

For breakfast, I been eating shredded wheat, as it has no sodium. I can save it for the rest of the day.

Sodium is ok unless you're hypertensive (high blood pressure) or have another medical reason for needing to lower your intake. Drink water, eat foods high in potassium (bananas, plain baked potatoes, raisins...) and make a few adjustments here and there and you'll likely be ok.

FrancesGallagher

Too much salt is not good for anyone. Do you really eat the same thing every day?? The omelet doesn't have to be a ham omelet, it can have cheese or any number of other ingredients for variety. If you plan a bit you shouldn't have to spend that much more time in making your food. You probably shouldn't be eating eggs everyday either, even though a good protein food, variety would be a good idea here. I think your breakfast of oatmeal is good and you can add some fruit, such as blueberries, to make it more complete. Maybe a cold cereal would be interesting on the days you are not working. Drinking water is important but not because you are trying to flush salt from your system. You could make extra servings of a food you like and freeze individual portions so you can microwave them in a few minutes. It takes some extra planning but in the long run will save you time and be better for your health. Good luck with your program.FG

prattiger65

One more time. If you dont have an underlying medical issue, its not really an issue. If you do have an underlying medical issue, consult a doctor not an internet message board.