Worried about my Sodium intake..help!!

gebnpb

So iwas reading the post about the sodium intake and now I'm worried about going over the new 1500 suggested amount. I'm always under the 2500 but I like to eat the frozen lean meals because its fast & easy for me. Also I buy alot of Fat free stuff is there more sodium in the fat free items then in non fat free items.... not to sure what to do I do try to buy lower sodium items..but I'm afraid it won't be enough. Am I over reacting about this or should I not worry to much about it???:frown:

jonisalie

For me I started to look at sodium back in 1985 when my mom had three massive heart attacks in a week and passed away. But all I really did was to remove added salt from the table. This past summer my fiancee had a massive heart attack after a motorcycle accident. His family has NO history of heart troubles where mine is loaded with history. When he left the hospital he was put on a strict heart healthy diet. Low salt (2000 mg) low fat and low cholesterol. Well I went one step more and aimed for 1500 of sodium a day. So I went home and de-salted my house ( removed 3 grocery bags of food) and he had been hospitalized for a month so there had been no food shopping. Then we saw the nutritionist and learned about low sodium choices. It was tough to get used to but this was a matter of life and death so to speak. At first food seemed really bland, but I learned to flavor our food with more herbs and spices. In six weeks when he went back to see the cardiologist he was amazed at his healthy lifestyle changes and said he was recovering remarkably well. Only 30% of hi hearts works instead of 60%. Why they use those numbers is beyond me. We have learned to read labels at the grocery store and I mean all labels. I really try to aim for 5% of sodium per serving as suggested by the nutritionist. Now six months after the heart attack it is real easy to stay away from extra sodium. Salty food no longer tastes good to us. And as far as frozen foods with the exception of plain vegies there is enough salt in them to kill you much sooner than you need to. Just because of health reason I would suggest you try to get lower on the sodium numbers. The processed food companies have made the cost of convince a real health risk. Other than today because I had pizza for dinner, my sodium is under 1000mg on an average day. And like a lot of things once it is gone you don't miss it. The key to sodium reduction is reading labels, and once you learn what are good choices it becomes second nature like looking for sale items, only now it is looking for lifesaving..... Sorry this is long winded but I an relly interested in learning live a long and healthy life these days.

dawnemjh

You are not over-reacting!! But for your age, 2300mg per day is the upper limit. You really need to try to cut out the frozen entrees. Thats probably where most of your sodium is coming from. I know its quick and easy, and I sometimes eat them as well, but your better off making a sandwhich, salad, etc. Good luck!!!