Sodium and Bloat

808sun

Do any of you notice getting bloated when eating a lot of sodium? I read that around 2300mg of sodium a day is the limit or something, but what about on 1200 calories? Shouldn't the sodium intake be lower with lower calories?
any useful info on this stuff is greatly appreciated!

erin6026

I definitely notice when I have salty foods (jeans are a little tighter the next day!).

This is definitely just my opinion, but I don't really pay attention to sodium, carbs, etc. My philosphy is to eat whole, clean foods. I do log them and MFP does the calorie counting. I just find when you reach for the RIGHT foods then you don't have to worry about that stuff.

For example, I see people on here that stick to calories but are eating lean cuisines, diet bars, cereals, etc. That's not great food. Low cal, sure, but it's not nutritious fuel your body thrives on. I'm not perfect, but I try to eat lots of whole fruits, veggies, lean proteins and complex carbs. They keep me full, keep me energetic and I lose weight.

That said, if you're still needing to lean on saltier stuff, then probably keep an eye on it. I know when you have too much sodium, your body retains lots of water and may not function as well?

Just my two cents!

Pandorian

Salt itself looks to be calorie free, and like fiber's "RDA - recommended daily amount" is a flat number for that particular item across the range of caloric goals sizes, etc.

Depending on where you look you'll find different amounts suggested for sodium also, they just updated the amount to 1500 mg down from 2500mg

mkeller234

I think xcrewgal nailed it. Packaged foods are loaded with sodium. Campbell's Chunky soups can pack 800-900mg of sodium in just one serving! Preparing your own food with ingredients you select is a great way to cut down sodium intake. For example, I make my own pasta sauce and save a butt-load of sodium that way.

Don't forget, your body NEEDS sodium to function so you don't want to go to extremes.

According to the Mayo Clinic:
"if for some reason your kidneys can't eliminate enough sodium, the sodium starts to accumulate in your blood. Because sodium attracts and holds water, your blood volume increases. Increased blood volume makes your heart work harder to move more blood through your blood vessels, which increases pressure in your arteries. Such diseases as congestive heart failure, cirrhosis and chronic kidney disease can make it hard for your kidneys to keep sodium levels balanced."

Here is the whole article, I think it is pretty interesting:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/sodium/NU00284

kwardklinck

I'm not the best when it comes to sodium intake. I do notice that my weight is usually higher after days of higher sodium intake. Usually a day of drinking lots of water and tea with lemon will get rid of it.

myukniewicz

i watch my sodium like a hawk.
i keep it around 1500 - 1900mg a day. i cut out a lot of things i use to eat (that i thought were healthy), like those lean cuisine meals, or those progresso light soups... i make all my own soup now and i have found a lot of companies make the same products (like sargento's cheese, or rinaldi tomato sauce) with reduced sodium, or even no salt added!

i defiantly feel bloated after a high sodium day (especially chinese food, omg, that is the worst lol).

sassylilmama

Sodium is definitely bad for bloat and makes you look to have gained weight due to water retention. Just this past weekend I drank and had Dominos and Subway. Sodium ways way over and Monday I had gained 1.8 pounds of water weight. I try to keep my sodium around 1500 and drink more than the recommended 8 glasses of water to flush out what I do take in.

deb54

Very interesting !!! Bump