holy sodium

denisec26

ok so ive never payed attention to sodium, i know processed foods have alot and i try to eat as healthy as i can but eating "clean"everyday just isent gonna happen, soo i just realized i can add sodium to my diary and MFP gave me a daily goal of 2500. I KNOW i get alot of sodium but even that seems high..and i already went 50 over for today... so besides from trying to eat things with less sodium, is there anyway i can counteract how much i do get since im sure it will be high most days?

i drink crystal light lemonade cause its only 5 cals..and thats all i drink, its the closest i can get to water, and its either this or nothing at all. and i seriously try to get 8 glasses which is ALOT of effort cause im just not a big drinker..i usually get around 6 if i push myself. ugh. help.

Black_Swan

Hmm sorry but maybe trying to add lemon juice to the water/crystal stuff might help to get more water in?
Otherwise..well...eee....sorry Im no help. My sodium is creepy low...

denisec26

well i make a pitcher and cut the packet in half, so its actually like 2 calories a cup for me, and i only drink the lemonade and add lemon juice so its not much of the actual powder..its mostly water.

Atlantique

Consistently drinking a lot of water (and yes, Crystal Light counts) is the best way to combat the extra sodium.

crystal_sapphire

making sure to get enough potassium and water helps with sodium management.

nab22

Snooped through your diary, and yep its the processed foods. I know Weight Watchers prepackaged foods, Kraft Singles, and the steamer veggies with cheese are quick and easy but they're the culprits for your past couple days!

If you melted real cheddar on broccoli (for example) I bet you would cut it in half. They sell baggies you can steam things in so it would be just as fast AND you would know what you were putting in your body!

And things like Lean Pockets, prepackaged breakfast foods, etc are all going to be super high

ShellyMacchi

best thing whenever possible is to avoid the sodium. Processed foods (like lean cuisine etc), and restaurant meals are crazy high in sodium.
i have high BP so keep my sodium intake below 1500mg (often below 1000mg) per day.
i have found in order to do this i use no deli meats, only used canned tomatoes or mushrooms that are specifically 'no salt added'... and even salsa is crazy high in salt (if i have it now it's only stuff i make fresh for most part)

i really have found that more and more i am having to eat clean if for no other reason than controlling my sodium intake *L* so it is sort of a double good thing *S* (low sodium intake PLUS healthier foods cause am cooking most things from scratch.. i draw the line at breads and they are 'almost' impossible to get low sodium though careful shopping has come up with some that are better than others *S*

As to water?
i find if i can drink a full glass of water when i first get up, before having anything else, then for the rest of the day i 'need' water near m all the time to sip on... (am drinking approx 10 glasses a day now since adopting that trick)

Cmuchoa

Sodium finds it way into everything - just look at fat free milk - it's insane. I drink water, lemon-lime seltzer, coconut & almond milk. green tea and Chinese cleansing tea b4 bedtime. I too have tried the crystal light but they say the sugar substitues are just as bad as in any diet soda - thank God I was never a soda drinker to begin with. I ike the seltzer bcuz it makes me burp ô¿ô

Try to get as much water into yr system as possible - I usually try & do the 8 but some people on here do 9-17 a day - I would never leave the bathroom. The water flushes yr system out which is good for you!

Cmuchoa

And by the way - I forgot to tell you that when I cook I use Herbox Sodium Free bouillon packets instead of using the can (any brand) of chicken or beef broths. I will use them to cook my soups, add to the pan when baking chicken or doing a recipe on the stove top. The sodium will add up if you eat any processed or frozen foods as well. Try to shop the perimeter of the store - the aisle are dangerous. As far as bread, I purchase sprouted grain bread from the health food store - Ezekiel 4:9 Low Sodium. I slice is 80 calories - 75 mg potassium and Sodium 0 mg and Carbs 15 mg - it comes in many different types and it is kept in the freezer as it has no preservatives - all natural. Can be a bit expensive but I am the only one eating it in my house so it works for me.

hpsnickers1

Exercising helps too. We excrete sodium when we sweat. Potassium - yes. People with low potassium levels can suffer high BP from it. 2500 is the max and if you eat boxed or package foods it will stay high. A lot of fat free, sugar free, and "diet" foods are loaded salt to make up for the lack of flavor.


Sea salt is wonderful. It has the same amount of sodium by volume but has more flavor so you need less of it. And they have different kinds of sea salt.