Sodium Question...

Jsnbabb1

Is it ok to be going over 2500mg sodium daily??? How much is too much? I drink between 10-14 glasses of water daily and i actually have perfect blood pressure. It just seams to almost always be over?

olag00

I try to stay below but some days it just isn't possible. Sodium makes your weight fluctuate a lot since it will retain water on your high days but expunge it when you lower your sodium levels.

I would try to stick to the 2500mg but if you go over, just think about it when you weigh yourself that you will be a few pounds heavier due to water and not fat.

thetrishwarp

I stick to a 1500mg limit, so if I hit 2000mg I don't freak out. I don't know how much is really "too much" - this is just what I do.

sshap21712

I find it impossible not to go over. I am also stymied!

Edestiny7

Track your Potassium as well. It should be at least twice your sodium. And yes, it is unhealthy to consume that much. My goal is set to 1500 and I consume about 700 a day.

Jsnbabb1

when i do go over im at about 2800???

aj_rock

2800 won't kill you.

On the other hand, going significantly other can have negative effects too.

Despite the bad rep, your body NEEDS sodium to function! Especially when you workout and sweat a lot.

breezysoul

The USDA recently lowered the recommended intake from 2500 mg to 1500 mg. That was a number previously reserved for people with high blood pressure - no more! The most sodium you'll get is from restaurant foods (just check out the nutritional facts for ANY restaurant). After that, you get it from processed foods.

I was diagnosed with high blood pressure over a year ago and have been able to stay off medication by consuming less than 1500 mg/day. I urge everyone to reduce their intake and monitor their blood pressure regularly. It snuck up on me. I had no idea. I also had no idea how much sodium was in bread etc. until I started keeping track.

RaeannePemberton

i try to stay below 2500 and it's not always possible. just try to stay below 3000 ideally. most americans are clueless about this and get way more than 3000 without even thinking twice, it's no wonder that heart disease and high BP is so rampant. i wish our society would realize we are killing ourselves!!!

i was on high BP meds and also had bad swelling.... i drink a ton of water, but when i have too much sodium i can tell for sure.

Peekadoo

Yes, I can attest to this as I have been trying to lower my sodium intake. On one particular day, I did very well, eating mostly no salt foods. That night for dinner, I made shrimp stir fry with three cloves of fresh garlic (no salt). After about an hour, I felt lightheaded. I thought maybe I was dehydrated so I drank some water and went to bed. The next day I felt like total crap. I was weak and couldn't stay awake because I had no energy. I couldn't figure out what was wrong until I reviewed my food diary. The low sodium diet coupled with all of the fresh garlic, which naturally reduces your blood pressure, had brought my blood pressure down too low and made me ill. So I sent my hubby to the local chinese restaurant to pick up some wonton soup and I felt better within an hour.

The moral of my story is to just be careful when it comes to reducing your sodium intake. Your body needs it to function properly.

cedarhurst2006

I try to keep to 1500 mg. The more non-processed foods I can eat, the lower I am able to keep it.

MinnieInMaine

The only way to cut down is to eliminate some of the processed (packaged, frozen, boxed, pre-made, pre-cooked, etc) foods in your diet. I just looked back a couple of days in your food diary and there are a lot of these types of foods. However, do keep in mind that the nutritional data on the food database here might not be right so double check your labels if you're worried about it.

Drinking plenty of water does help to flush some of the extra sodium out but your best bet is to try getting more natural foods in your diet. For instance, instead of a bar for snack, have some fruit or veggies or nuts.