Is sodium a big concern?

kmozymoz

Just wondering if anyone knows if I should be concerned about going over my sodium allowances for the day. It's come to my attention that I have a propensity toward high sodium foods, but I have been working out plenty and trying to stay hydrated. Should I still be trying to cut back?

Any response is greatly appreciated.

FierceFitBeautiful

Here and there, going over your sodium allowance isn't too big of a deal, but you should be watching it. One of the purposes of sodium in our body is to retain water - which, to a point, is good! But, if you have too much sodium, you begin to retain excess water. This can lead to an inaccurate number on the scale, but it has bigger effects; the excess water increases your blood volume , which therefore increases your blood pressure - something we need to try to regulate so we can lead happy healthy lives and protect our heart!

Can you tell I just took Anatomy & Physiology II? Haha!

The way I limited sodium in my diet was to cut out a lot of processed foods - especially frozen meals and unhealthy soups. Instead, I eat much more naturally (I make one of my meals a salad pretty much every day!) now and buy soups low in sodium.

tigersword

Unless you have high blood pressure, then there's no real reason for concern. As long as you are properly hydrating yourself, excess sodium gets flushed from your system.