Sodium Intake.

b0mbxchelle

Hey guys! I need your help on a couple of things.. but first let me give you a little information. I took my blood pressure 3 different times and I am borderline hypertension. My first number was 119,118,120 and my second number was in the normal regions. Don't remember the numbers. Anyways, I've been having heart palpitations for a few months now. After I stopped drinking caffeine they had gone away but now they're back and I get them a few times a day which I am contributing to the possible pre-hypertension. I don't have health insurance but now that I am scared to death I am going to make an appointment with a local clinic.. so anyways,

1. Is there a way to change your diary settings so that you're able to tweek how much of something it suggests you eat? For example: Mine says 2500mg of Sodium. I want to change it to 1500 to help me stay on track.

2. Are there any tips to lowering my sodium levels? Any advice you can give me?

I could be drinking more water, I exercise AT LEAST 3-4 days a week for about 45mins-1 hour. I have had a history of eating a LOT of fast food which is why I am sure I am in this position. Any advice would help. Thanks a bunch!!

raisingbabyk

I'm working on lowering my sodium as well. I NEVER add salt to anything yet but sodium has been really bad (1000+ over). I was only 1300mg yesterday though now that I started to pay attention. Cans and processed foods are awful, stay away from them. Try and make as much from scratch as you can. Read labels. Hope that helps

b0mbxchelle

I will try. It's so easy to go over! I found out how to change the settings on here so scratch that question. I changed my intake on here from 2500 to 1500. I also found out that I am lacking potassium which will help with blood pressure. So I will get on eating some stuff high in that (=

johnb99

I have a hard time staying below 2500 myself. I am always looking for ways to keep it low so I welcome any tips too.

BarbWhite09

I have occasional heart palpitations and tachycardia, but there hasn't ever been a known source for my causes, so the doctors just think it's genetic. It may not be your diet or sodium intake causing the problems; although, I always watch my sodium levels obsessively for water weight reasons, instead of the heart reasons [when I typed that out I realized how odd that sounded]. To lower your intake still with fresh foods, instead of processed. Go through your diary & see which days you had the lower amounts of sodium & make note of what you ate that day & try to incorporate those foods into your daily intake.

dlcam61

Don't eat processed foods, they use it as a preservative. Basically it keeps bacteria from growing. Also make sure you drink enough water. Divide your body weight by 2 & that's how many ounces you need. Add an extra serving for every 30 minutes of exercise.

As for changing your sodium numbers on the food diary:

1) Go to the home page
2) Click Goals
3) Click Change Goals
4) Select Custom: Manually set my own custom fitness goals
5) Scroll down to sodium & input 1500. Without medical advice don't go below this number. Sodium gets a bad rap but it's a major electrolyte that we need in our body.

I also wanted to mention that anxiety & dehydration will raise your BP & cause palpitations. I am a pre-nursing student & have been told this by several medical professionals because I used to have the same problem. :flowerforyou:

npeters519

Sodium and potassium are crucial for proper cadiac function. Please do make sure you stay in healthy ranges of both, don't cut out too much!

dsm_drew

I've been working on this myself, and I agree it is VERY easy to go over on the sodium. It's in almost everything and unless you really pay attention to labels it creeps up on you. Here are a few things I've done to help reduce it, a few rules I've made for myself:

Fresh or frozen vegetables instead of canned. Canned vegetables are LOADED with sodium. If I do buy something canned (like diced tomatoes or beans) I buy the "no salt added" option. I haven't noticed a difference in taste. Also, I've read that draining and rinsing canned beans removes 40% of the sodium.

No more sandwich/deli/processed meats. Unfortunately that means no more sandwiches, which I love, but 1000+ mg of sodium in a single sandwich is just too much.

When buying chicken at the grocery store I always look for the "no salt added" options.

Beware of condiments (especially soy sauce) and seasonings, many of which have salt as their first ingredient.

Drink more water. Not a substitute for eating less sodium, but it's good for its own sake and may help flush some sodium out too.

I'm no authority, but these are a few simple places to start that have helped me. I ate quite well today and managed to keep my sodium intake down to 1576mg.

Jessb1985

Fish oil tablets are also good for your heart beat!

I suffered from heart palpitations for years (I'm only 26) and ended up having heart surgery but that was from congenital heart disease (not trying to scare you)

I don't have high blood pressure but I'm on a low dose beta blocker (25mg/day) and it really helps with the heartbeats. I still got them after the operation and worried for ages something was wrong with my heart and since I have found out I'm insulin resistant and cut out processed carbs (still eat 100g/day). Apparently symptoms of insulin resistance are fast heartbeat/palpitations. I haven't had palpitations in months and I'm feeling really good!

In regards to sodium I try not to go over 2500/day which is probably a little high, and very hard to do stay under if you eat processed foods! (Canned tuna/cheese/sauces)

Hope you work out what works best for you I spent a long time searching on the internet and it seems everyone has a different cause/solution for their own personal situations!

Front_Runner

Hello! I always recommend people take time to review "Harvard Nutrition Source" - they have a great web site with lots of quality trustworthy information on Sodium - including ideas on how to reduce your intake! Here is a link you can cut and paste (or else just google Harvard Nutrition Source): http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/salt/

You're right in recognizing that fast food is part of the issue. Like another poster said - fast foods and processed foods in general have a lot of sodium. We can get an entire days worth of sodium in some fast food meals! Cooking basic meals has helped me reduce my sodium tremendously. A year ago - I didn't think I wanted to deal with cooking for one! I figured it was more a pain than it was worth... but I've found it's WAY easier than I thought. Believe it or not - Celebrity Chef Jaime Oliver was a huge inspiration! I watched his cooking shows on Netflix, and also his Reality Show "Jaime Oliver's Food Revolution." I learned a lot of very simple fast recipes! He uses salt - but I just omit it, use less, or use more herbs and spices. Costco sells a great organic no-salt dried herb mix - it's an awesome healthy substitute. It's where they sell their spices and stuff.

Good luck in your journey! It looks like you're on the right track!

b0mbxchelle

Don't eat processed foods, they use it as a preservative. Basically it keeps bacteria from growing. Also make sure you drink enough water. Divide your body weight by 2 & that's how many ounces you need. Add an extra serving for every 30 minutes of exercise.

As for changing your sodium numbers on the food diary:

1) Go to the home page
2) Click Goals
3) Click Change Goals
4) Select Custom: Manually set my own custom fitness goals
5) Scroll down to sodium & input 1500. Without medical advice don't go below this number. Sodium gets a bad rap but it's a major electrolyte that we need in our body.

I also wanted to mention that anxiety & dehydration will raise your BP & cause palpitations. I am a pre-nursing student & have been told this by several medical professionals because I used to have the same problem. :flowerforyou:

I do have anxiety and stress problems, but I am also 290 pounds and have ate the crap out of fast food since I was like 15.

b0mbxchelle

I've been working on this myself, and I agree it is VERY easy to go over on the sodium. It's in almost everything and unless you really pay attention to labels it creeps up on you. Here are a few things I've done to help reduce it, a few rules I've made for myself:

Fresh or frozen vegetables instead of canned. Canned vegetables are LOADED with sodium. If I do buy something canned (like diced tomatoes or beans) I buy the "no salt added" option. I haven't noticed a difference in taste. Also, I've read that draining and rinsing canned beans removes 40% of the sodium.

No more sandwich/deli/processed meats. Unfortunately that means no more sandwiches, which I love, but 1000+ mg of sodium in a single sandwich is just too much.

When buying chicken at the grocery store I always look for the "no salt added" options.

Beware of condiments (especially soy sauce) and seasonings, many of which have salt as their first ingredient.

Drink more water. Not a substitute for eating less sodium, but it's good for its own sake and may help flush some sodium out too.

I'm no authority, but these are a few simple places to start that have helped me. I ate quite well today and managed to keep my sodium intake down to 1576mg.

I'm doing fairly well. I've set my goal on here to 1500 that way if I do go over, I'm still technically under the "recommended dose." I've been averaging around 2,000 which is a hell of a lot better then the I dunno 5,000mg a day I was doing before.

b0mbxchelle

Fish oil tablets are also good for your heart beat!

I suffered from heart palpitations for years (I'm only 26) and ended up having heart surgery but that was from congenital heart disease (not trying to scare you)

I don't have high blood pressure but I'm on a low dose beta blocker (25mg/day) and it really helps with the heartbeats. I still got them after the operation and worried for ages something was wrong with my heart and since I have found out I'm insulin resistant and cut out processed carbs (still eat 100g/day). Apparently symptoms of insulin resistance are fast heartbeat/palpitations. I haven't had palpitations in months and I'm feeling really good!

In regards to sodium I try not to go over 2500/day which is probably a little high, and very hard to do stay under if you eat processed foods! (Canned tuna/cheese/sauces)

Hope you work out what works best for you I spent a long time searching on the internet and it seems everyone has a different cause/solution for their own personal situations!

This does kind of scare me only because I don't have insurance and can't have my heart checked out. I've called clinics where I can pay on a scale of my income but can't seem to get in anywhere so I'm trying to diagnose the problem myself. In fact, I think I may start logging every time it happens. I think I've noticed it now for about a year. I don't know what could be wrong with me. Online it says palpitations are usually nothing to worry about. My palpation is an odd one. It's not a fast heart beat as it is a slow one. When it happens it almost feels like in that one beat my heat is having trouble beating, then goes back to normal.

iheartyarn

Beats lower blood pressure

wftiger

1 - A human only needs less than 500 mg of sodium a day so feel free to cut down.
2 - No it does not beat lower blood pressure. Both can be life threatening.
3 - Read labels. Buy only no sodium added food.
4 - Cut out condiments -- salad dressing, ketchup, pickles, sour cream, etc.
5 - Cut out or limit processed meats, cheeses, etc. If you didn't make it from raw ingredients it isn't good for your blood pressure.
6 - Watch the sneaky ones -- breads will get you every time.
7 - If you do buy canned foods that have sodium added, rinse them in cold water for 1 minute and drain before using. Research I have found says this cuts sodium by 30-70% depending on the food.
8 - Don't take potassium tablets. That is the wrong way to do it. Eat avocados, bananas, etc.
9 - Even fresh foods have sodium so be mindful of them as well. You have to eat but make wise choices.
10 - Don't eat out.

Well that should just about make your life as boring as mine. :-) It is really hard to keep a healthy amount as most everything you buy has far too much sodium in it.

If you do think your BP is high go see a physician. This is nothing to play with as you can go blind or much worse.

BTW - The AHA recommends less than 1,500 for those that have hypertension. It is 2,300 for those with "normal" blood pressure.

b0mbxchelle

1 - A human only needs less than 500 mg of sodium a day so feel free to cut down.
2 - No it does not beat lower blood pressure. Both can be life threatening.
3 - Read labels. Buy only no sodium added food.
4 - Cut out condiments -- salad dressing, ketchup, pickles, sour cream, etc.
5 - Cut out or limit processed meats, cheeses, etc. If you didn't make it from raw ingredients it isn't good for your blood pressure.
6 - Watch the sneaky ones -- breads will get you every time.
7 - If you do buy canned foods that have sodium added, rinse them in cold water for 1 minute and drain before using. Research I have found says this cuts sodium by 30-70% depending on the food.
8 - Don't take potassium tablets. That is the wrong way to do it. Eat avocados, bananas, etc.
9 - Even fresh foods have sodium so be mindful of them as well. You have to eat but make wise choices.
10 - Don't eat out.

Well that should just about make your life as boring as mine. :-) It is really hard to keep a healthy amount as most everything you buy has far too much sodium in it.

If you do think your BP is high go see a physician. This is nothing to play with as you can go blind or much worse.

BTW - The AHA recommends less than 1,500 for those that have hypertension. It is 2,300 for those with "normal" blood pressure.

I don't have DR, and local clinics have a wait list to die for. My blood pressure is between normal and pre hypertension. Right on the border. I'm sticking to a 1500-2,000mg intake for sodium.

mmarcy11

I never realized how much sodium pickles have! They were always my favorite snack, I would munch on the baby kosher dills all the time. But 1 baby dill has 500mg of sodium! Holy cow. So now I'm cutting back on pickles and trying to change gradually what I eat: graham crackers instead of preztels, etc.