Lets talk Sodium

maybebaby40

I have been working to keep my sodium with the goal- which can be alittle tough- If I go over by 500 to 800 per day will this stop weight loss- should I be so worried about this number-

I was not tracking it til a week or so ago- maybe I should go back to ignoring it- and does a banana a day help release the sodium


What other things should I know

maybebaby40

PeggyWoodson

I went to my doctor a week ago because of swelling (really bad swelling) in my ankles. I had been counting sodium so I knew that wasn't the issue. But what I did find out is that 2000 mg is the equivalent of one teaspoon of salt. My food diary had me set at 2500 mg. I went back and changed it to 2000 mg. I never add salt to my food and I usually always come out under my goal of 2000. I know you have to have a certain amount of sodium to keep your electrolytes up but I don't know how much you have to have to prevent the loss of the electrolytes. Maybe someone else on here would know.

neanderthin

Personally I don't concern myself with sodium intake and it's a bit of easy target for the little to no scientific evidence that we should actually be concerned.

also worring about every single nutrient (potasium in banana's) will make you banana's. Eat natural foods as much as you can and move more than you have been doing and forget the minuta.

chachadiva150

Took a quick peek at your diary. It's all the processed, packed foods you are eating. Try to reduce that. Stop adding table salt to your home cooked foods and rely on the food's natural sodium.

You're also eating a lot of processed carbs and cheese. Those are also culprits.

Drink a lot of water to flush out the water and get in some good, sweaty workouts.

PeggyWoodson

By the way, Because I printed up my food diary and brought it to my doctor to look at, we figured out that it wasn't my sodium. It was a side effect of the medicine he had me on. Switched that and the ankles are much better.

I quit using so much processed foods choosing only fresh or frozen any time I could. Processed foods and canned foods are totally loaded with sodium. See if you can get rid of some processed and use fresh or frozen in stead. And never add salt to your foods. I switched to a no salt product and Mrs Dash for flavor and it isn't bad at all.
You are welcome to friend me if you like

StrongGwen

it is almost impossible to get less than your goal of sodium if you eat processed foods! I was horrified to find that nearly all the fat-free salad dressings have 400-600 mg of sodium per serving! and I looked at a steak marinade last night that had 1200 mg for 2 tsp!! fortunately I don't have a health/sodium issue, just don't like retaining water so I drink a lot of it to keep it balanced, always at least 8 glasses a day, usually more.

myfitnessnmhoy

Took a quick peek at your diary. It's all the processed, packed foods you are eating. Try to reduce that. Stop adding table salt to your home cooked foods and rely on the food's natural sodium.

You're also eating a lot of processed carbs and cheese. Those are also culprits.

Drink a lot of water to flush out the sodium and get in some good, sweaty workouts.

I can't add much to the post I just quoted, so I'll just urge you to read it again. The easy way to cut back on sodium is to cut back on the foods that have a lot of it, and processed foods use a lot of sodium as a cheap preservative (and because it's a cheap way to make food taste good).

If your sodium intake is high and stays high, you can offset it somewhat by drinking lots of water to flush it out. But it may (or may not, different people seem to react to it differently) cause issues like high blood pressure and other problems. It's dehydrating your body, and that's not good.

VanessaGS

I looked online and it said the sodium intake we should have per day is 2300 mg. They say most people eat over 3500 mg. a day. I tried reducing my sodium intake as well. I'm trying to stay balanced with what MyFItnessPal says to do. There are foods and snacks with low sodium in the grocery stores like jello. I plan my breakfast and lunch carefully so I can eat a little more at dinner time so for lunch I bought HealthyChoice frozen food dinners. They have around 330 calories and around 500 mg. sodium. That's not bad considering it's around 1/3 of the sodium intake for the day. To be honest it was my first time trying Healthy Choice and surprisingly the one I got was very delicious. You just need to find the stuff that works for you. Also for breakfast I just bought Kelloggs Frosted Mini Wheats (NO SODIUM) and Borden 2% Milk. That might be a good choice to lower your sodium intake. Hope this helps.

myfitnessnmhoy

it is almost impossible to get less than your goal of sodium if you eat processed foods! I was horrified to find that nearly all the fat-free salad dressings have 400-600 mg of sodium per serving! and I looked at a steak marinade last night that had 1200 mg for 2 tsp!! fortunately I don't have a health/sodium issue, just don't like retaining water so I drink a lot of it to keep it balanced, always at least 8 glasses a day, usually more.

Fat-free salad dressings usually use sugars and sodium to taste good.

Look at your caloric intake balance (Fat, Protein, Carbs) and you might be surprised to find that that fat-free salad dressing isn't doing you any favors, because it may also be upping your sugar/carb intake. Consider a full-fat dressing, where those calories are used to up your fat and protein intakes, fill you up more effectively, and bring your BMR back up to where you burn all those calories and more.

nwg74

also worring about every single nutrient (potasium in banana's) will make you banana's. Eat natural foods as much as you can and move more than you have been doing and forget the minuta.

The average banana has 8 to 10% of the RDA for potassium. Around 400-500mg depending on size. That is a lot of bananas.

Lack of sodium and potassium can cause dizziness and headaches if left for a long time.

Sodium also comes out in sweat.

LSC77

I also just started worrying about sodium and potassium. I don't eat a lot of processed food and I think that helps a lot. I need to work on my potassium though. I don't like bananas at all. I am glad you posted this about sodium. Glad I am not the only one.

myfitnessnmhoy

I also just started worrying about sodium and potassium. I don't eat a lot of processed food and I think that helps a lot. I need to work on my potassium though. I don't like bananas at all. I am glad you posted this about sodium. Glad I am not the only one.

There are several companies that make a salt substitute that consists largely of potassium. It tastes a lot like yummy delicious salt (and it does have some sodium) but it's got lots of potassium in it. If you currently use table salt, consider getting some of this and putting it at the table instead - you'll drop your sodium intake and increase your potassium.

However, the best way is to find high-potassium foods you do like and add them to your diet. Apricots, dates, prunes, raisins (all of which are high in sugar, though it's a healthier sugar), potato, pumpkin, beets, brussels sprouts, avocado, tomato (including V-8 juice), yogurt, some nuts, legumes (beans/peas) - are all excellent sources of potassium.

LSC77

Thank you I will look for that salt sub.