Carbs andSodium

ededar

I tend to go over carbs even on good days because of pears, bannanas and tea. But they're healthy foods, so I was wondering if it mattered if you can go over on any of the categories a little because of fruit or something similar? Also just wondering what the importance of sodium is and why going over would be bad. Educate me!

seekingstrengthX2

Too much sodium causes water retention, which causes bloating and will make you appear to weigh more.

Fruit has a lot of calories and sugar. So, while healthy in the general scheme of things, you do want to limit it... unlike veggies, which you can pretty much eat in unlimited quantities.

EmmaM2211

Too much sodium causes water retention, which causes bloating and will make you appear to weigh more.

Fruit has a lot of calories and sugar. So, while healthy in the general scheme of things, you do want to limit it... unlike veggies, which you can pretty much eat in unlimited quantities.

Couldn't have put it better myself :-)

After one high sodium meal I can "put on" 4lbs the next morning. So I just avoid it or avoid the scales after I eat it :-)

cramernh

unlike veggies, which you can pretty much eat in unlimited quantities.

Thank goodness for rabbit food!

yarwell

Carbs cause retention of sodium and water too.

ededar

Thanks for the info I just wondered because I take natural sugar a litte less seriously than processed sugar, so I wondered if it was the same for carbs.

yarwell

I take natural sugar a litte less seriously than processed sugar

That's hard to justify really. While you can say that the "natural" sugars come with some vitamins, minerals and fibre the white sugar is also a natural molecule grown in a plant in a field using sunlight. It's just been crystallised and washed with water so it stores well and is easier to use.

amorgan101187

sodium (besides retaining water and making you look bloated) is related to medical problems like hypertension and heart disease. Its found a lot in canned foods, lunch meats, and processed foods so in order to decrease that number i would try to avoid those as much as possible. I know it is so easy to go over, but that just shows why so many people have hypertension and heart disease because the sodium intake of most american's is over 3000. If you have heart disease or hypertension its recommended you get 1500, if you don't have these i would just stay below mfp guidelines.

cramernh

Thanks for the info I just wondered because I take natural sugar a litte less seriously than processed sugar, so I wondered if it was the same for carbs.

Here is some helpful easy-to-understand references:

http://www.ask.com/health/adamcontent/carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are sugar - its one of the components of carbohydrates. Its sugars, starches and fiber. These three components you will always see broken down on a Nutritional Informational label, when they are present with said-item.

There are two types of Carbohydrates:

Simple: Junk food, candy, ice creams, majority of breads made with processed bleached flour, anything "white" (except cauliflower), most pasta, most rice, fruits***

"***Also, many refined foods, such as white flour, sugar, and polished rice, lack B vitamins and other important nutrients unless they are marked "enriched." It is healthiest to get carbohydrates, vitamins, and other nutrients in as natural a form as possible -- for example, from fruit instead of table sugar"

That being said, each person will 'handle' fruit differently than the other. For me, I can only digest berries, and only have one serving per day - I get EXTREMELY sick if I consume any more than that.

Complex: Whole grain, fresh vegetables, legumes, etc

There are pros and cons to consuming too much or too little carbohydrates - but this is better determined by consulting with a registered dietician who works in conjunction with your health care providers. Medical conditions also play a role in how much a person can consume safely...

OSC_ESD

~ Pears, bananas and tea won't be the main reason you go over on carbs ... try to limit your fruit to maybe 2 ( carb related ) pieces and add more berries if wanting more fruit.

It appears you have your macros set up to MFP standards ... those can be adjusted based on individual body needs. Carbs are just as important as protein and fat. An equally balanced diet is key ... check those carb numbers in some of your other choices ... just go back through your dairy a few days / weeks and take count of where the " high " numbers fall.

Sodium is the trickiest of all ... it will bloat you, play mind games ... and tip the scale ! If you are running over on sodium on a daily basis ... you definitely need to drink more H2O in order to balance it out as best as possible ... and try to note the foods that are causing you this as well. I can tell you high sodium generally comes from processed foods and meats. If you try to stick with " one ingredient foods " ... you will see both your carbs and sodium reduce by far.

It's not easy finding the balance ... but once you do, it becomes habit and a walk in the park !

Best of luck to you !

:flowerforyou:

candacepatra

I just noticed I am usually over my sodium limit too, even though it's very rare that I add salt to anything and don't eat a lot of processed foods. I think my salt comes from stuff like cheese.

This is going to be tricky.

DanTTX

I just noticed I am usually over my sodium limit too, even though it's very rare that I add salt to anything and don't eat a lot of processed foods. I think my salt comes from stuff like cheese.

This is going to be tricky.

I know exactly what you mean