Sodium Shock!

gwestbrook

My husband is at a risk for high blood pressure as well and we wanted to lower his sodium intake and try natural remedies before starting any type of meds. There is a salt substitute called No Salt that my husband uses in place of salt. It is high in potassium. His doctor told him to make sure he is getting plenty of potassium. He also has started doing cardio 5 days a week for at least 30 minutes instead of just weights. We also talked to the people at our local natural grocers and there were a couple of different natural supplements you can take that are supposed to help lower blood pressure. He's been doing all of the above for about 2 months and his blood pressure levels are now at a normal rate so hopefully he can keep up what he is doing and not have to take meds! Good luck on your journey!

monicalosesweight

I try to avoid processed foods but if I do buy them, I look at the sodium first. I tend to make my dinner fresh and that helps a lot.

Here's a link to find out what each food really contains:

http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/list

It's the official USDA site and you can enter any food and get a general idea of nutrients that include sodium.

sunnyside1213

I use Mortons Lite Salt. Half sodium and half potassium. Horrible on popcorn, but fine in everything else. Potassium helps eliminate water weight.

I also rinse my canned tuna to eliminate salt.

DLKeeble

Bump

WendyTerry420

I have found that the more processed stuff you avoid the better. I don't really restrict my sodium on purpose but as I eat healthier I find I have gotten used to eating way less sodium. in fact when I do eat some things I used to eat I find them unpleasantly too salty. my weekness is cheese though. I just drink more water. I understand it being medically necessary for you so to just drink more water is not going to be enough for you. you will get used to less sodium it just takes time.

Yep! avoid the processed stuff....

On another note...
first.. I'm not a doctor...
But you do need sodium in your diet... and 2000-2500mg is normal.
Sodium is the least of the things that will help lower your blood pressure.
Yes it will help... but so will cardiovascular exercise... walk... and walk some more.
Avoid processed food.. avoid too much added salt.
I wouldn't worry about the sodium found naturally in foods...
focus on the extra added in when you cook.
Don't eat out as much... lots of sodium there.
Eat as fresh as possible.

^^

Also lowering your stress can help!

ki4yxo

After I was diagnosed with high blood pressure, I went into shock when I saw sodium levels. Never much thought about what I was eating. I loved pizza and thought nothing of eating two slices and hot sausage? I could eat three. 920 mg sodium each. Who knew? And the chicken parm and baked ziti I had at least once a week at work? 3500 mg. Unbelievable.

Yep, cheese is also loaded with sodium. I've
switched over to Swiss cheese now.

miracle4me

You can make your own pickles by using sliced up cucumbers and letting them marinate in the Juice before discarding it.

wftiger

It's certainly not easy to keep it down. Any processed foods (including breads, cheese and most especially lunch meats) are killers to a low sodium diet.

I have gotten where I make my own "lunch meat" but cooking up chicken, beef, pork in crockpot for the week. No canned or frozen unless veggies and/or no salt added. Hunt's has a line of no salt added tomato products. If you look around you will find no salt added stocks to make your own soup. I think Progresso has one that I usually get. Has some sodium because as you have found out all foods (for the most part) have sodium including pretty high amounts in some veggies.

I no longer eat any bread product partially because of the sodium (and because too many carbs) and have found great substitutions by looking on the web.

Look up fast food items. They are certainly a "not very often" food on a low sodium diet. Good luck on the 1500mg, it is by far the hardest of the numbers to reach (stay below) for me every day.

wftiger

I have found that the more processed stuff you avoid the better. I don't really restrict my sodium on purpose but as I eat healthier I find I have gotten used to eating way less sodium. in fact when I do eat some things I used to eat I find them unpleasantly too salty. my weekness is cheese though. I just drink more water. I understand it being medically necessary for you so to just drink more water is not going to be enough for you. you will get used to less sodium it just takes time.

Yep! avoid the processed stuff....

On another note...
first.. I'm not a doctor...
But you do need sodium in your diet... and 2000-2500mg is normal.
Sodium is the least of the things that will help lower your blood pressure.
Yes it will help... but so will cardiovascular exercise... walk... and walk some more.
Avoid processed food.. avoid too much added salt.
I wouldn't worry about the sodium found naturally in foods...
focus on the extra added in when you cook.
Don't eat out as much... lots of sodium there.
Eat as fresh as possible.

The 200-2500 is absolutely not true. That is the SAD but not by any means what you need. A human body only needs about 180 mg per day. Yup that is it. 2500 is almost twice what someone with HBP should be consuming. Please check all facts at reputable sites. http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/publications/dietaryguidelines/2010/meeting2/commentattachments/aha-220e.pdf

ki4yxo

I have found that the more processed stuff you avoid the better. I don't really restrict my sodium on purpose but as I eat healthier I find I have gotten used to eating way less sodium. in fact when I do eat some things I used to eat I find them unpleasantly too salty. my weekness is cheese though. I just drink more water. I understand it being medically necessary for you so to just drink more water is not going to be enough for you. you will get used to less sodium it just takes time.

Yep! avoid the processed stuff....

On another note...
first.. I'm not a doctor...
But you do need sodium in your diet... and 2000-2500mg is normal.
Sodium is the least of the things that will help lower your blood pressure.
Yes it will help... but so will cardiovascular exercise... walk... and walk some more.
Avoid processed food.. avoid too much added salt.
I wouldn't worry about the sodium found naturally in foods...
focus on the extra added in when you cook.
Don't eat out as much... lots of sodium there.
Eat as fresh as possible.

The 200-2500 is absolutely not true. That is the SAD but not by any means what you need. A human body only needs about 180 mg per day. Yup that is it. 2500 is almost twice what someone with HBP should be consuming. Please check all facts at reputable sites. http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/publications/dietaryguidelines/2010/meeting2/commentattachments/aha-220e.pdf

I was on 2 different BP meds, and when I lowered my sodium
down to 2000-2500mg per day, my blood pressure went down.
Doctor pulled me off the meds because I a getting light headed.

Before that I was right around 6,000+mg per day. Not hard to do
when you eat a lot of store bought salsa, canned soups, snack on
pickles, etc. All part of my daily diet before starting MFP...

jenndymond

Mrs Dash is a quick great spice and sodium free!

KANGOOJUMPS

i had high blood pressure,,, with proper eating it is not high, you are what you eat, this is so so true! knowledge is power so do your research! i take CAYENNE PEPPER, and it works!

purpledelight

bump
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SusanLovesToEat

Totally agree about watching the database here as many people do not put in the sodium when they post nutritional information so it says zero. Sometimes people add the sodium but neglect to convert to mg from g so it's a factor of 100 off.... :-/

I've set my sodium to 1500 to help out my husband with his goal and it's really hard to keep it under if you eat anything preprepared. My biggest saviour has been using hot sauces as a substitute for salt in soups and on meat and vegetables.

Sriracha is one of the best and only has 100mg per teaspoon--and I seldom use more than a quarter teaspoon!

FredDoyle

... use sea salt. It actually has less sodium. That's all me and my mother keep at our house.

Sorry, this is just wrong. It has just as much sodium unless it has been manufactured with potassium chloride.
Sodium chloride is sodium chloride. Sea salt may have a few more trace minerals than table salt.
That's it.

IrishMc

Same problem here. I use Kitchen Basics Unsalted broths (chicken, beef & veg) often (not only for soups), I soak and boil my own beans for chili, tacos, soups, etc...and use no salt added canned diced tomatoes (Western Family store brand is the only no salt version in our grocery store). Also, I found Classico had some of the lowest sodium levels of jarred spaghetti sauces on the shelf (at least it did, haven't checked in awhile).

I've gotten away from sodium (not completely, but) to the point where pre-made garlic bread from the store makes me gag, I find it that overly salty.

IrshRnr56

There is a relationship between the amounts of sodium and the potassium levels in the body. I'll have to google it, but there's supposed to be a ratio between the two numbers. The more sodium you have, the higher your need for potassium. We have way too much salt in our diets. Dangerously high levels!

IrshRnr56

http://www.forbes.com/sites/larryhusten/2011/07/12/study-finds-sodium-potassium-ratio-strongly-tied-to-mortality-and-cv-disease/

Here's an article to read about the sodium/potassium dangers.
I was running marathons from 2001 - 2007 and ended up in the ER 3 weeks after an especially hot summer of training. My potassium and magnesium levels were too low, causing a heart arrhythmia. Even though I ate potatoes and bananas(and drank LOADS of Gatorade), I lost the minerals through perspiration.

Normally, sodium is the most likely electrolyte lost in athletes. All the ultra marathon runners I know use sodium tablets during long runs to keep their levels up.

It's odd however, than apart from extreme exercise, the large numbers of us who regularly consumer far too much sodium, putting ourselves at risk of Cardiovascular disease.

mxtodsi

I was diagnosed with high blood pressure several months ago. Never even knew there was a problem until a muscle sprain brought me to the emergency room. Now I try to watch my sodium intake. Been actually able to keep it around 700 mg or under a day. No small miracle. But, now that fall and winter are here I love soups and stews so I have been making my own low sodium or sodium free soups and stews. I've learned to use lots of different spices and Mrs. Dash is my constant companion. I still miss my pizza and Italian food, and still haven't made a low sodium sauce that I could brag about, but I've chosen to live.

sandobr1

I have a salt tooth too, need to come back and see some hints and ideas. As much as I like salty things I almost never use it at the table. I have been trying to cut down use during cooking as well.