SALT, SALT EVERYWHERE!!!

playitagainsam

Is anyone else have an issue with too much sodium in their diets? I am making healthy choices and doing very well with exericise and daily calories, per MFP, but I seem to be getting about twice the amount of sodium each day that is recommended by MFP. Just wonder how terribly bad this really is. Just for example, my Sodium Goal for yesterday was 2500mg and I had a total of 4113! I am drinking 12-14 glasses of water a day and losing weight on a steady, healthy pace (generally 2 lbs per week), but my total daily sodium intake has me concerned. Just wonder if I really need to be and if my total sodium intake is really that bad. On a side note, I am not a salt user...that is, I don't add salt to my foods...the sodium that I am getting is mainly from the sodium that is already in the foods that I am eating. I do eat a lot of canned goods like wax beans, garbanzo beans, mushrooms, canned tuna and salmon, but I rinse everything to try to get out the excess sodium in the canned products. I also eat a lot of low fat cottage cheese which I know has a high amount of sodium. I also eat a lot of Healthy Choice and Lean Cuisine dinners because they are quick, portion controlled and have me a ton of time! I know this is were my sodium is coming from...just wonder if the amount I'm getting each day is really too much. Any comments?

YoungDoc2B

That's definitely a huge amount of sodium. Can you try swapping out some of those Lean Cuisines for wholesome, homecooked foods? Or how about using fresh/frozen vegetables in place of the canned ones?

gamagem

When my husband and I first started tracking on MFP the sodium intake was one of the first things we noticed was crazy high. We would eat a lot of lean cuisines, low cal salad dressings, boxed rices and jar spaghetti sauce. We started reading about sodium and found that you really shouldn't eat much above 1500 a day, and your potassium levels should be about double of what your sodium intake is. So we did a major overhaul of our diet. I make homemade spaghetti sauce now, we don't eat any processed foods anymore, and if we have canned veggies we rinse them. Even with all that and never adding salt to any foods we easily hit 1500 mg of sodium a day in just regular food. For potassium it's recommended getting it through foods and not a supplement. Bodies handle the supplement differently then from food. Sweet potatoes, potatoes, fruits and fresh vegetables are high in potassium. There is a lot of good information on the web about sodium and potassium.

Too high of sodium can lead to hypertension as you age. So even though you may have fine blood pressure now, I think fixing it before it becomes a problem is the way to go.

brandiuntz

Due to my hypertension issues, I track my sodium and try to stay below 2000mg a day. I read labels on everything and pick the lower sodium choices. Use fresh/frozen vegetables instead of canned. Keep frozen meals down and eat as much home cooked meals as you can. Makes a big difference. You can check out my diary for ideas.

rachelerwin

I used to have an issue with it. I was diagnosed with high blood pressure and put on meds for it. As of 2 weeks ago I am now blood pressure medication free! I check the labels on everything and always opt for the low sodium choice. I also cook everything from scratch and do not eat processed or fast food. I use the Mrs. Dash seasonings now instead of salt. My sodium levels now are well under 1000mg a day.

Mokey41

As long as you keep eating highly processed foods you're going to get high sodium levels. It's how they make the crap in a box taste better.

FredDoyle

I stay under 1500mg/day due to hypertension (normal now). I make all my own sauces and condiments, even low salt homemade bread. Fresh foods is the way to go. Oh, and frozen bagged veggies/fruits are fine if you read the label.

SoDamnHungry

I have low blood pressure (and sometimes lose my vision from it dropping when I stand up), so am encouraged to eat all the salt I want. Whoo!

playitagainsam

Thanks for the comments so far everyone! Yeah, I think the canned items and frozen dinners are the culprit. I do eat a lot of frozen vegetables as well as fresh vegetables. But those canned items and frozen dinners are the killers!!! I never use salt, but do occasionally use a dash of Mrs. Dash (ha ha!) or a little sprinkle of Lawry's Season Salt. Appreciate your comments and suggestions! Thanks!

FredDoyle

Thanks for the comments so far everyone! Yeah, I think the canned items and frozen dinners are the culprit. I do eat a lot of frozen vegetables as well as fresh vegetables. But those canned items and frozen dinners are the killers!!! I never use salt, but do occasionally use a dash of Mrs. Dash (ha ha!) or a little sprinkle of Lawry's Season Salt. Appreciate your comments and suggestions! Thanks!

Heh, I was a Lawry's addict. Loved it, especially on chicken and beef. Gone are the days. I make my own cajun spice now in a Lawry's bottle for nostalgia:

2 parts Paprika
1 part Cayenne
1 part White pepper
1 part Black pepper
1 part dry mustard
1 part Thyme powder/crushed
1/2 part onion powder
1/2 part garlic powder

playitagainsam

Thanks for this recipe! I'm definitely going to give it a try!

FullOfWinToo

Thanks Chams

2 parts Paprika
1 part Cayenne
1 part White pepper
1 part Black pepper
1 part dry mustard
1 part Thyme powder/crushed
1/2 part onion powder
1/2 part garlic powder

I've got all this in my pantry and will be whipping it up to use at lunch.

I had my first sub 2000 sodium day yesterday after a week of consiously making lower sodium choices and receipes. I believe this is going to come in quite handy.

ladymiseryali

I have the same issue right now. Because of this, I can't get an accurate weight. It's really pissing me off because I'm eating WAY better than I was a few months ago and I workout, but it sometimes feels like it's all for nothing.

MyM0wM0w

I guess it depends on your health. If you don't have blood pressure problems with no history of it in your family it may not be as dangerous for you (but if you keep consuming so much keep an eye on your BP and overall health). It will cause water retention but if that doesn't bother you then I don't think it would be that bad.

Personally, I had a hemorrhagic stroke @ age 38 from uncontrolled hypertension. I have a solid history on BOTH sides of high blood pressure and sodium really effects me. If I go over 1800-2000 for more than a few days my BP spikes (despite 2 different BP meds) and it's VERY hard to get back down. I work hard to keep mine below 1600 per day and that seems to work well with my meds.

If it's something that worries you, you'll have to cut out the packaged and processed foods. There is sodium in *everything* but your processed foods are going to really tip you over.