Sodium! Aggravation and questions

lizzybethclaire

I know this has probably been covered relentlessly in the forums (and I did do a sodium search to see if anyone posted anything like this recently), but isn't it just insane how much sodium is in food? What is really pissing me off is how much they can vary between brand, if it is light or full fat, etc...

For example:
shoprite country breakfast pancake syrup - 10 mg sodium per 1/4 cup serving
shoprite lite pancake syrup - 180 mg per 1/4 cup serving
aunt jemima regular and lite syrup - in the 150 to 180 range per 1/4 cup

Between main ingredients:

soft taco size flour tortilla 250 mg sodium each
soft taco size corn tortilla 40 mg sodium each

So my question to those of you who read this post: Is there a brand you are loyal to that tends to have a lower sodium content?
Can you suggest some lower sodium products for me to try out? I have found that just trying to keep my sodium in check makes it easier for me to keep to my calorie goals and eliminates a lot of processed food from my diet.

tazboy

bump.

I to am interested in this question. Lately my intake has been through the roof. To the point, every morning I'm waking up with a horrible tast in my mouth.

iAMsmiling

Why are you so concerned about sodium intake?

Absent any specific medical reasons, sodium's affect on your weight is only superficial and related water retention.

juliemouse83

Why are you so concerned about sodium intake?

Absent any specific medical reasons, sodium's affect on your weight is only superficial and related water retention.

Yes, but as a girl, I can tell you that it will make the difference between whether I wear the size ten jeans or the twelves. :bigsmile:

BurtHuttz

What steve said. Unless there's something in particular that you're worried about, there's enough other stuff to learn about and focus on other than salt.

cailinlowe

as long as you are getting enough water, your sodium shouldn't be an issue.

andersonjo0306

Why are you so concerned about sodium intake?

Absent any specific medical reasons, sodium's affect on your weight is only superficial and related water retention.

Yes, but as a girl, I can tell you that it will make the difference between whether I wear the size ten jeans or the twelves. :bigsmile:

Absolutely. LOL

SHBoss1673

Why are you so concerned about sodium intake?

Absent any specific medical reasons, sodium's affect on your weight is only superficial and related water retention.

second. there's nothing wrong with sodium in the 2000 to 3000 Mg range unless you have medical issues that require it's monitoring (like High Blood pressure)

if you're really concerned, add some potassium to your diet, the two do the exact opposite in the body and act to cancel each other out to a degree.

DaBossLady24

I used to have my sodium intake on my diary, but I've gotten better at just knowing lower sodium options. I also realized the same as previous posters about sodium intake being a larger concern with those dealing with water retention and medical issues.

If you want to look at my diary or add me as a friend, you can. My diary is open!

Pulka_Dot

It is good to see someone that is aware of food labels and what is food. While she may not have a medical condition that requires a lower sodium intake, it is good to be aware and try to limit intake.

OP: I don't have any suggestions of brands, sorry.

tubaman58

Yes.... it is VERY frustrating

Couple of thoughts

A. If your BP is OK and you drink water, you don't need to reduce sodium

B. Some sodium is essential and a "No salt" or "No sodium" diet is not advisable or possible....

That being said, it is good to reduce sodium consumption to a reasonable amount, and the best way is to cook yourself....

juliemouse83

Why are you so concerned about sodium intake?

Absent any specific medical reasons, sodium's affect on your weight is only superficial and related water retention.

second. there's nothing wrong with sodium in the 2000 to 3000 Mg range unless you have medical issues that require it's monitoring (like High Blood pressure)

if you're really concerned, add some potassium to your diet, the two do the exact opposite in the body and act to cancel each other out to a degree.

Potassium? Really? I didn't know that. I don't have to have a lot of sodium to puff up, and I drink a boatload of water daily, so this is nice to know. Thank you!:flowerforyou:

rockerbabyy

anytime you buy reduced fat/lite/whatever its going to have more sodium and other "stuff" to make up the for the flavor/texture/etc. so as for brand suggestions, i dont have any. just know that theres going to be extra sodium if theyve taken out anything.
i dont really worry about my sodium too much, as my blood pressure is fine. i do track it along with potassium to keep an idea of how much extra fluids i may need that day. there are some (rare) days that my sodium creeps up to 6000mg... and my blood pressure is consistently 110/70. also, potassium is kind of a pain to track, since its not a required nutrient on labels, but if you use fresh foods, theres tons of entries in the database that include it.

netlagd

Don't be fooled by light or non-fat products. Many diet products boost up the salt and carbohydrate levels to make up for lack of sugar. Also, salt/sodium is a preservative.

Use PURE maple syrup instead of "pancake" syrup. It may cost more, but you don't need as much. Also, it is a lot healthier for you - it doesn't contain refined sugar or HFCS. And best of all - negligible sodium - 7mg for a quarter of a cup (4 TBS).

If you feel you can't afford the real stuff, you can make your own "maple" syrup:
2 cups sugar
1 cup water
1 - 2 teaspoons Maple extract - real or immiation

In a saucepan, blend ingredients, put on medium heat, bring to a boil stirring occasionally. Reduce heat, keep stirring until sugar is dissolved and the syrup is well blended. It will make about a cup and a half of syrup. No fat, store in fridge. Sodium levels is equal to what is in sugar.

Regarding the tacos shells - corn torillas are smaller and have less ingredients. Remember, the more refined an ingredient is, the greater the need to preserve it.

Choose Corn tortillas over Flour tortillas
Choose natural ingredients over processed
Shop the perimeter of the supermarket - Produce, meat, dairy, frozen vegetables

The more fresh and natural things are the lower in sodium they will be.
The more processed, the greater the amount of sugar and salt/sodium.

daj150

For some good info on sodium, go here. http://www.livestrong.com/article/483529-how-does-salt-affect-weight-loss/

In regards to food brands with low sodium, you are out of luck. You will have to look at the labels.

I understand your concern because too much sodium can cause your weight to fluctuate. However, cutting out excess sodium is pretty easy. Here are some simple things to do:

1. In general, and this is from me doing label comparisons, organic foods tend to have less sodium than their non-organic counterparts. (example would be potato chips)
2. Do you eat frozen meals for lunch or dinner? Cook your own meals the night before for lunch and cook your dinner from scratch...many recipes can be done in under 30 minutes
3. Are you a carb-o-holic? Try going organic...usually less sodium.

These are not official things to do...just things I do that I have picked up as I go. But in all honesty, focusing on other macros other than sodium will usually end up indirectly causing you to consume less sodium.

blondie_girl14

I thought the same thing. I don't have high blood pressure but I still watch my sodium intake.
Sometimes it makes me puffy and affects my number on the scale....or am I nuts??

I try not to eat processed crappy foods with tons of sodium, but everything has salt. We all need some salt in our diets.
If you can, try making stuff yourself and control the amount of salt you put in it.

coolraul07

soft taco size flour tortilla 250 mg sodium each
soft taco size corn tortilla 40 mg sodium each

Sodium is my archenemy!!! It's rules my diet more than anything else. I have BP regulation issues. It can be high at rest or with normal activity (e.g. 140/95) and then drop very low (e.g. 80/53), especially after heavy cardio.

*bump* for future reference AND to add that I found a lower sodium flour tortilla by Tumaro. I can only find them locally in Martin's (owned by Giant). These are the big burrito-sized one (~10"?) and only have ~110mg sodium compared to most with 500+mg! I used corn for the longest time but was so tired of the texture and crumbliness. Once I found Tumaro, I never looked back!
For spaghetti sauce, I recently discovered Prego Heart Healthy. It's not low-sodium per say, but it's much lower than anything this else I've seen that's comparable.
I would love to see low-sodium condiments (e.g. ketchup, soy sauce, salad dressing), but am still looking. I'm even willing to eat higher fat/cal in exchange lower sodium, but doesn't quite work that way for salad dressings.
For cheese, I've found the deli sliced (even pre-packaged) is about half the sodium of individually-wrapped slices.
I don't notice that any one brand is consistently lower in sodium... it varies across products. Definitely interested in sharing the knowledge though.

iAMsmiling

Why are you so concerned about sodium intake?

Absent any specific medical reasons, sodium's affect on your weight is only superficial and related water retention.

Yes, but as a girl, I can tell you that it will make the difference between whether I wear the size ten jeans or the twelves. :bigsmile:

So, eat for weight loss and not sodium intake and get down to your size 10s even on puffy days.

Calif_Girl67

For me the Sodium does make a huge difference in what the scale says. If i eat too much sodium the next day the scale jumps 2 + pounds and it takes days or even a week to come down which is frustrating. I have my sodium set to 2000 instead the MFP setting of 2500 so it gives me that 500 mg cushion and then i know i am staying below. I drink between 6-8 cups of water a day.

I have high blood pressure and just had a stent put in Oct 25th but my blood pressure may of been caused by the 100% blockage i had according to my heart Dr.

How long does it take for the water to leave after eating too much sodium causing a spike in the numbers on the scale ?