Help with Sodium!!!!

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FitCowgirl8
FitCowgirl8 Posts: 175 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I am trying really hard to get healthy and eat better but I am having the hardest time with sodium. I am always over on my sodium intake. I would like to get it down to between 1200-1500 per day but it seems like no matter what I eat it is loaded with sodium. I have bought all sodium free seasonings and I have tried finding low sodium options of ingredients for cooking but I still seem to be way over my limit. What are some of the best ways to cut sodium from my diet without having bland food all the time? Are they some good low sodium foods I could incorporate into my diet to replace my higher sodium ones? Any help I could get would be great!!

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  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,701 Member
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    Sodium is really only an issue if you have high blood pressure. If not, then just make sure you are balancing it with potassium and drinking enough water.
    Being Asian, I'm ALWAYS over on sodium every single day.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • Matt_Wild
    Matt_Wild Posts: 2,673 Member
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    As above. Salt isn't something you should worry about tbh, for most its insignificant.
  • babycook
    babycook Posts: 172 Member
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    Try to eat as close to nature as possible. Avoid processed foods to begin with. Cut out added salt (except in baking you need it to rise). Make your own spice mixes with real spices. My sodium intake is always really low.
  • 1SlimShaylee
    1SlimShaylee Posts: 204
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    as a girl, i may understand what you are asking.... are you worried about your sodium intake because you weigh every day and you see "gains" because of water weight? i'm like that!

    first, you just have to remember there is a difference between a FAT gain, and a WATER gain. just because the scale is going up doesn't mean you are gaining fat. i try to watch my sodium because i retain water like CRAZY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! so, all i can really say is try to avoid fast food/restaurants as much as possible. for example, an applebee's steak and broccoli os only 550 cals so you think it is awesome, but then you look at the sodium and it is like 1800, dayum! try to avoid as much packaged/canned foods as possible. choose fresh veggies, and fruits, and look for items that are labeled low sodium. jif natural pb has like 80mg of sodium whereas normal pb has like 400mg or something similar to that. you can buy low sodium tuna, and low sodium canned beans, etc. drink tons of water. i try to be in the 18-24C range. Best way to avoid water weight is to eat fresh as often as possible!
  • 4cstadler
    4cstadler Posts: 9
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    Certain foods like tomatoes, and pickels just to name a couple have a huge sodium count. Not sure if that is part of the problem but you might want to take some time to research which vegetables carry higher sodium content. That way you can evaluate what you are using for ingredients to see if this might be the culprit.
  • siriusalien
    siriusalien Posts: 207
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    Sodium is really only an issue if you have high blood pressure. If not, then just make sure you are balancing it with potassium and drinking enough water.
    Being Asian, I'm ALWAYS over on sodium every single day.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    May I ask what the significance of adding Potasium is? isn't Potassium a salt? I do know a neccessary salt/mineral-but curious
    Thanks in advance

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