Sodium too easy to have too much

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foxontherun03
foxontherun03 Posts: 34
in Food and Nutrition
I have been working hard to not only watch calories but also sodium. What are some ways that you cut down your daily sodium intake? It is a struggle for me.
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  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
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    Eat unprocessed foods so you can control the sodium content. Unless you have an issue with sodium though you really don't need to control it that much.
  • LittleMissDover
    LittleMissDover Posts: 820 Member
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    I don't worry about sodium, you don't really need to unless you have a medical condition that means you should.
  • Matt_Wild
    Matt_Wild Posts: 2,673 Member
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    LittleMissDov - nail on head.
  • Chief_Rocka
    Chief_Rocka Posts: 4,710 Member
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    I don't worry about it, I just make sure to eat plenty of potassium.
  • DPernet
    DPernet Posts: 481 Member
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    Home cooked food with fresh ingredients. It's the best way to know what you're putting in there :flowerforyou:

    As soon as you buy anything ready made for you then the chances are that it's going to have fat, salt and sugar added
  • kellis155
    kellis155 Posts: 25
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    The easiest way (unfortunately) is to cut out boxed/packaged food and eating meals out. Eating fresh, whole foods that you prepare make it pretty easy to keep your sodium low. But so much easier said than done, I know... ;)
  • caseythirteen
    caseythirteen Posts: 956 Member
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    I do watch my sodium but not because of a medical issue, just because I don't like the way it makes me feel when I have too much. Ways that I keep it down are to keep processed foods to a minimum but also buying low salt/no salt added type things when I can. For table salt, I use it sparingly also.

    As a side note, I didn't realize until I was entering a recipe recently how high in sodium baking sode and baking powder are. Yikes!
  • emtjmac
    emtjmac Posts: 1,320 Member
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    Eating too much sodium will cause you to retain water. MFP is an education in food. Watch what you're eating and you will see how easy it is to stay under. Feel free to look at my diary if you want to see what I'm eating.
  • TexasTroy
    TexasTroy Posts: 477 Member
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    I dont stress or worry about it either...course, I dont go outta my way to eat it either, lol. If I go over I go over. Although I do try to limit it, just in case I have a underlying problem I dont know about yet. But have no worries unless you have been told to limit it by your doctor.
  • NovemberJune
    NovemberJune Posts: 2,525 Member
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    It was a slow process for me. If I look back to my diaries from a year or so ago, I was around 3000 mg of sodium per day on average. Now I am almost always between 1500-2000 mg. I eat healthier foods now, more homemade, fewer packaged products. I rarely eat jarred salsa or broth or stuff like that now.
  • My1985Freckles
    My1985Freckles Posts: 1,039 Member
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    Cut out the processed foods.

    I switched from instant oatmeal packets to old fashioned oats and saved a boatload of sodium.

    Also, drink lots of water to combat the sodium water retention.
  • TrailRunner61
    TrailRunner61 Posts: 2,505 Member
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    I have high blood pressure, controlled with meds, but I still have to watch my sodium intake. It's hard! Basically all I can do to avoid it is to prepare ALL of my food. Eat clean, eat nothing canned or processed. Even fresh chicken is loaded with sodium! It's annoying and not easy but it can be done.
    I usually have whole grain oatmeal, made from scratch, for breakfast or eggs.
    Lunch is the hardest but homemade soup or anything grilled or salads work well for me.
    Dinner is usually 1/3 lean, grilled meat and 2/3 fresh cooked veggies. Sometimes I'll make my own brown rice with low sodium broth or have a baked potato or a sweet potato with it. I also use herbs and Mrs Dash seasonings. Some of them are really good.
  • mattyb1971
    mattyb1971 Posts: 44
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    Pre-packaged frozen meals - even if they are low-cal, they will be very high in sodium.
  • OddballExtreme
    OddballExtreme Posts: 296 Member
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    As someone with high blood pressure and having to watch the sodium intake, I go for the homemade and home-grown stuff (like fresh asparagus, fresh broccoli) and try my best to avoid processed foods. If it gets to a situation where that's unavoidable, I look for the one with the LEAST amount of sodium. Fortunately, this is one of those "only when necessary" situations, not every day.
  • TrailRunner61
    TrailRunner61 Posts: 2,505 Member
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    I don't worry about sodium, you don't really need to unless you have a medical condition that means you should.
    I was told that too so I never worried about it. Then when I ended up with high blood pressure, my Dr. said that eating tons of sodium for years can contribute to having high blood pressure later in life. I don't know if I believe it, but it makes me kind of mad. It's too late for me but you guys can do better! Also it is now reccommended that EVERYONE stays under 1500 mg per day. It's not easy but it can be done. We live in a high sodium/processed food world. :(
  • kenazfehu
    kenazfehu Posts: 1,188 Member
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    I don't know how people manage to go over on sodium. I eat my share of processed foods, but I was always half or less than half the MFP set amount for sodium, so I don't track it anymore.
  • jeme3
    jeme3 Posts: 355 Member
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    What they said- eat as clean as possible. Fresh, home made, unprocessed real foods.

    Drink lots of water. Lots and lots. Flushes it right out.
  • hpsnickers1
    hpsnickers1 Posts: 2,783 Member
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    Go Paleo/Primal.

    Carbs make the body retain sodium. To balance that out the body retains water. And up goes the blood pressure.

    (also - google "fructose induced hypertension") - salt isn't the sole cause of high blood pressure. (fructose also does the same thing to the liver that alcohol does - they call it NAFLD)

    I make sure to get plenty of salt. I use Pink Himalayan Sea Salt or Celtic Sea Salt (I also have a Hawaiian Volcanic Red Sea Salt). (trace minerals are important!). I douse just about everything in salt. And my blood pressure is very, very normal. (It was borderline when I followed the USDA guidelines - even the healthiest verson of them). And high blood pressure doesn't run in my family (genetics aren't destiny anyway)

    And yes, potassium gets neglected (just like magnesium does in the case of "getting enough calcium"). This is why eating whole, real food is important.
  • mulderpf
    mulderpf Posts: 209 Member
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    Why? How excessive is your sodium intake that you are so worried about it? How much is "too much"????
  • gatorginger
    gatorginger Posts: 947 Member
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    If I'm gonna eat something high in sodium I try to make sure I eat things high in potassium cause it counteracts the sodium

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