Help with Sodium Intake

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abbetiteforlife
abbetiteforlife Posts: 3
in Food and Nutrition
I'm new to the site and was hoping to get some pointers on how to successfully track and reduce my sodium intake. I know that this must sound stupid of me to ask, but I really don't know much about sodium intake other than my roommate yells about how much sodium everything has. Why is a lot of sodium bad? What are thinks to look for? Do you just read labels or avoid certain food items all together? Any input would be appreciated.

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  • Ge0rgiana
    Ge0rgiana Posts: 1,649 Member
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    I have a blog. It's slowed down since I started working, but feel free to visit. I have recipes, tips, etc. Find the link in my sig. Oh, and feel free to friend me and check out my Diary. I've been keeping it below 1,800mg lately. I eat 1,200 to 1,300 calories a day. (No, people don't normally keep their sodium intake this low. I have a medical condition.) I'm always happy to answer questions if I can. :flowerforyou:
  • timbotina
    timbotina Posts: 1,130 Member
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    bumping for those low sodium recipies because I am always over on sodium
  • FoamyRiver
    FoamyRiver Posts: 276 Member
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    Sodium causes water weight gain and contributes to high blood pressure among other things. Watch processed foods, soups, frozen dinners, cheese, and especially eating out. You'll be shocked to learn how much sodium you were getting.

    Also, do a search on the message boards for "Sodium" because there is a lot of better info already on this site.

    I have high blood pressure and never salt my food...I figured I was doing great. That is until I joined this site and started reading labels more carefully and tracking my sodium. I've found I feel tons better since I've started staying below 2500mg of sodium a day.

    Good luck!
  • ecp2698
    ecp2698 Posts: 267 Member
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    When I started here, I was surprised to see how much of what I eat has sodium in it, I never realized it before! For me, I think it's hard to reduce sodium intake, it seems like so many foods have it, especially to make things taste better! So I would be interested in some ideas for low sodium foods, too.
  • DrBorkBork
    DrBorkBork Posts: 4,099 Member
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    sodium, among other little tricks, makes you retain water. Take in too much sodium in a day, and watch your weight balloon thanks to your body overcompensating by holding on to enough water to flush it out. In order to flush out the water retention, you should drink more water. Limiting one's sodium intake makes losing weight a little easier (and it's great for your blood pressure too!)
    I limit myself to 1500-2000 a day if you ever want to check out my diary. I find that stuff with lower sodium is usually lower in everything else too.
  • Ge0rgiana
    Ge0rgiana Posts: 1,649 Member
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    The approach I took was a gradual cut-back. It's a good way to go. It's not a shock to the system, and your tastebuds do adjust. I started at 2,500mg and when I was under that for a while went down to 2,300 and so on. I'd look at my Food Diary for the highest sodium food item and then go on a mission to eliminate / replace it. Probably 90% of what I eat I prepare/cook myself. Really, you can make HUGE dents that way... Also, buy canned veggies with no salt added, frozen veggies, low sodium broths and soups, etc. to cook with. And, yeah, I can't believe how much bloat I've dropped. It's awesome.
  • guidosgal
    guidosgal Posts: 581 Member
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    Its really not that hard to keep your sodium down (stay away from processed food and Fast Food) I keep mine around 1500 a day or lower (for no other reason than I dont really care for the taste of salt :noway: You will find that after lowering your levels you wont like the taste much anymore. I zest things up with lemon juice and different herbs vinagers and wines) When I use salt I aways sprinkle it in my hand then I take the grains in a pinch and sprinkle it over my food. :flowerforyou:
  • SD_Dreamer
    SD_Dreamer Posts: 2
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    It's important to understand your sodium intake because too much sodium can lead to hypertension, which can lead to a host of other problems. In the U.S. sodium intake a problem and it's growing every year. Sadly once you notice the problem it's probably too late. Sodium (salt) is used in almost all processed food as it is a cheap flavor enhancer (salt makes everything taste better, even candy!!).
  • alpha2omega
    alpha2omega Posts: 229 Member
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    Just wanted to put my $.02 in. I was put on high blood pressure pills about 4 months ago. My sodium intake has always been sky high. I now know this because of this site. I found this site or it found me right around the time I went on HBP medication. I carefully watched my sodium intake and of course overall calorie intake and I have lost over 30 lbs. More importantly I am off the HBP medication and feel 1000x better. I looked at old pictures of myself and I look extremely bloated due to the water weight. You have to pretty much avoid processed foods. In our society that is almost impossible but you can do it. If you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask.

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