Sodium - my new enemy

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  • TheSlorax
    TheSlorax Posts: 2,401 Member
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    I don't even track sodium. do you have hypertension or any other conditions that require you to keep your consumption low? sodium is actually an electrolyte and it is important to make sure your intake is at the correct level. if you do not consume enough you may develop a sodium deficiency.

    too much sodium is also a bad thing.

    can you please link to any sources that substantiate this claim as applicable to someone without health concerns that require a low sodium intake? OP is worried about consuming 1500mg which is very low. I would be concerned if they consumed even less.
  • mojohowitz
    mojohowitz Posts: 900 Member
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    Sodium causes high blood pressure depending on your sensitivity to it. HBP leads to strokes, heart disease and kidney problems. All my family has died from strokes and my dad doesn't have much kidney function left.

    It's good that you caught the sodium thing early on. If you have even a minimally busy life, you will find it difficult but not impossible to manage.

    You will find people who say that it is not that hard to manage but it is. You are reduced to eating a "clean" diet at home or about 6 teaspoons of O2 from your average fast food restaurant.

    Stay away from fast food, convenience food, restaurant food and "diet" foods. Eat close to the ground meaning whole grains, lean meats and vegetables.

    Good luck. Keep it low now to prevent issues later on.

    Don't let this post digress to an argument between "anything in moderation" nazi's and "only clean paleo food" neanderthals.
  • dawnmcneil10
    dawnmcneil10 Posts: 638 Member
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    I too was shocked by my sodium intake at one time. I'm not a big processed food eater to begin with but I had no idea just how much sodium was in some foods naturally so I do pay attention to the sodium. I set my sodium level to 2200 not excessively low but enough so I strive to find foods that are lower in sodium. I keep my food diary open to friends so if you'd like to add me feel free to do so and go through my foods, it might help you find new options.
    I have no health issues that cause me to restrict my sodium intake I just noticed I generally feel better with a bit less sodium. Good for you looking at all the numbers and not just ignoring something that flashed in red.
    I noticed someone else suggested extra water on high sodium days and I completely agree, drink up.
  • kp82883
    kp82883 Posts: 53 Member
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    I have been paying more attention to my sodium lately since I worry about the water retention. It you look at your diary you should quickly be able to tell what you are eating that contains a lot of sodium. But 1500 mg a day is actually not a lot. 1500 is my daily goal. In order to stay at 1500 I cut out all processed foods and fat free/low fat cheese seems to have a huge amount of sodium for a small amount of food.
  • Cindyinpg
    Cindyinpg Posts: 3,902 Member
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    I don't track sodium or sugar and it hasn't affected my weight loss one bit. As others have mentioned, if you don't have a medical condition that requires limiting it, why complicate things?
  • HarleyFatboyFan
    HarleyFatboyFan Posts: 344 Member
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    Im dealing with the sodium issues also trying to get in in check so can get off of meds one thing I did was leave the frozen foods alone mainly already made meals and started tracking and looking at the sodium amt on the seasonings that I was using

    try Mrs. Dash seasonings. They have low-sodium and No Sodium options :)
    I was using too much salt so I cut it out altogether. Mrs. Dash seasonings are a good taste alternative over salt. I don't watch my sodium intake now because I am usually right on according to what MFP recommends.
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
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    With sodium, lower is not better. When you get below 1500 mg, especially much below, you start increasing your chances of death. Sodium is an essential nutrient. Unless you're under a doctor's direction to keep sodium intake very low, it's not really worth worrying about. If you really want to set an upper limit, set it at at least 2500 mg, or 3000 mg.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
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    FYI... many of the unwanted effects of sodium intake can be counteracted by increasing potassium intake.
  • mojohowitz
    mojohowitz Posts: 900 Member
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    I don't even track sodium. do you have hypertension or any other conditions that require you to keep your consumption low? sodium is actually an electrolyte and it is important to make sure your intake is at the correct level. if you do not consume enough you may develop a sodium deficiency.

    too much sodium is also a bad thing.

    Not necessarily. "bad" is relative. so is "too much".

    For f*cks sake people! Just stop this! Are you f*cking 8 years old?
  • Sarahndipity30
    Sarahndipity30 Posts: 312 Member
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    I don't even track sodium. do you have hypertension or any other conditions that require you to keep your consumption low? sodium is actually an electrolyte and it is important to make sure your intake is at the correct level. if you do not consume enough you may develop a sodium deficiency.

    too much sodium is also a bad thing.

    can you please link to any sources that substantiate this claim as applicable to someone without health concerns that require a low sodium intake? OP is worried about consuming 1500mg which is very low. I would be concerned if they consumed even less.

    i sure can.

    http://www.heart.org/idc/groups/heart-public/@wcm/@hcm/documents/downloadable/ucm_300625.pdf
  • louisetteN
    louisetteN Posts: 27
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    Thank you so much for your replies, guys! It really means a lot to me! I don't have any medical issues, but it just scared me a little bit to see so much sodium on my food diary. :)
  • BrainyBurro
    BrainyBurro Posts: 6,129 Member
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    sodium is not the devil it's been made out to be. both sodium and potassium are important electrolytes.

    focus more on keeping the right balance between sodium and potassium, rather than worrying about getting too much of one or the other.

    http://healthyliving.msn.com/diseases/osteoporosis/potassium-and-sodium-the-dynamic-duo-1
    http://www.drsinatra.com/proper-sodium-potassium-balance-reduces-cardiovascular-risk/
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
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    I don't even track sodium. do you have hypertension or any other conditions that require you to keep your consumption low? sodium is actually an electrolyte and it is important to make sure your intake is at the correct level. if you do not consume enough you may develop a sodium deficiency.

    too much sodium is also a bad thing.

    Not necessarily. "bad" is relative. so is "too much".

    For f*cks sake people! Just stop this! Are you f*cking 8 years old?

    Nope, and I can prove it by not feeling the need to say *kitten* every 5th word.

    I'm not saying it's completely benign, but it's also not the devil some people make it out be. The average person, especially the average 18yr old (like the OP is) don't need to worry about sodium intake assuming they are on a reasonable diet. If they are living at McDonalds, then yes... sodium might become a problem. But then, they've probably got other health issues brewing too.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
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    Thank you so much for your replies, guys! It really means a lot to me! I don't have any medical issues, but it just scared me a little bit to see so much sodium on my food diary. :)

    Why? 1500mg is not a lot. And as some have said, your body actually needs sodium. And it becomes even more important if you are active. Your body tries to keep itself hydrated (for lack of a better word). Sodium and potassium intake can affect this. Get either too high or too low and you could see problems. But what's required for it to become a problem is more than what most people get when on a decent, balanced diet.

    This is a question of health. If your sodium intake is actually high enough to be concerned, then chances are you've got other health/dietary issues too.
  • markdlong
    markdlong Posts: 10
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    I've been tracking my sodium for a while now. I am pretty liberal with it, aiming for around 2500-3000mg per day. I am tracking it primarily because of the fact that by avoiding high sodium foods, I am -- in essence -- forcing myself to make even better choices with the food that I'm eating. Keeping my sodium down helps me to avoid a lot of processed foods, fast foods, and restaurant foods, and instead eat more naturally, whole and natural foods. Plus it's good to be able to correlate any big upticks in my weight (I weigh daily) to water retention.
  • LilRedRooster
    LilRedRooster Posts: 1,421 Member
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    A cardiac/low-sodium (i.e. high blood pressure, heart failure, etc.) diet is set at 2g (or 2000mg) or less of sodium per day. 1500 is well within that, so you're actually geting "low" sodium.

    For comparison, a normal individual without any issues can have between 3g-4g (3000-4000mg) per day, and that's considered "acceptable".

    Sodium is not "evil", by any means. You actually need a certain sodium content to your blood to maintain normal cellular function, so as long as you're within a nice mid-range and you don't have any other health issues, sodium is not something to really be THAT worried about.
  • Stoshew71
    Stoshew71 Posts: 6,553 Member
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    Drink lots of water. They say 8 glasses, but I am trying to drink a gallon a day. Not there yet. Also, exercising to the point where you get a good sweat on will flush that sodium out with all the water you are now drinking. But be careful, you also loose other important electrolytes like potassium. So bulk up on those if you do a lot of sweating.
  • TheSlorax
    TheSlorax Posts: 2,401 Member
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    I don't even track sodium. do you have hypertension or any other conditions that require you to keep your consumption low? sodium is actually an electrolyte and it is important to make sure your intake is at the correct level. if you do not consume enough you may develop a sodium deficiency.

    too much sodium is also a bad thing.

    can you please link to any sources that substantiate this claim as applicable to someone without health concerns that require a low sodium intake? OP is worried about consuming 1500mg which is very low. I would be concerned if they consumed even less.

    i sure can.

    http://www.heart.org/idc/groups/heart-public/@wcm/@hcm/documents/downloadable/ucm_300625.pdf

    the AHA website is not a peer-reviewed source.
    Finding 2: The committee found that the evidence from studies on direct health outcomes was insufficient and inconsistent regarding an association between sodium intake below 2,300 mg per day and benefit or risk of CVD outcomes (including stroke and CVD mortality) or all-cause mortality in the general U.S. population.

    Conclusion 2: The committee determined that evidence from studies on direct health outcomes is inconsistent and insufficient to conclude that lowering sodium intakes below 2,300 mg per day either increases or decreases risk of CVD outcomes (including stroke and CVD mortality) or all-cause mortality in the general U.S. population.
    Recognizing the limitations of the available evidence, the committee found no consistent evidence to support an association between sodium intake and either a beneficial or adverse effect on health outcomes other than CVD outcomes (including stroke and CVD mortality) and all-cause mortality.

    http://books.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=18311
  • Nachise
    Nachise Posts: 395 Member
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    I am one of those salt sensitive people. If I eat salty foods, my BP will spike. Some of us do have to watch how much sodium we consume, and keep it to a range of 1500 to 1800 mg. per day. I have been this way my entire life. For those of you who don't have to track it, God bless you!

    My advice to the OP is to avoid processed foods and ready-made meals. Learn to cook, and learn how to use your spice rack. A number of foods have naturally occurring levels of sodium, such as red meat and celery. Not much, but it is there. Big offenders: cheese, processed meats, bacon, ham, and soy sauce. Avoid soy sauce, and foods that have soy sauce based sauces, i.e., teriyaki, and Chinese brown sauces.
  • AmyP619
    AmyP619 Posts: 1,137 Member
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    packaged foods/stuff in cans = sodium

    avoid or get low sodium products and you're good.

    I've also been tracking my sodium because it can get out of hand very quickly. I look at the content of calories and sodium in everything that I eat.

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