Sodium... help.

nikkihk
nikkihk Posts: 487 Member
in Food and Nutrition
So MFP and.... the national health people...say the sodium intake should be around the 2000 mark right? But I kill half of that with a serving of lunch meat dammit. There isn't a single day where I'm not like 1000mg+ over the recommended daily limit. Anyone have thoughts on this? Does it really matter? I mean it know it affects water retention and all but I'm not even sure how to eat less then 2000... it would be raw veggies and bland chicken (and who the hell wants to live like that?)

Replies

  • Showcase_Brodown
    Showcase_Brodown Posts: 919 Member
    Do you have a special medical reason to avoid sodium?

    No? Don't worry about it.

    Like you said, it affects water retention, which may obscure your weight changes, but water is always going to be there doing that.
  • alfiedn
    alfiedn Posts: 425 Member
    I rarely hit my sodium intake although I have a sneaking suspicion I'm consuming more than is counted. I don't use much salt in my cooking. I do use lots of spices. Sage, chipotle powder, garlic, etc. using the right spices allows me to stay away from salt as a seasoning.

    That being said, it's not a big concern for me and I wouldn't be concerned if I went over.
  • janupshaw
    janupshaw Posts: 205 Member
    I'm frequently over on sodium, too. I try to be under the day before I weigh in, otherwise I don't worry about it. It helps to pre log your food for the day, so you can juggle things around if you need to. Oatmeal, greek yogurt, & mahi mahi are low in sodium.
  • lesteidel
    lesteidel Posts: 229 Member
    I wouldn't worry about it unless you have a medical reason to worry about it. Your body NEEDS sodium. And the amount that MFP recommends for me is enough to keep me perpetually dehydrated if I stay below it. Every body has different needs. I honestly have trouble getting enough sometimes. I might try adding some lunch meat :)
  • nikkihk
    nikkihk Posts: 487 Member
    Thanks guys... I mean it's never seemed to cause me any health issues? It's hella difficult to avoid when eating what seems to be a normal balanced selection of food. And well, I like taste. =D
  • AwesomeGuy37
    AwesomeGuy37 Posts: 436 Member
    My sodium has been way up there til today. Chicken doesn't have to be bland. I put all kinds of spices on mine and it livens it up. Processed foods.. cheese, lunch meats, TV dinners, and pickled products have a lot of added sodium.
    The recommendation is 2500 mg, but I'll be lucky if I keep that up.
    I don't know if there is anything out there to back up all the claims about salt intake or not. I've been eating pickles all my life and sometimes take in 10000 mg in a day. The only high blood pressure I've ever had went away with weight loss.
  • lovelayla
    lovelayla Posts: 123
    Eat more natural foods, less packaged, less sodium...Your blood pressure can be affected by too much sodium.
  • Rocbola
    Rocbola Posts: 1,998 Member
    Eat more natural foods, less packaged, less sodium...Your blood pressure can be affected by too much sodium.
    This!

    Things like fresh peaches, mangoes, pineapples and cantaloupe don't need salt. Salads don't need salt. Slow cooked steel cut oats with apples and dates don't need salt. Try a mixed green and hummus panini sandwich for lunch instead of lunch meats. You could even add some fresh herbs like cilantro or basil. There are plenty of options of food that tastes great with minimal or no salt.
  • nikkihk
    nikkihk Posts: 487 Member
    Eat more natural foods, less packaged, less sodium...Your blood pressure can be affected by too much sodium.
    This!

    Things like fresh peaches, mangoes, pineapples and cantaloupe don't need salt. Salads don't need salt. Slow cooked steel cut oats with apples and dates don't need salt. Try a mixed green and hummus panini sandwich for lunch instead of lunch meats. You could even add some fresh herbs like cilantro or basil. There are plenty of options of food that tastes great with minimal or no salt.

    Thanks for all of the food ideas!! However, i was more asking if the sodium was an issue then what to eat... I can do quick google search to get a list of low sodium foods, just wanted to know if I should really worry about it in regards to weight loss and general health..
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    I blow out my sodium every day …last time I had blood work done at my physical all my levels were good, no issues..

    if you drink a lot of water it will help flush it out …

    I don't think you need to worry ..

    as you know - calorie deficit, hit macros, and work out/move more are the keys to long term success...
  • Samby_v1
    Samby_v1 Posts: 202 Member
    I cook most of my meals, so I get to control how much sodium I eat. But I'm a freelancer with time on her hands so that may not be an option for you.
  • mschicagocubs
    mschicagocubs Posts: 774 Member
    If you want to watch it, feel free.

    I use less sodium salt for cooking. 30% less I believe. I also take at the nutrition labels. You would be surprised how sometimes the same thing, different brand, has different nutritional information.

    I like to watch it since I am closer to my goal weight and I want to look and feel less bloated.

    But I wouldn't get too overwhelmed about it ;)
  • Rocbola
    Rocbola Posts: 1,998 Member
    Eat more natural foods, less packaged, less sodium...Your blood pressure can be affected by too much sodium.
    This!

    Things like fresh peaches, mangoes, pineapples and cantaloupe don't need salt. Salads don't need salt. Slow cooked steel cut oats with apples and dates don't need salt. Try a mixed green and hummus panini sandwich for lunch instead of lunch meats. You could even add some fresh herbs like cilantro or basil. There are plenty of options of food that tastes great with minimal or no salt.

    Thanks for all of the food ideas!! However, i was more asking if the sodium was an issue then what to eat... I can do quick google search to get a list of low sodium foods, just wanted to know if I should really worry about it in regards to weight loss and general health..
    Absolutely you should. We need sodium, but most people get too much. Anything you can do to reduce it will be beneficial.
  • caveninit
    caveninit Posts: 153 Member
    I try to keep my sodium at about 1800 mg or less due to stage 1 hypertension. I cook most of the meals I eat and gave up fast food because most of the fast food meals are loaded with sodium and it just increases my hunger when I eat foods that are too salty. I can eat a ton of Chinese food and feel hungry again an hour later. That's what too much sodium does to me.
    Here's the thing though...my blood pressure did not change at all when I just lowered my sodium intake. For weeks I was keeping my sodium at 1500 or less...no change in BP at all. What brought my blood pressure down was exercise. Once I started working out daily, my BP came down a lot. So now I just keep my sodium low because high sodium foods make me feel bloated, dehydrated, and hungrier.
  • nikkihk
    nikkihk Posts: 487 Member
    I try to keep my sodium at about 1800 mg or less due to stage 1 hypertension. I cook most of the meals I eat and gave up fast food because most of the fast food meals are loaded with sodium and it just increases my hunger when I eat foods that are too salty. I can eat a ton of Chinese food and feel hungry again an hour later. That's what too much sodium does to me.
    Here's the thing though...my blood pressure did not change at all when I just lowered my sodium intake. For weeks I was keeping my sodium at 1500 or less...no change in BP at all. What brought my blood pressure down was exercise. Once I started working out daily, my BP came down a lot. So now I just keep my sodium low because high sodium foods make me feel bloated, dehydrated, and hungrier.

    That's awesome to hear about your blood pressure, are you doing a lot of cardio or weight training... or both?

    Thanks everyone else!! I DO drink a lot of water so maybe it's not as big a problem as I think it is.
  • Jros22
    Jros22 Posts: 9
    Look up Sodium and Potassium. They pretty much cancel each other out. Sodium is not bad unless you're consuming a ridiculous amount daily. Just balance your sodium and potassium intake.
  • BigTireFlipper
    BigTireFlipper Posts: 116 Member
    Look up Sodium and Potassium. They pretty much cancel each other out. Sodium is not bad unless you're consuming a ridiculous amount daily. Just balance your sodium and potassium intake.

    Incorrect. They do not balance each other out. And chronic high sodium intake DOES increase your risk for edema, high blood pressure, and heart or kidney disease. Also, attempting to counter chronic high intake by "flushing with increased water consumption" may offer some temporary reductions but is no guarantee that these conditions still won't develop.

    As a person with manage high blood pressure and an enlarged heart I've been through a lot of reading materials on this. Just because you're doing just fine with excessive sodium intake now doesn't mean that you're not going to be diagnosed with hypertension or worse later on. Don't cut sodium completely out, just try to regulate yourselves within the recommended guidelines and not just ignore them.

    Edit:
    Yes Potassium HELPS eliminate sodium from the body, but thinking "I just ate a bucket of popcorn and got 2500mg of salt in one serving, guess I'll go eat 2 potatoes." is just not the right approach.
  • michellemybelll
    michellemybelll Posts: 2,228 Member
    Eat more natural foods, less packaged, less sodium...Your blood pressure can be affected by too much sodium.
    This!

    Things like fresh peaches, mangoes, pineapples and cantaloupe don't need salt. Salads don't need salt. Slow cooked steel cut oats with apples and dates don't need salt. Try a mixed green and hummus panini sandwich for lunch instead of lunch meats. You could even add some fresh herbs like cilantro or basil. There are plenty of options of food that tastes great with minimal or no salt.

    Thanks for all of the food ideas!! However, i was more asking if the sodium was an issue then what to eat... I can do quick google search to get a list of low sodium foods, just wanted to know if I should really worry about it in regards to weight loss and general health..
    you could probably find that answer with a quick google search too, you know.
  • Jros22
    Jros22 Posts: 9
    Exactly so not incorrect. So it is not the right approach when you do happen to have a high sodium intake? Potassium helps but that doesn't mean you should take a ridiculous amount of sodium like I said. Do more research please.
  • BigTireFlipper
    BigTireFlipper Posts: 116 Member
    Actually my research started a few years back with my cardiologist when I mentioned that "maybe I should up my potassium intake to counter the sodium I'm getting from off the shelf food." His response was "No, that's not how I want you to approach this." He went on to explain that though a potassium rich diet is considered heart-healthy, that to confuse the sodium countering properties of potassium as a way to counter your sodium intake would be incorrect. Instead, his recommendation was to flat out reduce sodium intake and not go crazy with potassium at all. The liver can have (or develop) issues with removing potassium especially as you grow older. So fighting excessive sodium by increasing potassium is not exactly the best way to do it. If you're already tracking foot nutrients then you can easily keep tabs on that stat and see where you're at. If you are coming in high in that category the right response is to make changes to lower it, not try to counter it.

    Here's a great link that flat out says: "Rachel K. Johnson, Ph.D., M.P.H., R.D. told the American Heart Association that although a potassium-rich diet can be useful in lowering the amount of sodium in your body, it is still not an excuse to consume excessive amounts of sodium." http://www.livestrong.com/article/49266-eliminate-salt-body-potassium/
  • caveninit
    caveninit Posts: 153 Member
    I try to keep my sodium at about 1800 mg or less due to stage 1 hypertension. I cook most of the meals I eat and gave up fast food because most of the fast food meals are loaded with sodium and it just increases my hunger when I eat foods that are too salty. I can eat a ton of Chinese food and feel hungry again an hour later. That's what too much sodium does to me.
    Here's the thing though...my blood pressure did not change at all when I just lowered my sodium intake. For weeks I was keeping my sodium at 1500 or less...no change in BP at all. What brought my blood pressure down was exercise. Once I started working out daily, my BP came down a lot. So now I just keep my sodium low because high sodium foods make me feel bloated, dehydrated, and hungrier.

    That's awesome to hear about your blood pressure, are you doing a lot of cardio or weight training... or both?

    Thanks everyone else!! I DO drink a lot of water so maybe it's not as big a problem as I think it is.

    I usually do interval workouts of bursts of cardio and strength training with dumbbells or resistance bands.
  • sillyvalentine
    sillyvalentine Posts: 460 Member
    Don't worry about it. I don't even track it anymore. I'm about 2000 - 3000 over everyday and I'm fine. I just dilute it with about 16 - 21 cups of water.
  • nikkihk
    nikkihk Posts: 487 Member
    Eat more natural foods, less packaged, less sodium...Your blood pressure can be affected by too much sodium.
    This!

    Things like fresh peaches, mangoes, pineapples and cantaloupe don't need salt. Salads don't need salt. Slow cooked steel cut oats with apples and dates don't need salt. Try a mixed green and hummus panini sandwich for lunch instead of lunch meats. You could even add some fresh herbs like cilantro or basil. There are plenty of options of food that tastes great with minimal or no salt.

    Thanks for all of the food ideas!! However, i was more asking if the sodium was an issue then what to eat... I can do quick google search to get a list of low sodium foods, just wanted to know if I should really worry about it in regards to weight loss and general health..
    you could probably find that answer with a quick google search too, you know.

    Then what would be the point of a forum? Most of the topics posed here could be answered with a google search... and much like the answers I'm getting here, they would be conflicting and lack necessary discussion. Can't very well have a conversation with MFPer's about it if I just google it all.... hell by your standards I should just write my cal counts down and close this account...I mean who needs interaction with other human beings? Right??

    Everyone else, thanks!! All great info!!
  • DavidHusky
    DavidHusky Posts: 112 Member
    I track it, but only to help with water retention predictability (so i have a better idea of what is affecting scale fluctuations). I tend to be in the 1500 mg range on weekdays and 2500+ mg range on weekends due to eating out... so monday weigh ins always kill me.
  • nikkihk
    nikkihk Posts: 487 Member
    Eating out is a big sodium death.. LOL! I'm kind of a pork fan (yay for bacon!!) might have to limit that just a little bit I think.. plus, I get hella 'cook my own food' lazy during the day so it's more like snacking which means sodium. I just need to stop being lazy. =D
  • MysteriousMerlin
    MysteriousMerlin Posts: 2,270 Member
    Stop eating lunch meats. REAL chicken, beef and pork don't have near as much sodium, and it's easy to cook ahead of time. Throw the meat in a crock pot with some unsalted chicken or beef stock, onions & garlic and you've got your meat for a week.

    I still eat bacon, but I buy center-cut or low sodium, and limit it to 2-3 slices at most, about twice a week.

    It takes time to get used to having less sodium in your diet, so go slow. I aim for less than 1500, though I occasionally go over. Drink lots of water on days when you eat over your limit, it helps. Foods high in potassium can help too.

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