So Sodium...?

HeatherShrinking
HeatherShrinking Posts: 776 Member
edited September 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
I"ve never monitored my sodium before and just added the column to my food diary. Wow. I am always way over on sodium. Does anyone have any advice on ways to reduce soduim? Any tips would help. Thanks

Replies

  • eillamarie
    eillamarie Posts: 862 Member
    Processed and pre-packaged foods are where it's hidden. Start cutting some of those out & replacing them with fresh food.
  • kaymd
    kaymd Posts: 470 Member
    Try eating more veggies and fruit and try to limit foods that come out of a can or box. That's what I have been doing and I find that from years of not paying attention to what was going into my body that it is a hard thing to do.
  • JulieBoBoo
    JulieBoBoo Posts: 642
    if it's in a box or in a can try not to eat it. Fresh is best.
  • ironmule2042
    ironmule2042 Posts: 103
    Sodium is a challenge for me as well. I've cut out most of the processed foods I used to eat but my weakness is cheese and breads. Even the healthier versions of these foods tend to be high in sodium. One the days I avoid them I almost always do well in the sodium front.
  • katmarsc
    katmarsc Posts: 118 Member
    I've taken to using celtic salt. For sodium content, start noticing the nutritional labels and keep an eye on your sum for the day. Try to stay between 1500-2500, and favor the lower end of that range. You need sodium, and going high from time to time won't hurt you if you don't have other health restrictions requiring you stay lower -- in which case, stay lower!

    Eat fewer processed meats, which are typically high in salt content. Processed meats contain more salt than is necessary as an additive to preserve food and enhance taste. Instead, buy your meats fresh and add a small amount of salt to the meat once the meat is on your plate. Therefore, you will know exactly how much salt you are consuming and will be able to taste the salt because it is on the top of the meat.

    Choose foods that naturally contain sodium. Some vegetables, such as celery, dairy products, meats and shellfish contain small amounts of sodium naturally. Because these foods are naturally salty, you may not need to add salt to them to enjoy a salty flavor.

    Remember that you get a temporary weight gain from salt holding water.

    Just reduce what you can either in portion or frequency, yet still maintain your calorie goal & focus on protein & fiber. Again, water helps the sodium problem as does reducing your intake.
  • dayday86
    dayday86 Posts: 20
    I'm in the same situation. My mom has high cholesterol and my dad high blood pressure so I have been watching my sodium and my cholesterol counts each day. My sodium is almost always over. I agree I think it is boxed and canned foods cause I admit I have a lot of frozen dinners and soups. I guess I will need to start cutting these out.
  • spacecase76
    spacecase76 Posts: 673 Member
    I'm in the same situation. My mom has high cholesterol and my dad high blood pressure so I have been watching my sodium and my cholesterol counts each day. My sodium is almost always over. I agree I think it is boxed and canned foods cause I admit I have a lot of frozen dinners and soups. I guess I will need to start cutting these out.

    I just found out that the cholesterol count on the nutrition label has very little to do with your cholesterol count. Most of the cholesterol in your body comes from saturated fat. The lower your diet is in sat fat, the lower your cholesterol count will be. My mom has high cholesterol, and at 34, mine is also high, and I am working on getting it down before I end up on meds to control it. I am kind of furious that I had to take a college level Health course to find out how to control my cholesterol, and that my doctor didn't explain it to me. I believe that knowledge is power, and my doc failed me.
This discussion has been closed.

Categories