Sodium or sugar?

sophia_uk
sophia_uk Posts: 152 Member
edited September 23 in Health and Weight Loss
I have chosen to keep track of my: Calories Carbs Fat Sat Fat Protein Sugar and I cannot put any more in. But, I am wondering if I should change sugar for sodium instead?

What does everyone keep track of?

And also whats worse for you? Too much sugar or too much salt?

Replies

  • eresin
    eresin Posts: 104 Member
    I track sodium, the higher the sodium intake the more water you retain which adds to your weight, and we don't want this! :-)

    I've foung that by trying to keep all the other things low I'm generally keeping my suger levels nice anyway.
  • andydude27
    andydude27 Posts: 6 Member
    Sugar should already be counted in your carbs... I track sodium for same reason as above poster.
  • sara_xo
    sara_xo Posts: 195 Member
    i just make sure I drink enough water. I like lower sugar. I have Calories, Carbs, Fats, Proteins and Sugar.
  • elmct57
    elmct57 Posts: 594 Member
    sodium is my nemesis. i try to do lower carb and low glycemic so sugar is not a worry for me.
  • Well if you are a diabetic then keep a close look at your sugar intake and carbs...but if not and that is ok then keeping a look on sodium is a good idea...if can affect many things also.
  • wriglucy
    wriglucy Posts: 1,064 Member
    I would track sodium just because I know it can do a lot more damage than a little extra sugar. That, and there's SOOO much sodium in all sorts of foods, that it's good to track it to see where it's all coming from.
  • NutritionDivaRD
    NutritionDivaRD Posts: 467 Member
    Sodium over sugar, hands down.
  • fitniknik
    fitniknik Posts: 713 Member
    SODIUM! I have sugar on there too but... I always go over on sugar, maybe will have to watch both when I need to get out of a plateau... for now SODIUM!
  • Louise12
    Louise12 Posts: 389 Member
    I Track both and im usually pretty good with sodium its the sugar monster that gets me ! ...but usually its not bad sugar maybe fruit or cereals ...im almost over everyday its annoying but I dont want to snack on rubbish!....its hard !i think track 'calories,sat fat ( as thats the one that really counts) sodium and sugar oh and carbs? x
  • I track my sodium. Too much and I'll be retaining water causing me to temporarily weigh more and possible feel bloated. I keep track of sugar myself by not eating anything with over 4-5g of it, unless it is fresh fruit.
  • I track Cals, Fat, Protein, Fiber, Sugar and Sodium. I watch sodium like a hawk. I find it very hard to stay under my sugar, but I try really hard and really keep an eye on it too.
  • USCEE77
    USCEE77 Posts: 50
    I wouldn't worry about either one unless you are purposely adding salt (i.e., from a salt shaker) or sugar (drinking cokes) to your meals. Stay away from unnatural ingredients. Sea salt and natural honey are healthy ingredients. Artificial sweeteners are extremely toxic.
  • sjbringhurst
    sjbringhurst Posts: 3 Member
    The reason sugar is bad is because of the extra carbs and calories. Too much is no good. If you could do like Agave instead, it's a lot better for the glycemic index, making it less likely for you to have insulin sensitivity, like in Diabetes for instance. Long story short, if you have too much sugar, you're more likely to develop diabetes...and that's a bad disease to have, one of the worst in my opinion!

    On the other hand, sodium causes you to have higher blood pressure, which could lead to heart failure. So you definitely don't want too much of that.

    Basically, we should all probably keep track of both sugar and salt!

    A good rule of thumb is that anything canned is SKY HIGH in sodium. Eat fresh and don't add salt to anything and you'll be fine. Try to consume 2g or less. It adds up fast! Try using lemon, pepper, and other spices to flavor food. And with the sugar, like I said, try agave or stick to nature sugars like in dairy and fruits.

    Hope that helps! Having said all that, I definitely need to do better in both departments! Now I'm motivated!!!
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