Sodium daily goal is 2,300?

i think that is a generic platform, considering that an adult should not intake more that 2300 mg of sodium per day.

truthfully, i have a very difficult time staying under 2300 mg of sodium. it almost never happens.

The American Heart Association recommends 1500mg or less.

I find it quite easy to stay under 1500mg but I don't typically eat many processed foods. Eating a processed diet likely would put a person well over 3000mg + easily.

i think that is a generic platform, considering that an adult should not intake more that 2300 grams of sodium per day.

truthfully, i have a very difficult time staying under 2300 grams of sodium. it almost never happens.

Really? Are you sure?

One of my health issues is high blood pressure. So sodium intake is important to me. I have researched and try to watch my intake. The guidelines were changed several years ago. This is what I found. If you are age 51 or older, an African American or have been diagnosed with high blood pressure, your maximum sodium intake should be 1500 or less. Some say this is hard to achieve. I have set mine to 1500. Some days I make; it some days I don't. For more details, check out choosemyplate.gov

PS: When I start MFP I was taking two pills. Now, I take one and the mgs were reduced.

Meh. Really, it depends. If you work out (and sweat), you probably can consume and need much more sodium. I drink 2-3 bottles of energy drinks during a long bike ride, that's more than 1,000 mg of sodium.

Seriously, I only think you should care about this if you are suffering hypertension or under medical advice. Most people can manage sodium excesses in their diet with reasonable hydration.

i think that is a generic platform, considering that an adult should not intake more that 2300 grams of sodium per day.

truthfully, i have a very difficult time staying under 2300 grams of sodium. it almost never happens.

Really? Are you sure?

sorry, i meant to say mg, not grams.

yes, often times i have a hard time staying under 2300 mg of sodium, which is odd because i eat very little processed foods.

The American Heart Association recommends 1500mg or less.

I find it quite easy to stay under 1500mg but I don't typically eat many processed foods. Eating a processed diet likely would put a person well over 3000mg + easily.

Agreed. It's very easy to stay under 1500mg when you eliminate processed foods from your diet!

The British Heart Association ( I am in the UK) recommends a sodium intake of no more than 6 gms a day = 6000mgs.
UNLESS you have high BP or associated poblems.
E.g I have renal problems, take anti hypertensive drugs to protect my kidneys and am SPECIFICALLy advised to aim for 1.5 gms to a maximum 2.5 gms.

I actually have the OPPOSITE problem - my dr has told me numerous times that my body is LOW in sodium (my mom has this problem too) and he actually ENCOURAGES me to put salt on my food - which I don't usually because I find there's enough salt in food as it is to be honest lol
Having said that - I have a hard time staying under 2300mg a day as well - and I try to eat as much 'real' food as possible (feel free to look at my diary - it's open).. if anyone sees things in there I should change I'm always open to suggestions.
I had dizzy spells and he attributed that partly to low sodium in my body.. at one time he even had me using a SALT LICK when I was heavy into working out. (I've taken a break during my holidays lol)

I try to watch my sodium - but when I'm light headed I eat something salty - like a dill pickle, etc..

any suggestions?

I actually have the OPPOSITE problem - my dr has told me numerous times that my body is LOW in sodium (my mom has this problem too) and he actually ENCOURAGES me to put salt on my food - which I don't usually because I find there's enough salt in food as it is to be honest lol
Having said that - I have a hard time staying under 2300mg a day as well - and I try to eat as much 'real' food as possible (feel free to look at my diary - it's open).. if anyone sees things in there I should change I'm always open to suggestions.
I had dizzy spells and he attributed that partly to low sodium in my body.. at one time he even had me using a SALT LICK when I was heavy into working out. (I've taken a break during my holidays lol)

I try to watch my sodium - but when I'm light headed I eat something salty - like a dill pickle, etc..

any suggestions?

I took a peek at your food diary for one day and assumed that was a typical day. Your diet looks reasonably healthy. But, you are under-eating by a bit and are inadequate in your fat intake (which will do bad things to you hormonally--you need AT LEAST 45 grams of "good" fats, nuts, organic butter, avocado, etc. to stay healthy). I notice that your carb intake is on the low side and that may be the difficulty in holding onto sodium (carbs will preserve sodium in the body). Some people need more carbs to keep their sodium levels where they should be.

The British Heart Association ( I am in the UK) recommends a sodium intake of no more than 6 gms a day = 6000mgs.
UNLESS you have high BP or associated poblems.

Salt or Sodium ?

Committee on Medical Aspects
of Food and Nutrition Policy (COMA) in 1994, which
recommended a target for reduction in the population
average intakes of salt to 6g per day for adults

Well the high sodium intake from pork products (Processed) will give you a high sodium count. I would recommend you talk to your doctor and get on the correct eating regiment (Not a Diet). This should help you maintain your sodium intake and also allow you to release water. You want to loose 30 pounds, well limiting or reducing your intake down around 1000mg will allow for you to loose around ten pounds of water within two weeks depending on the activity level. Also there are other ways to reduce this in a well balanced eating regiment where carbs and leaner meats like beef, Lamb, Chicken and fish will help with that. Also another note, if anyone tells you that it cant be done then they don't know how to eat and aren't doing it right and any doctor will put you with a nutritionist that can help you lower it and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Consult your doctor and nutritionist.

I actually have the OPPOSITE problem - my dr has told me numerous times that my body is LOW in sodium (my mom has this problem too) and he actually ENCOURAGES me to put salt on my food - which I don't usually because I find there's enough salt in food as it is to be honest lol
Having said that - I have a hard time staying under 2300mg a day as well - and I try to eat as much 'real' food as possible (feel free to look at my diary - it's open).. if anyone sees things in there I should change I'm always open to suggestions.
I had dizzy spells and he attributed that partly to low sodium in my body.. at one time he even had me using a SALT LICK when I was heavy into working out. (I've taken a break during my holidays lol)

I try to watch my sodium - but when I'm light headed I eat something salty - like a dill pickle, etc..

any suggestions?

I took a peek at your food diary for one day and assumed that was a typical day. Your diet looks reasonably healthy. But, you are under-eating by a bit and are inadequate in your fat intake (which will do bad things to you hormonally--you need AT LEAST 45 grams of "good" fats, nuts, organic butter, avocado, etc. to stay healthy). I notice that your carb intake is on the low side and that may be the difficulty in holding onto sodium (carbs will preserve sodium in the body). Some people need more carbs to keep their sodium levels where they should be.

Thanks for the direction
Yes I do try to stay under my cals - guess it's a 'phobia' to eat to my 'limit' in case I go over.. I'll work on that.
My fat macros is set to 40g which is the # I got with IIFYM - but yes I probably don't eat my 'limit' on that either most days) I'm not a big 'nut' lover or avocado - any other suggestions for 'good fats'?
As for carbs - that, again, is the # I got form IIFYM - what # would you suggest?
Again - thanks for you help - feel free to pm me.

First, let me say that I am not a fan of IIFYM because I feel that is a recipe for ill health if one is going to drastically reduce calories (as you seem to have done). IIFYM only really works well for people who are eating enough calories to afford the luxury of the odd bit of empty calories here and there. People who expend a lot of calories with weight training and vigorous activity don't have a problem fitting in their treats. But if you examine their food diaries, you will see that their calorie intake is usually 2,000 calories (or much more in the case of male body builder/athletes) each and every day. It is counter-productive to go under 1,200 calories for ANY adult as it is extremely difficult to stay well-nourished below that point. A woman's body is such that it would rather sacrifice lean body mass than fat (because of the influence of estrogen) and the lower a woman goes in her calories, the larger the loss of lean body mass in proportion to body fat. When the inevitable regain occurs, it is usually fat that is gained--especially after 40. It is actually much better to eat more and exercise more (for your calorie deficit) than it is to restrict calories. MFP encourages members to "eat more to weigh less" because of the understanding that calorie restriction alone will simply not lead to long term success.

In terms of healthy fat--nothing beats grass-fed, organic butter (such as Kerrygold). Butter has been heavily maligned by the margarine industry but a superior butter is actually a VERY good-for-you food (margarine is mostly a bad-for-you food). Even grass-fed, organic meat fat is good for you. And organic whole eggs are a nutritional bonanza in terms of healthy fat from the egg yolk. A word about "high cholesterol" is in order. The whole cholesterol scam is just that--medical researchers have known for a very long time (since the first Framingham study) that eating cholesterol does NOT give you "high cholesterol" nor does it give you cardio-vascular disease. The human body is of such a design that, if one eats cholesterol, our bodies (which manufacture far more cholesterol than we are apt to eat) simply cut back on the amount manufactured. There is some evidence that eating cholesterol prevents gall stones.

I generally try to eat between 100 to 150 grams of carbohydrate per day from good sources like vegetables (which I eat in an "unlimited" way) and at least one serving of fruit per day. I generally do not eat much grain but I do have my days, like today, when I have eaten more grain than I normally do because I worked out today. I normally do not eat a lot of grain on days when I eat a lot of fruit and vice versa (there's a reason why). I don't ever eat added sugar and I don't ever eat wheat (there's a reason for that too). When I do eat grain, I tend to only eat organic oats or rye and sometimes, organic corn (organic is not allowed to contain GMO). I try to eat as much organic produce as I can. Eating conventional grain and added sugar leads to high blood sugar and, in susceptible individuals, will cause ataxia (a neurological disorder) over time. I can always tell when my blood sugar is high as I begin to have dizzy spells. Eating higher fat and lower carb (within my macro limit) helps me to avoid the problem. My macros are set to 55% of calories from fat and 20% for protein and 25% for carbohydrates. It is a very nice way to eat and then I have upped my exercise to the point that I am exercising more than I ever have and am more fit than I probably ever was.

I'm NEVER under 2,300mg of sodium, lol.

shawndrea89 wrote: »

I was curious about the 2,300mg sodium maximum on MFP as I was planning out my meals for the day. I'm having a fresh seafood dinner at a favorite restaurant (a seafood sampler) which has 3 oysters (raw), one lobster claw (steamed), 2 king crab legs (steamed), and 2 jumbo shrimp (boiled). According to my tracker, this packs a whopping 3,595mg of sodium.

I figured seafood would be a health dinner (low cal and high protein with minimal carbs sugar and fat) but the sodium is insane. Is seafood related sodium just as bad for you as that of say canned soups? Mediterranean-based diets are supposed to be great and those embrace seafood...

Salt gets added to processed foods as preservative or for taste, and gets added to lots of restaurant food for the same reason (and not so much in the traditional Med diet, of course). In both cases it's basically the same thing.

One high sodium day isn't a big thing, and sodium in general probably isn't if you don't have related health issues, don't fall into a risk group, and/or get lots of exercise (which means you need more sodium) and have plenty of potassium to balance.