KILLER SODIUM

Rozettijo
Rozettijo Posts: 4
in Health and Weight Loss
WHAT IS A GOOD SOURCE TO CUT SODIUM, I HAVE CUT QUIET A FEW CALORIES, BUT NOTICE WHEN I POST IN MY LOG MY SODIUM IS TOO HIGH. I AM A VETERAN AND SALT WAS CUT FROM OUR FOOD. THIS HELPED ME TO STOP ADDING SALT, BUT PROCESSED FOODS ARE PACKED WITH IT "LITERALLY". HELP!!!!

Replies

  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    Drink LOTS of water!
  • CoachChris78
    CoachChris78 Posts: 30 Member
    Stop eating processed food, start cooking for yourself.
  • 20yearsyounger
    20yearsyounger Posts: 1,630 Member
    CoachChris78 wrote: »
    Stop eating processed food, start cooking for yourself.

    +1. Also eating out especially the mid-range dining places Fridays, Applebees, Chillis, etc. They put a lot of salt in the food to make it taste good. Learn how to grill your own foods and add the right level of salt for you.

    If you look at your diary, you'll see the culprits. There are lots of low sodium options available.
  • Branstin
    Branstin Posts: 2,320 Member
    Don't depend so much on foods with high sodium. If you enjoy processed foods then mix those with other foods like fruits and veggies. Don't consume so much that it becomes a problem for you.
  • missiontofitness
    missiontofitness Posts: 4,059 Member
    Make batches of the processed foods you like at home. It'll save you money down the road, and you can better control what's in it. :)
  • williams969
    williams969 Posts: 2,528 Member
    CoachChris78 wrote: »
    Stop eating processed food, start cooking for yourself.

    This is the right answer. It sucks, but it's true. I really had to improve my culinary skills (um, actually LEARN some, but it's not that hard) to get my sodium intake back to an appropriate range. Sure, we still need to eat "other" people's food (i.e. eating out, cafeteria, etc.).

    But by choosing more naturally low sodium meals (salads with grilled chicken-salt free seasoning is my go to lunch, for example), we can keep daily sodium to an appropriate level. Whatever types of food you like, find a simple way to prepare it in a low sodium way. A trick I do to make "quick" meals is to batch cook one day a week, and package it up in single serving containers.

    Soups, stews, chili are easy to make in a crock pot (don't add salt, choose fresh produce or no salt canned goods to make it). Makes like 10 servings (get some Tupperware/Rubbermaid containers and freeze/refrigerate). That'll get you 10 "fast, but low sodium" meals right there.
  • Alluminati
    Alluminati Posts: 6,208 Member
    There are a lot of low salt processed foods on the market as well. You have to read labels carefully. Also what Lis said...drink your water.
  • LianaG1115
    LianaG1115 Posts: 453 Member
    Ditch the processed foods, they're no good for you anyways!!
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
    Sodium and Potassium work together in your cells. The potassium allows the sodium to leave the cells, so increasing your potassium intake reduces the affect of the sodium by allowing it to leave your body. So, eat more potatoes, since they are one of the richest sources of potassium you can find. Another thing you can do is exercise more. We lose sodium when we sweat. People who exercise a lot actually need to consume more sodium because of it.

    As for drinking water, all that does, when you're eating too much sodium, is make you swell.
  • jasonmh630
    jasonmh630 Posts: 2,850 Member
    LianaG1115 wrote: »
    Ditch the processed foods, they're no good for you anyways!!

    Not really. Are they worse for you than freshly prepared items? Sure. But everything is fine in moderation. The only really downside to processed foods is the amount of sodium that's added to it.
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,603 Member
    You can't really get rid of sodium, you have to not swallow it. The MFP level is really kind of high. Most cardiologists would tell the average person to stay lower than 2300.

    Processed food is loaded with sodium. If you really want to avoid it, read labels, choose carefully and try to make more things yourself.

    I struggle with sodium, too. It's not easy!
  • JustinAnimal
    JustinAnimal Posts: 1,335 Member
    Just what everyone else has said: more cooking for yourself, which means more fresh fruits, veggies, meat, etc. Maybe cut back a little on dairy, but I would imagine processed / packaged food is the main culprit.

    By the way, thank you for serving.
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  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    You asked this exact same question last week...same exact answers.

    If you're consuming a lot of processed foods, you're going to be consuming a lot of sodium...it comes with the territory. Processed food items have to have a shelf life and salt is a preservative.

    If you want to reduce your sodium consumption then you need to eat more whole foods and less processed foods. You're going to have to cook and prepare meals from whole, scratch ingredients.

    I personally love cooking...it is a very enjoyable hobby.
  • JustinAnimal
    JustinAnimal Posts: 1,335 Member
    For those of us who can't cook (not it, but just sayin'), steam a bunch of rice, steam a bunch of veggies, bake a bunch of chicken breast or lean pork and enjoy for the week. DO NOT DOUSE WITH SOY SAUCE!
  • mojohowitz
    mojohowitz Posts: 900 Member
    edited November 2014
    Avoid or limit consumption of canned foods, packaged foods, fast foods, restaurant foods, lunch meat, cheese, frozen foods (except veges), jerky, spaghetti sauce, PANCAKES!, vege burgers, tomato juice, bagels, salad dressing, soups.

    I try to stick to fresh chicken, fish, frozen vege's, salad, bagged beans and whole grain rice but I'm rarely successful. More potassium and less sodium is probably an okay, if unscientific, rule to go by.

    Again, all things in moderation including arguments about the merits of processed food.

    Fig-3-7-Sodium-Potassium-Pump.jpg
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  • Rozettijo
    Rozettijo Posts: 4
    THANKS!!!
  • SbetaK
    SbetaK Posts: 398 Member
    Google low sodium diet and read away.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    jasonmh630 wrote: »
    LianaG1115 wrote: »
    Ditch the processed foods, they're no good for you anyways!!

    Not really. Are they worse for you than freshly prepared items? Sure. But everything is fine in moderation. The only really downside to processed foods is the amount of sodium that's added to it.

    That's what the thread is about, friend :)

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