Sodium Question

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DorothyNorrington
DorothyNorrington Posts: 123 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hey everyone,

I have a question about sodium. I have been wanting to decrease my sodium intake for awhile but I am running into a few problems. First, I do eat a lot of pre-packaged foods. I am trying to slowly change that, but it will take some time and adjustment because I use them because of time-constraints, and they are usually cost effective. However, I also use a TON of table salt in addition to the sodium already found in foods. I love it! I salt everything; from french fries and potato chips (which have a lot of salt already) to my soups and salads.

If I don't salt things, I feel like they are very bland and have no flavor whatsoever. I thought about replacing my table salt with sea salt to see if that helps, but I was not sure if there was sodium in sea salt or not.

Here is what I need help with: 1) What kinds of health related factors does the additional salt effect, and 2) suggestions for decreasing and eventually eliminating additional salt. 3) salt alternatives to get that needed flavor in the meantime.

Thanks for responding!
Dorothy

Replies

  • flyingspatulas
    flyingspatulas Posts: 97 Member
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    I retain a lot of water when I have over 2000mg of sodium a day. I've cut back on cheese and packaged foods (not all) and that has helped a lot. Also, Morton makes a great salt substitute that has no sodium and lots of potassium.
  • karo224
    karo224 Posts: 292
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    i have always had the same issue with salt. i started by buying lite salt from Morton to help me wean off of it. it had helped alot and you will find if you up other seasonings and fresh herbs that you will not miss it. it takes time and you are right about the pre packaged and processed foods that have tons of sodium and will cause you to retain alot of water weight. as long as you are taking in so much sodium....you will not see your full weight loss results.best of luck on your jounery!
  • SheilaSisco
    SheilaSisco Posts: 722 Member
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    The salt will cause you to retain water which will slow/stall out your weight loss efforts. Sea salt, to my understanding, is better for you, but it does still contain sodium. I'm kinda in the same boat as you... I used to salt everything to death. I've just been slowly training myself NOT to do it by using less and less... some things I don't put it on at all anymore. My next step is to get a no-salt substitute (like Mrs Dash) to see if that works for me. You could do the same. Good luck!
  • ShellyMacchi
    ShellyMacchi Posts: 975 Member
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    i used to be someone who thought they could never ever ever tolerate some foods without salt (potatoes, corn, tomatoes, eggs to name just a few *L*)

    yes i have high blood pressure *L*
    i thought i had my salt intake under control, til i joined mfp and started tracking it. ack!!!!!
    i literally went about as 'cold turkey (which also tastes better with salt *L*) and gave up all added salt.
    i stopped eating at restaurants so often (is only an occasional treat now)
    i shopped VERY carefully (and found some wonderful low sodium substitutes for things i loved, such as saurkraut and dill pickles, and the low sodium versions are awesome!
    i rarely buy/use pre-processed foods. as a result i am cooking and eating SO much more healthy!

    i found that a great apple cider vinegar (in my case Bragg's apple cider vinegar, with the mother) besides being good for your digestion and a bit of a metabolism booster) is also a great substitute for salt!

    and after a couple of weeks with no added salt at all, i discovered the taste of food again!!!
    and to be honest, that was the best new discovery i've had for myself! i am actually enjoying food so much more...and now, if i want a touch of salty taste, i make sure it comes from a food source with some nutritional value instead of 'just' salt... ie: black olives, parmesan cheese etc etc.
    i appreciate those things SO much more now as a result.

    You can do it! and it's worth it *S*
    (i keep my salt intake under 1500mg every day, sometimes even under 1000. Feel free to browse my diary if you wish. It's public *S*
  • staciekins
    staciekins Posts: 453 Member
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    First, you HAVE to stop using regulare table salt. Sea salt won't help as it is high in sodium as well. Start by getting lite salt (half salt, half potassium chloride), then when you get used to that, switch fully to Salt Substitute (potassium chloride) This will greatly reduce your sodium levels AND give you the potassium your body needs. Sodium affects many thing but mostly your heart. It really isn't good. Google harmful effects of too much sodium. That should keep you busy and scare the hell out of you.

    Second, if you are pressed for time, make your lunches the night before. For example, replace your chicken breast slices with a couple ounces of real chicken. Thawed chicken only takes about 10 min to grill on stove. If you feel your food is bland, spice it up with some garlic (great for heart), onion powder, cayenne pepper (helps to slightly maintain your metabolism). Spices are your friend.
  • brooke_g0501
    brooke_g0501 Posts: 66 Member
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    Salt is a major cause of high blood pressure! It also causes retention of water in your body, which leads to swelling of the ankles and weight gain. salt also worsens thinning of the bones (osteoporosis), asthma and kidney disease and is closely related to cancer of the stomach. Adults should cut down to 1 teaspoon or less a day!
    Cutting out the processed foods is the best way to cut down, because we dont even realize how much sodium is in half the food we eat, such as bread, etc.
    Your taste buds will adapt quickly, in about 3 weeks, to the change once you make it. So try to stick it out for the 3 weeks!
    Sea salt and rock salt are just as bad for you too.
    Here are some things to use instead:

    Any fresh, frozen or dried herbs
    All spices
    Lemon and lime juice
    Vinegar
    Red or white wine, cider or beer
    Onions, garlic, shallots, ginger, chilies, etc
  • silveryflutterby
    silveryflutterby Posts: 335
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    yeah, when I started watching my sodium, i dropped some weight really fast and have noticed that any time I go over I retain a lot of water weight. the only way to stay under is to cut out some of the processed foods. I, too, was living on processed food due to time and convenience, but I have decided that it's worth it to stay under on sodium. sea salt has about the same amount of sodium as regular salt. Mrs. Dash is a good salt alternative. There are many different flavors. Truth be told, if you like the taste of salt that much, it will take a while to get used to the taste without it. Things unfortunately will taste bland for a while because there just isn't anything that really adds that salt flavor. I have tried a lot of things and haven't found anything to fully replace it...you just have to get used to it. so i would start slow if i were you. start by not adding any table salt on top of already salty foods. once you get used to that, start cutting out some of the processed foods or buying low sodium varieties when you do eat them. many things come in low sodium and i've even found chips that have only 50mg of sodium. you just have to look hard, but the stuff is out there. hope this at least helps give you a starting point and feel free to ask any other questions you might have.
  • craft338
    craft338 Posts: 870 Member
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    i replaced my tablesalt with onion powder, garlic power, and pepper. there's also a lot of no salt spice mixed out there too :) you'll get used to it, but it helps to gradually decrease as well.
  • jb_2011
    jb_2011 Posts: 1,029 Member
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    Gradually wean yourself off of using extra salt. Try not using it at all once a day, then twice, etc. Make your pinches smaller and use one shake instead of two or three. It'll take some getting used to but you'll be glad you did.

    Add a Sodium column to your food diary in order to track the daily amounts in your foods and work to keep it out of the red.

    Yes there is sodium in sea salt. Too much salt makes you retain weight and is very hard on your heart.

    Drink tons of water and learn to chose lower sodium foods.

    Google the dangers of salt and do some reading, or type in a search here on the MFP forums.

    Just like everything else, we have to monitor what we intake in order to learn how to eat right. :drinker:
  • Fat4Fuel2
    Fat4Fuel2 Posts: 280 Member
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    While high sodium levels can cause high blood pressure, I've found that if I do consume a lot of salt, if I drink tons of water (think peeing clear pee every half hour) I don't see water retension the next day. However, if you eat tons of salt every day, this probably isn't a great option. My dad had a heart attack years ago (he's ok) and since then, there was no salt in my home. I got used to it really quickly and now, most of the time things have too much salt. When he shops, my dad looks for food with 250 mg of sodium or less per serving. Also, adding pepper or other spices as people have already said help too. You might also be surprised as to how much better you feel when you don't eat as much salt.
  • DorothyNorrington
    DorothyNorrington Posts: 123 Member
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    Thanks everyone!

    I appreciate you all taking the time to reply and there are some great suggestions in your posts. I did not realize all the health problems related to sodium. I always thought it was simply water retention, which was easy to dismiss.

    I love the idea of using spices as a replacement...not garlic salt :0)
    I will be looking at the Mrs. Dash and the salt substitute that some of you recommended. Others recommended looking for low-sodium products in pre-packaged foods, which will send me on a treasure hunt in my grocery store, but I am looking forward to it!

    I also love the idea of packing lunches the night before. Seems like a simple solution, that is definitely worth a try. You guys are great! I am so blessed to have an avenue to have questions answered!

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