Sodium Overdose!!
lostinwebspace
Posts: 99 Member
Hey all,
Anybody else have problems keeping sodium in check? MyFitnessPal puts me at a daily limit of 2,300 mg, which is in line with common advice. But I always blow that out. Egg whites, chicken breast, turkey breast...frankly a lot of sources of protein jam up my sodium intake. This isn't counting things like mustard and whatever...those 0 cal "dressings" I don't bother entering into MyFitnessPal because they make little to no consequence in my diet otherwise. Any tips?
Anybody else have problems keeping sodium in check? MyFitnessPal puts me at a daily limit of 2,300 mg, which is in line with common advice. But I always blow that out. Egg whites, chicken breast, turkey breast...frankly a lot of sources of protein jam up my sodium intake. This isn't counting things like mustard and whatever...those 0 cal "dressings" I don't bother entering into MyFitnessPal because they make little to no consequence in my diet otherwise. Any tips?
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I don't worry about sodium because I don't have any health issues that require it. I make sure I drink plenty of water and maintain an active lifestyle to promote electrolyte balance.0
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Unless you have health issues like me I would not worry about it.0
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Awesome. No health issues that I know of. Thanks!0
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Yes, I had a hell of a time with sodium. Of all the dietary adjustments I made (and I made a LOT of them), getting my sodium under control was the hardest. When I finally realized that I had to make my own foods, it got much easier.
Lots of good sodium info (and tips on how to lower it) here: http://sodiumbreakup.heart.org/sodium-411/0 -
I don't even track my sodium. Not too concerned about it.0
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I love beef jerky...but....I have a family history of heart disease (usually self inflicted; smoking, overweight etc). Im very sensitive to sodium and retain water like a champ...even with drinking tons of water. I was diagnosed with hypertension and put on blood pressure meds. Hopefully once I loose the weight ill be fine, but ive always been sensitive to sodium, I get massive headaches from msg. If you dont have health problems, family history of heart/kidney problems than i wouldnt be overly concerned0
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Glad to get this off my mind then. I have no health problems and every time I get my blood pressure checked, I'm well within the healthy range: not high, not low, just right. I have a Mama Bear blood pressure.0
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lostinwebspace wrote: »Hey all,
Anybody else have problems keeping sodium in check? MyFitnessPal puts me at a daily limit of 2,300 mg, which is in line with common advice. But I always blow that out. Egg whites, chicken breast, turkey breast...frankly a lot of sources of protein jam up my sodium intake. This isn't counting things like mustard and whatever...those 0 cal "dressings" I don't bother entering into MyFitnessPal because they make little to no consequence in my diet otherwise. Any tips?
There's little salt in chicken(72 mg in 100 grams), turkey(52) or eggs(62). Are you eating deli items? Stop it! Buy some tenders0 -
No. Not deli items. I'm getting my readings off Myfitnesspal. Some of these are ground (like the turkey) and not eggs but egg whites, Egg Creations specifically.0
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lostinwebspace wrote: »No. Not deli items. I'm getting my readings off Myfitnesspal. Some of these are ground (like the turkey) and not eggs but egg whites, Egg Creations specifically.
I must be confused 4 oz. of most ground turkey is 80 mg of sodium. Do you consider that a lot? I don't. Egg creations depending what you choose, the plain seem to be 120 mg per serving. Some of the flavored types seem to have 220, those I might not use for my goals. YMMV.0 -
Maybe My fitness pal is confused then. It's giving me astronomical numbers. For instance, 78g of Kirkland chicken breast is almost 400mg of sodium. Whhhhhuuuuutttttt?0
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x3, my sodium intake yesterday was 7600mg. Granted that's not the normal (hooray for pizza!) but it's typically between 3-4000.0 -
lostinwebspace wrote: »Maybe My fitness pal is confused then. It's giving me astronomical numbers. For instance, 78g of Kirkland chicken breast is almost 400mg of sodium. Whhhhhuuuuutttttt?
I am thinking that those are the roasted strips of chicken breast that are cooked and seasoned for you, in that case they are more of a deli item than just oven baked chicken, any precooked chicken you buy is going to have added sodium because that tastes good.
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yeah, i also go over by like 4 times that suggested amount and dont have any issues. I dont even retain water as a result so i dont worry about it.0
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lostinwebspace wrote: »Maybe My fitness pal is confused then. It's giving me astronomical numbers. For instance, 78g of Kirkland chicken breast is almost 400mg of sodium. Whhhhhuuuuutttttt?
Make sure you are using the correct entries. Kirkland canned chicken breast vs. raw vs. cooked/frozen vs deli. Don't use entries that don't specify which Kirkland chicken breast they are referring to.0 -
Lourdesong wrote: »lostinwebspace wrote: »Maybe My fitness pal is confused then. It's giving me astronomical numbers. For instance, 78g of Kirkland chicken breast is almost 400mg of sodium. Whhhhhuuuuutttttt?
Make sure you are using the correct entries. Kirkland canned chicken breast vs. raw vs. cooked/frozen vs deli. Don't use entries that don't specify which Kirkland chicken breast they are referring to.
I looked at some and totally agree. Based on what product it might be 2-3x more.0 -
lostinwebspace wrote: »Hey all,
Anybody else have problems keeping sodium in check? MyFitnessPal puts me at a daily limit of 2,300 mg, which is in line with common advice. But I always blow that out. Egg whites, chicken breast, turkey breast...frankly a lot of sources of protein jam up my sodium intake. This isn't counting things like mustard and whatever...those 0 cal "dressings" I don't bother entering into MyFitnessPal because they make little to no consequence in my diet otherwise. Any tips?
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well i cooked all my proteins or carbs or veggies with out salt! u can buy mrs dash spices saltfree and trust me it will taste good the food with out salt and u get use too it and u will feel less bloated and loose weight!0
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The usa website says that the requirement for sodium a day is 2300 for healthy people and 1500 for people with certain health problems. They had changed the numbers for some people so it is not the same for everyone anymore.
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Personally I wouldn't dismiss counting sodium, especially if you are concerned about having a healthy body on the inside, and not just a pretty body on the out-side. High sodium levels are simply not healthy, and too much will cause internal inflammation which will throw your body's metabolism out of whack and eventually lead to many health issues including high-blood pressure, heart disease, strokes...etc. Why wait until you are ill with symptoms to be concerned about excessive sodium?
I am sure you have heard tales of the horrible American diet. Well, high sodium is a big player in that problem. The American diet is growing in popularity across developed countries, and the problem is only getting bigger. Our typical diet adds far too much sodium in both processed (canned/packaged) and restaurant foods (along with excessive sugars and bad fats).
My recommendation: make smart choices now. If you do nothing but eat more whole, natural foods and eat less of the bagged/canned/processed junk you will go far in reducing sodium content. Think about it, when food can sit on a shelf for months and years at a time without 'going bad', it was 'bad' to begin with!0 -
Some days I can hit 8-9k. Normal days are around 5k. You'll be fine.0
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Yes, I had a hell of a time with sodium. Of all the dietary adjustments I made (and I made a LOT of them), getting my sodium under control was the hardest. When I finally realized that I had to make my own foods, it got much easier.
Lots of good sodium info (and tips on how to lower it) here: http://sodiumbreakup.heart.org/sodium-411/
Thanks for the link! I so agree, counting sodium has been the hardest part for me too. I laugh at the days when all I worried about were counting just calories.
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The 1500 isn't just for people with health problems. Many people are advised to use that as their maximum. Some doctors - especially cardiologists - want the 2300 maximum taken away.Cynthiamr2015 wrote: »The usa website says that the requirement for sodium a day is 2300 for healthy people and 1500 for people with certain health problems. They had changed the numbers for some people so it is not the same for everyone anymore.
These numbers aren't requirements. They're maximums, like, "Don't go over this amount." Most of us require about 1/3 of that 1500.
Endurance athletes (like marathon runners) may need more than 2300. Some people may need less. There is no number that could be tossed out that would be the right number for everyone. That's why people should really ask their doctor what the right number is for them.
Sodium, like smoking, can be something that bites you on the butt later in life. People who say, "I smoke and I'm perfectly healthy!" may not know the damage that is being done or that they may face the consequences. Ditto the high-sodium deal. "I eat lots of sodium and haven't had a heart attack!" doesn't mean they won't.
If you care about your health, ask your doctor about your sodium intake and follow his instructions.
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^^^This. You are making down payments on the rest of your life. The patterns you establish now can affect your health in 10-20-30 years. That includes sodium.0
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How can you possibly reduce it? I would have to only cook from scratch. Ive eaten 1,100 calories so far and my sodium is up to 6k already.
The tortillas, meat, etc is all high in sodium. My 3 ounces of Jennie-O Turkey ham had 765 mg alone... 0 -
If you are buying chicken, make sure it is raw and fresh with no added anything. I just entered a recipe for a chicken stew using boneless, skinless chicken thighs and the sodium for the entire 720 g of chicken (a little over 1.5 lb) is 686 mg. This translates into less than 200 mg per serving. My entire stew recipe is 209 mg of sodium per serving.0
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If you click the link I posted above, it will take you to a site all about sodium. One of the topics on that page links to tips on how to reduce your sodium.How can you possibly reduce it? I would have to only cook from scratch. Ive eaten 1,100 calories so far and my sodium is up to 6k already. The tortillas, meat, etc is all high in sodium. My 3 ounces of Jennie-O Turkey ham had 765 mg alone...
I did find that I had to make a lot of foods myself. You're not wrong there! If you eat processed foods, you'll probably be over your sodium maximum on a daily basis. Even cottage cheese is loaded with it. It wasn't until I gave up on the idea that I could eat processed foods and still manage to control my salt intake that I was able to get it under control.
I make most things myself. Herbs, spices and experience doing it have helped me create a yummy, but healthy diet.
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Yes to reduce it I had to cook from scratch, not hard once you learn how. You can try your best to reduce it with some lower sodium choices. You can actually reduce your expenses and eat as well or better. The downside in my opinion is time. It takes more time and perhaps planning.
The benefits for me was after 23 years I got off of blood pressure medicine. Doesn't sound like much but that garbage caused me so many problems, just miss a dose and see how you feel. Like my head was trying to explode. Sadly I've a whole list of adventures all over the world of running of of that crap. Not worth it for me.
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23 years ago I joined TOPS club. The diet was basically the same as weight watchers & Richard Simmons plan. Back then the daily sodium recommendation was don't go over 3000 mg daily. When I go over I think of this and feel better about it.0
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