sodium low or high?

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scottish_laura_13
scottish_laura_13 Posts: 69 Member
in Food and Nutrition
should my sodium be low or high daily intake?
im a little confused at the 'goal' terminology - should that not be maximum or restriction?
my daily sodium rarely goes over 1000mg - is this a good thing?
my fat is normally at the goal, sugar is normally below, everything is normally under the goal, occasionally slightly above, except sodium - I rarely even reach half the 'goal' of 2,300mg
am I right in thinking sodium should be low?

Replies

  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
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    I don't think the sodium entries are accurate enough to worry about, as sodium and salt along with grams and milligrams seems to get mixed up.

    2300 is the goal for sodium, that is already a fairly low goal but check your data for sodium accuracy.
  • Yi5hedr3
    Yi5hedr3 Posts: 2,696 Member
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    If you are not eating ANY processed foods, that might be correct.
  • MelaniaTrump
    MelaniaTrump Posts: 2,694 Member
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    If your sodium is that low, you are doing an amazing job at cooking your own foods. High ^5 to you. I worry more about my fiber and protein intake.
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
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    How often do you get blood work done? Next time, ask for a metabolic panel which will test the electrolyte levels in your bloodstream (sodium, potassium, etc) if those numbers are normal, don't worry about it.

    Basically, if you feel good when you sweat a lot (while exercising or in hot weather) I would not worry about it one tiny bit. If you get light headed easily, you might want to raise your levels a little.
  • scottish_laura_13
    scottish_laura_13 Posts: 69 Member
    edited January 2016
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    thanks JanetYellen! I put in todays data and have 2600mg of sodium but will be eating takeout later which is why its high (I pre-log when I know what im having) but yesterday was 668mg of sodium and the day before 802mg
    good to know its not a bad thing to have low sodium intake - the rest are much closer to the goals so ive never really thought about them but the sodium was so out I didn't know if it was good or bad
  • scottish_laura_13
    scottish_laura_13 Posts: 69 Member
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    ive never had blood work done
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
    edited January 2016
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    scottish_laura_13 wrote: »
    ive never had blood work done

    Then pay attention to how you feel. I don't think everything entered in the MFP database is complete (for example, some wine entries have no carbs listed) so, unless you are having problems, you are probably getting enough sodium. The human body is really good at regulating itself so, even if you are eating lower sodium, it is likely holding on to the amount it needs and excreting less than someone who eats more.

    ETA: 2300 is meant to be the maximum for the average person
  • scottish_laura_13
    scottish_laura_13 Posts: 69 Member
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    Thanks
  • veggiecanner
    veggiecanner Posts: 137 Member
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    I just asked my doctor and said people get enough salt every day from 2 slices of bread. They recomend no more than 1500 mg.
  • BabyButterlies
    BabyButterlies Posts: 10 Member
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    sodium causes bloating and water weight gain, so you should limit it. Freelee the banana girl only has like 1500mg and is gorgeous.
  • fishshark
    fishshark Posts: 1,886 Member
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    BabyButterlies wrote: »
    sodium causes bloating and water weight gain, so you should limit it. Freelee the banana girl only has like 1500mg and is gorgeous.

    she is no one to admire.
  • cronus70
    cronus70 Posts: 191 Member
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    yarwell wrote: »
    I don't think the sodium entries are accurate enough to worry about, as sodium and salt along with grams and milligrams seems to get mixed up.

    That's why I tend to log my foods from the pack nutritional info and convert it myself instead of taking MFP's logged versions

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