Sodium?

Mandi_Rush
Mandi_Rush Posts: 9 Member
edited November 2024 in Food and Nutrition
When checking my nutrients every day, most days I go over for sodium and I don't usually add much salt to what I'm eating...
What foods are highest in sodium and how do I reduce it?

Is it bad if it's too high?

Replies

  • seska422
    seska422 Posts: 3,217 Member
    Look at your food log to see which foods that you are eating have a lot of sodium. Prepared foods tend to have a lot.

    Excess sodium can lead to extra water retention but it's mostly a problem just for people with medical conditions like high blood pressure.
  • queenliz99
    queenliz99 Posts: 15,317 Member
    Did your doctor tell you to watch your intake?
  • DoNotSpamMe73
    DoNotSpamMe73 Posts: 286 Member
    A pinch of salt will make you go over (seriously straight salt is high) but you'll usually get sick from something else in the food before you get sick from salt. Not to say you can't have too much salt e.g. - seawater which dehydrates very fast. If you're under your calorie limit you'll usually be fine.
    I'm not a doctor though so see a dietician of nutritionist (I forget which one is better to see dietician I think).
  • T1DCarnivoreRunner
    T1DCarnivoreRunner Posts: 11,502 Member
    For decades, study after study was published to show that high sodium intake is correlated with an increased risk of heart disease. During that same time, several studies were published that showed low potassium intake was correlated with an increased risk of heart disease. It wasn't until 2009 that a study was published looking at both rather than each individually. This study found that it isn't high sodium intake by itself that increases our risk for heart disease, but rather the ratio of sodium intake to potassium intake. Electrolyte balance is important, so look not just at sodium, but also potassium.

    Unfortunately, often the packaged foods with high sodium content also lack potassium Fresh produce with high potassium content usually has low sodium content, so look at how much fresh produce you eat compared with processed and packaged foods.
  • IrisEShewmake
    IrisEShewmake Posts: 3 Member
    Mandi_Rush, I came here to the community to ask a question of other people and saw "Sodium?" I have noticed that when I enter a recipe, the nutritional information gives a realistic amount for sodium per serving. HOWEVER, when I look at my food diary after adding it, the sodium listed is the exact amount that I put into the WHOLE recipe. I think that the program is not breaking down the sodium into serving amounts; it is putting in the recipe amount. Needless to say, my sodium per day readout comes out way higher than what it should. I would check that if I were you.
  • MelaniaTrump
    MelaniaTrump Posts: 2,694 Member
    edited February 2016
    Leafy green veggies and beans for potassium (for that ratio). I also drink a low sodium v8 as a snack which is high in potassium.
  • Mandi_Rush
    Mandi_Rush Posts: 9 Member
    My doctor hasn't told me to watch my intake, just to lose weight.
    When I'm cooking dinner of a night I usually do add the whole recipe.
    Starting to think I need to rethink my dinner menus. But having 3 children between 2 and 8, I tend to usually cook what I know they will eat, spaghetti bolognaise, stir fry a, meat and veggies etc... And I don't usually add salt to those... The kids don't really like salads and things...

    I've been using my fitness pal for 20 days and so far I have lost 6.4kg. So it must be working...
  • seska422
    seska422 Posts: 3,217 Member
    edited February 2016
    You don't have to add salt for there to be salt in your food.

    I don't add any salt to foods and I never have. That doesn't change the fact that, when I started logging, I saw that I was getting 3500-5000 mg of sodium pretty much every day.

    My leg swelling was greatly reduced when I made an effort to stay under 2400 mg.

    The recommended daily sodium in the US is under 2300 mg for most and under 1500 mg if you have medical issues with sodium. If you don't have swelling or high blood pressure and your doctor didn't mention it, I wouldn't worry too much about it.
  • piggysmalls333
    piggysmalls333 Posts: 450 Member
    Yes, salt retains water and makes us more puffy! Try to ready the food labels and keep it under 300mg or less if possible.
  • Blondiebear23
    Blondiebear23 Posts: 40 Member
    Mandi, I have the same problem with sodium. I try to drink lots of water to flush it out.
  • T1DCarnivoreRunner
    T1DCarnivoreRunner Posts: 11,502 Member
    Mandi_Rush wrote: »
    My doctor hasn't told me to watch my intake, just to lose weight.
    When I'm cooking dinner of a night I usually do add the whole recipe.
    Starting to think I need to rethink my dinner menus. But having 3 children between 2 and 8, I tend to usually cook what I know they will eat, spaghetti bolognaise, stir fry a, meat and veggies etc... And I don't usually add salt to those... The kids don't really like salads and things...

    I've been using my fitness pal for 20 days and so far I have lost 6.4kg. So it must be working...

    Stir fry has really high sodium because of the sauce used in cooking. Even without adding salt, soy sauce already has high sodium content. Also, processed and cured meats (like the meat you probably use in spaghetti bolognaise) typically have high levels of sodium.
  • Hearts_2015
    Hearts_2015 Posts: 12,032 Member
    Mandi_Rush wrote: »
    When checking my nutrients every day, most days I go over for sodium and I don't usually add much salt to what I'm eating...
    What foods are highest in sodium and how do I reduce it?

    Is it bad if it's too high?
    1500mg is what is now suggested for women by the Heart Association

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