Too much salt.

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rockyhi512
rockyhi512 Posts: 42 Member
in Food and Nutrition
No matter how hard I try I am always over my salt intake. I try to limit my processed food, but some time i have no choice when it comes to deli meats and condiments. I prepare many meals from scratch and never add salt. There is too much hidden salt.

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  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
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    Only certain people are sensitive to salt. Has your doctor asked you to cut back salt intake?

    On days you eat lots of salt, drink a little more water.
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
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    Consider brands of deli meats that are relatively low in salt.
    Boar's head is one.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    edited January 2018
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    That doesn't sound right. Do you have a medical reason to limit salt intake - given by your doctor? Is your sodium limit set reasonably? Are you logging correctly, and not conflating salt and sodium?
  • rockyhi512
    rockyhi512 Posts: 42 Member
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    I do not have a medical reason to reduce salt. MFP has me limited to 2300 and I am usually 1200 to 1500 over that. I just feel that I should be reducing my intake. Its hard when 1 tbsp of oyster sauce has 2500 not including the whats in rest of the meal.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    Yeah, meeting guidelines for sodium is going to be a challenge if you're regularly eating deli meat and high sodium condiments like oyster sauce.

    You're going to have to choose -- do you want the deli meat and the high sodium condiments or do you want to meet the goal? It may feel sometimes like we have no choice what to eat, but (unless we're in situations of absolute privation or emergency) we do. Eating oyster sauce is a choice. Eating ham is a choice.

    If you don't have a medical reason to monitor salt, you may want to consider if it's worth it to you or not. I personally don't limit sodium.
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
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    Many doctors are now suggesting a shift to 3000-5000 mg a day of sodium. Unless you have a specific reason to limit salt, you may not be at optimal electrolyte levels for good health.
  • rockyhi512
    rockyhi512 Posts: 42 Member
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    I agree that certain food choices are your decision. There are times when a person has limited choices its a very bland world out there steamed chicken breast, fish or any meat are too limiting and not exactly tasty. The hoisin sauce was a recipe requirement to make something taste and not a regular thing. In order for me to stick to a program food has to have real flavor. Deli turkey and ham are more regular as they are low calorie and a good protein source for me.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    rockyhi512 wrote: »
    I agree that certain food choices are your decision. There are times when a person has limited choices its a very bland world out there steamed chicken breast, fish or any meat are too limiting and not exactly tasty. The hoisin sauce was a recipe requirement to make something taste and not a regular thing. In order for me to stick to a program food has to have real flavor. Deli turkey and ham are more regular as they are low calorie and a good protein source for me.

    This is why some people on limited sodium diets decide to explore things like herbs, spices, vinegars, vegetables, fruits, and other elements to add flavor to their meats or limit their consumption of things like steamed chicken breast or fish to focus on foods with more inherent flavor.

    It's also why other people decide, in evaluating their own medical conditions and risk factors, not to limit sodium.

    The choice is up to you.
  • aylerz
    aylerz Posts: 27 Member
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    I was just about to post about this myself - I'm always over the sodium limit that MFP has set for me, but I don't regularly eat processed foods or condiments that have a ton of sodium. It all tends to come from my home cooked recipes. I admit I'm heavy handed when it comes to adding salt to dishes.

    Does anyone have any good alternatives that achieve the same effect? Other herbs/spices I already use regularly are sage, herbs de provence, cayenne, black pepper, fresh garlic, tumeric, ginger, parsley and cilantro. Looking for others to add so that I can kick some of the salt.
  • seska422
    seska422 Posts: 3,217 Member
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    I use multiple flavors of Mrs. Dash. Plenty of flavor and no added salt.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    bob172fly8475 wrote: »
    Try using natural salt. It doesn’t seem to bother my blood pressure and there is a huge difference in sea salt versus processed white salt. You can actually eat a teaspoon of sea salt. Try that with regular processed white salt

    What is the difference?
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    aylerz wrote: »
    I was just about to post about this myself - I'm always over the sodium limit that MFP has set for me, but I don't regularly eat processed foods or condiments that have a ton of sodium. It all tends to come from my home cooked recipes. I admit I'm heavy handed when it comes to adding salt to dishes.

    Does anyone have any good alternatives that achieve the same effect? Other herbs/spices I already use regularly are sage, herbs de provence, cayenne, black pepper, fresh garlic, tumeric, ginger, parsley and cilantro. Looking for others to add so that I can kick some of the salt.

    I don't log the salt I use in cooking (it's a pinch here, a pinch there, and would be annoying to do so, and I don't care anyway). However, I'd say if you are using it in cooking you really don't need a lot and can try decreasing the amount you use gradually -- people get used to a certain level of salt but can become used to less.

    If you add it after the food is cooked (can't tell), you can cut that out and just use it in cooking, generally less is needed for taste.

    I never add salt to cooked food, but I use it in cooking. Since I rarely eat much high sodium food (okay, okay, I eat olives, but not most of the things typically listed as big sources of sodium in the US diet), I don't worry about some salt in cooking, and anyway my blood pressure, etc., has always been good. If you exercise and sweat and so on or have a decent amount of potassium, those are factors that affect how much sodium makes sense for you, too.
  • aylerz
    aylerz Posts: 27 Member
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    seska422 wrote: »
    I use multiple flavors of Mrs. Dash. Plenty of flavor and no added salt.

    I've never tried Mrs. Dash, I always wondered if it was packed with salt. Good to know.

  • aylerz
    aylerz Posts: 27 Member
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    bob172fly8475 wrote: »
    Try using natural salt. It doesn’t seem to bother my blood pressure and there is a huge difference in sea salt versus processed white salt. You can actually eat a teaspoon of sea salt. Try that with regular processed white salt

    Is natural salt similar to Kosher salt? That's what I use daily.

  • bbell1985
    bbell1985 Posts: 4,572 Member
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    I practically carry a salt shaker with me.
  • GOT_Obsessed
    GOT_Obsessed Posts: 817 Member
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    aylerz wrote: »
    seska422 wrote: »
    I use multiple flavors of Mrs. Dash. Plenty of flavor and no added salt.

    I've never tried Mrs. Dash, I always wondered if it was packed with salt. Good to know.

    I use it all the time too. There are quite a few different flavours.
  • rockyhi512
    rockyhi512 Posts: 42 Member
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    I rarely add salt to my cooking much to the consternation of my friends and family when I have them over. My salt is already in the foods I am preparing...i.e hoisin sauce, soya, deli meat, processed foods. I can only do so much in from scratch cooking.

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