Congestive Heart Failure

Sorry to hear this for you. I hope you feel better soon and adjust to a new way of living. My mother was on a low sodium diet and I did a lot of web surfing. There are several bloggers who are living a low sodium life and blog about it. They have done the hard work for us. We can just try their tricks. One of my favorite is to use lemon, lime, zest and juice to brighten the flavor of foods. It really makes a big difference. Vinegar works the same too. If you have something on your plate that is bland trying a squeeze of citrus or a splash of vinegar. We love the Mrs Dash blends, taco seasonings, etc. I use the extra spicy for cajun seasoning. I like all but the original and table blend. The others are great! I buy no salt added tomatoes, beans, vegetables, and stock when I can. We have made our own sausage for recipes too. Here is a link to some of the things we tried and the blogs I found.

soupspiceeverythingnice.blogspot.com/p/low-sodium-recipes.html

sodiumgirl.com/
dontsalt.blogspot.com/
https://davita.com/recipes/
healthyheartmarket.com/

Nutritional yeast adds a great salty/nutty flavor to foods without any sodium. It's great in soups. You also might want to check out penzeys.com. They have some delicious salt-free blends.

CaloricCountess wrote: »

I am very sorry, concerning your diagnosis (((((((((HUGS))))))))! I use Mrs. Dash Table Blend, as a regular seasoning; it's salt free but doesn't taste, like it!

I second this. There are a lot of good salt free seasoning blends out there.

Also, fresh herbs can add a lot of flavor.

I'd also like to recommend a therapist if you don't already have one. Depression is a normal reaction to this diagnosis and can sabotage you at times, plus it gives you a safer space to express the frustration, grief, rage and guilt which all will come and go periodically. Perhaps also consult a registered dietitian, at least until you learn all the ropes, because some herbs may interfere or interact with your meds.

I am trying out these. Not really salty but they do give a umami boost.
https://maraseaweed.com/?gclid=CjwKCAjw98rpBRAuEiwALmo-yjJ1Ume8c1cZguWBzUw1gleAqDjvCvajV7y1CprbB0bEVjSlVXdK7RoC1awQAvD_BwE

Sorry to hear about your situation. While not required to be on a low sodium diet, I follow one as a precaution - and it helps reduce fluid retention in any case. Lots of good advice here about brightening flavors with citrus/etc., Mrs. Dash, and more. I found, for me, the plain fact was, it takes a while to reprogram your tastebuds to a low-salt existence. After a while the more subtle flavors of foods will make themselves fulfilling to you, and salty food will become more unpalatable. It's a learned response (above and beyond the natural need for sodium to some level). Good luck.

Welcome to the community!

I wish you the best on your journey here.

I love my salt! The next best thing I've found is onion powder. Not onion salt, onion powder. Try other spices, too, like garlic powder, curry and paprika.

I've been off salt since April, dr orders, and would not go back. I have adjusted and actually like my food as it is now. Read all ingredient labels before you buy, if it has sodium, put it back.

I have a variety of Ms. Dash, grow herbs and am starting to make my own things like refried beans, tortillas and Pico de Gallo to avoid salt and they are easy! Plus I play with it in adding spices to make it more to my liking. I have found that more spice is better, fresh as well.

Meat was challenging at first, but I have adjusted my tastebuds and use lots of seasonings.

I eat lots of fresh produce daily and use virgin olive oil and vinegar for salad dressing. I had to get used to that too.

Best of luck, it is a life change but doable and I feel better than I have in years.

You really do adjust.

I used to do a very common autistic thing, which is layer on the salt or sugar so that it's all I could taste. And I mean a literal crust, eat that layer, add a new crust.

When I had kids I stopped having salt in the house, and sugar was strictly rationed. I even used to buy the potato chips with the sachet of salt, and throw the sachet out. It's a major shock to the taste buds! But now I barely notice.

What the others have suggested does help. Lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, spices, etc. But over time you're also going to start noticing flavours you never realised were even there, especially in fruit and vegetables. It creeps up on you, but you'll enjoy saltless food just as much eventually.

Good luck!