Sodium Intake.

b0mbxchelle · February 2012

Hey guys! I need your help on a couple of things.. but first let me give you a little information. I took my blood pressure 3 different times and I am borderline hypertension. My first number was 119,118,120 and my second number was in the normal regions. Don't remember the numbers. Anyways, I've been having heart palpitations for a few months now. After I stopped drinking caffeine they had gone away but now they're back and I get them a few times a day which I am contributing to the possible pre-hypertension. I don't have health insurance but now that I am scared to death I am going to make an appointment with a local clinic.. so anyways,

1. Is there a way to change your diary settings so that you're able to tweek how much of something it suggests you eat? For example: Mine says 2500mg of Sodium. I want to change it to 1500 to help me stay on track.

2. Are there any tips to lowering my sodium levels? Any advice you can give me?

I could be drinking more water, I exercise AT LEAST 3-4 days a week for about 45mins-1 hour. I have had a history of eating a LOT of fast food which is why I am sure I am in this position. Any advice would help. Thanks a bunch!!

raisingbabyk · February 2012

I'm working on lowering my sodium as well. I NEVER add salt to anything yet but sodium has been really bad (1000+ over). I was only 1300mg yesterday though now that I started to pay attention. Cans and processed foods are awful, stay away from them. Try and make as much from scratch as you can. Read labels. Hope that helps

b0mbxchelle · February 2012

I will try. It's so easy to go over! I found out how to change the settings on here so scratch that question. I changed my intake on here from 2500 to 1500. I also found out that I am lacking potassium which will help with blood pressure. So I will get on eating some stuff high in that (=

johnb99 · February 2012

I have a hard time staying below 2500 myself. I am always looking for ways to keep it low so I welcome any tips too.

BarbWhite09 · February 2012

I have occasional heart palpitations and tachycardia, but there hasn't ever been a known source for my causes, so the doctors just think it's genetic. It may not be your diet or sodium intake causing the problems; although, I always watch my sodium levels obsessively for water weight reasons, instead of the heart reasons [when I typed that out I realized how odd that sounded]. To lower your intake still with fresh foods, instead of processed. Go through your diary & see which days you had the lower amounts of sodium & make note of what you ate that day & try to incorporate those foods into your daily intake.

dlcam61 · February 2012

Don't eat processed foods, they use it as a preservative. Basically it keeps bacteria from growing. Also make sure you drink enough water. Divide your body weight by 2 & that's how many ounces you need. Add an extra serving for every 30 minutes of exercise.

As for changing your sodium numbers on the food diary:

1) Go to the home page
2) Click Goals
3) Click Change Goals
4) Select Custom: Manually set my own custom fitness goals
5) Scroll down to sodium & input 1500. Without medical advice don't go below this number. Sodium gets a bad rap but it's a major electrolyte that we need in our body.

I also wanted to mention that anxiety & dehydration will raise your BP & cause palpitations. I am a pre-nursing student & have been told this by several medical professionals because I used to have the same problem. :flowerforyou:

npeters519 · February 2012

Sodium and potassium are crucial for proper cadiac function. Please do make sure you stay in healthy ranges of both, don't cut out too much!

dsm_drew · February 2012

I've been working on this myself, and I agree it is VERY easy to go over on the sodium. It's in almost everything and unless you really pay attention to labels it creeps up on you. Here are a few things I've done to help reduce it, a few rules I've made for myself:

Fresh or frozen vegetables instead of canned. Canned vegetables are LOADED with sodium. If I do buy something canned (like diced tomatoes or beans) I buy the "no salt added" option. I haven't noticed a difference in taste. Also, I've read that draining and rinsing canned beans removes 40% of the sodium.

No more sandwich/deli/processed meats. Unfortunately that means no more sandwiches, which I love, but 1000+ mg of sodium in a single sandwich is just too much.

When buying chicken at the grocery store I always look for the "no salt added" options.

Beware of condiments (especially soy sauce) and seasonings, many of which have salt as their first ingredient.

Drink more water. Not a substitute for eating less sodium, but it's good for its own sake and may help flush some sodium out too.

I'm no authority, but these are a few simple places to start that have helped me. I ate quite well today and managed to keep my sodium intake down to 1576mg.

Jessb1985 · February 2012

Fish oil tablets are also good for your heart beat!

I suffered from heart palpitations for years (I'm only 26) and ended up having heart surgery but that was from congenital heart disease (not trying to scare you)

I don't have high blood pressure but I'm on a low dose beta blocker (25mg/day) and it really helps with the heartbeats. I still got them after the operation and worried for ages something was wrong with my heart and since I have found out I'm insulin resistant and cut out processed carbs (still eat 100g/day). Apparently symptoms of insulin resistance are fast heartbeat/palpitations. I haven't had palpitations in months and I'm feeling really good!

In regards to sodium I try not to go over 2500/day which is probably a little high, and very hard to do stay under if you eat processed foods! (Canned tuna/cheese/sauces)

Hope you work out what works best for you

I spent a long time searching on the internet and it seems everyone has a different cause/solution for their own personal situations!

Front_Runner · February 2012

Hello! I always recommend people take time to review "Harvard Nutrition Source" - they have a great web site with lots of quality trustworthy information on Sodium - including ideas on how to reduce your intake! Here is a link you can cut and paste (or else just google Harvard Nutrition Source): http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/salt/

You're right in recognizing that fast food is part of the issue. Like another poster said - fast foods and processed foods in general have a lot of sodium. We can get an entire days worth of sodium in some fast food meals! Cooking basic meals has helped me reduce my sodium tremendously. A year ago - I didn't think I wanted to deal with cooking for one! I figured it was more a pain than it was worth... but I've found it's WAY easier than I thought. Believe it or not - Celebrity Chef Jaime Oliver was a huge inspiration! I watched his cooking shows on Netflix, and also his Reality Show "Jaime Oliver's Food Revolution." I learned a lot of very simple fast recipes! He uses salt - but I just omit it, use less, or use more herbs and spices. Costco sells a great organic no-salt dried herb mix - it's an awesome healthy substitute. It's where they sell their spices and stuff.

Good luck in your journey! It looks like you're on the right track!

b0mbxchelle · February 2012

Don't eat processed foods, they use it as a preservative. Basically it keeps bacteria from growing. Also make sure you drink enough water. Divide your body weight by 2 & that's how many ounces you need. Add an extra serving for every 30 minutes of exercise.

As for changing your sodium numbers on the food diary:

1) Go to the home page
2) Click Goals
3) Click Change Goals
4) Select Custom: Manually set my own custom fitness goals
5) Scroll down to sodium & input 1500. Without medical advice don't go below this number. Sodium gets a bad rap but it's a major electrolyte that we need in our body.

I also wanted to mention that anxiety & dehydration will raise your BP & cause palpitations. I am a pre-nursing student & have been told this by several medical professionals because I used to have the same problem. :flowerforyou:

I do have anxiety and stress problems, but I am also 290 pounds and have ate the crap out of fast food since I was like 15.

b0mbxchelle · February 2012

I've been working on this myself, and I agree it is VERY easy to go over on the sodium. It's in almost everything and unless you really pay attention to labels it creeps up on you. Here are a few things I've done to help reduce it, a few rules I've made for myself:

Fresh or frozen vegetables instead of canned. Canned vegetables are LOADED with sodium. If I do buy something canned (like diced tomatoes or beans) I buy the "no salt added" option. I haven't noticed a difference in taste. Also, I've read that draining and rinsing canned beans removes 40% of the sodium.

No more sandwich/deli/processed meats. Unfortunately that means no more sandwiches, which I love, but 1000+ mg of sodium in a single sandwich is just too much.

When buying chicken at the grocery store I always look for the "no salt added" options.

Beware of condiments (especially soy sauce) and seasonings, many of which have salt as their first ingredient.

Drink more water. Not a substitute for eating less sodium, but it's good for its own sake and may help flush some sodium out too.

I'm no authority, but these are a few simple places to start that have helped me. I ate quite well today and managed to keep my sodium intake down to 1576mg.

I'm doing fairly well. I've set my goal on here to 1500 that way if I do go over, I'm still technically under the "recommended dose." I've been averaging around 2,000 which is a hell of a lot better then the I dunno 5,000mg a day I was doing before.

b0mbxchelle · February 2012

Fish oil tablets are also good for your heart beat!

I suffered from heart palpitations for years (I'm only 26) and ended up having heart surgery but that was from congenital heart disease (not trying to scare you)

I don't have high blood pressure but I'm on a low dose beta blocker (25mg/day) and it really helps with the heartbeats. I still got them after the operation and worried for ages something was wrong with my heart and since I have found out I'm insulin resistant and cut out processed carbs (still eat 100g/day). Apparently symptoms of insulin resistance are fast heartbeat/palpitations. I haven't had palpitations in months and I'm feeling really good!

In regards to sodium I try not to go over 2500/day which is probably a little high, and very hard to do stay under if you eat processed foods! (Canned tuna/cheese/sauces)

Hope you work out what works best for you I spent a long time searching on the internet and it seems everyone has a different cause/solution for their own personal situations!

This does kind of scare me only because I don't have insurance and can't have my heart checked out. I've called clinics where I can pay on a scale of my income but can't seem to get in anywhere so I'm trying to diagnose the problem myself. In fact, I think I may start logging every time it happens. I think I've noticed it now for about a year. I don't know what could be wrong with me. Online it says palpitations are usually nothing to worry about. My palpation is an odd one. It's not a fast heart beat as it is a slow one. When it happens it almost feels like in that one beat my heat is having trouble beating, then goes back to normal.

iheartyarn · February 2012

Beats lower blood pressure

wftiger · February 2012

1 - A human only needs less than 500 mg of sodium a day so feel free to cut down.
2 - No it does not beat lower blood pressure. Both can be life threatening.
3 - Read labels. Buy only no sodium added food.
4 - Cut out condiments -- salad dressing, ketchup, pickles, sour cream, etc.
5 - Cut out or limit processed meats, cheeses, etc. If you didn't make it from raw ingredients it isn't good for your blood pressure.
6 - Watch the sneaky ones -- breads will get you every time.
7 - If you do buy canned foods that have sodium added, rinse them in cold water for 1 minute and drain before using. Research I have found says this cuts sodium by 30-70% depending on the food.
8 - Don't take potassium tablets. That is the wrong way to do it. Eat avocados, bananas, etc.
9 - Even fresh foods have sodium so be mindful of them as well. You have to eat but make wise choices.
10 - Don't eat out.

Well that should just about make your life as boring as mine. :-) It is really hard to keep a healthy amount as most everything you buy has far too much sodium in it.

If you do think your BP is high go see a physician. This is nothing to play with as you can go blind or much worse.

BTW - The AHA recommends less than 1,500 for those that have hypertension. It is 2,300 for those with "normal" blood pressure.

b0mbxchelle · February 2012

1 - A human only needs less than 500 mg of sodium a day so feel free to cut down.
2 - No it does not beat lower blood pressure. Both can be life threatening.
3 - Read labels. Buy only no sodium added food.
4 - Cut out condiments -- salad dressing, ketchup, pickles, sour cream, etc.
5 - Cut out or limit processed meats, cheeses, etc. If you didn't make it from raw ingredients it isn't good for your blood pressure.
6 - Watch the sneaky ones -- breads will get you every time.
7 - If you do buy canned foods that have sodium added, rinse them in cold water for 1 minute and drain before using. Research I have found says this cuts sodium by 30-70% depending on the food.
8 - Don't take potassium tablets. That is the wrong way to do it. Eat avocados, bananas, etc.
9 - Even fresh foods have sodium so be mindful of them as well. You have to eat but make wise choices.
10 - Don't eat out.

Well that should just about make your life as boring as mine. :-) It is really hard to keep a healthy amount as most everything you buy has far too much sodium in it.

If you do think your BP is high go see a physician. This is nothing to play with as you can go blind or much worse.

BTW - The AHA recommends less than 1,500 for those that have hypertension. It is 2,300 for those with "normal" blood pressure.

I don't have DR, and local clinics have a wait list to die for. My blood pressure is between normal and pre hypertension. Right on the border. I'm sticking to a 1500-2,000mg intake for sodium.

mmarcy11 · February 2012

I never realized how much sodium pickles have! They were always my favorite snack, I would munch on the baby kosher dills all the time. But 1 baby dill has 500mg of sodium! Holy cow. So now I'm cutting back on pickles and trying to change gradually what I eat: graham crackers instead of preztels, etc.

Sodium Intake.

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