How to avoid sodium

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Alexstrasza
Alexstrasza Posts: 619 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I am having so much trouble avoiding sodium. I cut back on how often I have deli turkey and canned soups, but even just my everday eating has so much damn sodium!!

If I drink plenty of water will that counter-act the sodium? Everything has sodium!!!!

Replies

  • DeenieWeenie
    DeenieWeenie Posts: 149 Member
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    Hi :) Maybe eat half of the serving instead of all. That's how I've been beating sodium. Your spaghetti sauce alone had 1,099 alone.. Good luck it's not easy! :)
  • PuliGT
    PuliGT Posts: 10
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    Best way to to just make most/all of your food from scratch. You can't (and absolutely should not!!) eliminate sodium all together. When you do buy packaged foods (sauces, dressings, etc), look around for the low sodium varieties. There is also a low sodium salt you can buy (Though thinking about that hurts my head a little).
  • Alexstrasza
    Alexstrasza Posts: 619 Member
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    Hi :) Maybe eat half of the serving instead of all. That's how I've been beating sodium. Your spaghetti sauce alone had 1,099 alone.. Good luck it's not easy! :)

    Yes but then that would lower my calorie intake.....and I'd rather not starve myself to avoid the sodium, lol.
  • DeenieWeenie
    DeenieWeenie Posts: 149 Member
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    I get what your saying. I'm not starving though. LOL I make my own spaghetti sauce and the like. I was just using that as an example. ;)
  • wftiger
    wftiger Posts: 1,283 Member
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    No, water does not counter act sodium. Your body can only excrete so much at a time so eventually you will just retain the extra water you are drinking.

    As PuliGT says, processed foods have a lot of sodium -- make your own. I make my own pasta, pizza sauces, salsa, soups, etc. I buy only no sodium canned foods and if they don't have that as an option I make my own from fresh. Yes, it takes more effort but it is so worth it to your health. You only need about 500mg sodium to keep your body functioning properly (look it up, Mayo Clinic a good site) so everything else your body doesn't need to keep going.

    Worst sodium offenders (not necessarily in this order) --
    1 - Condiments (especially salad dressings)
    2 - Fast food/frozen meals
    3 - Lunch meats, bacon, ham, hot dogs
    4 - Canned foods (unless the no/low sodium options)
    5 - Breads (yup, they hide it in there too)
    6 - Cheese (I forgot this one earlier, this one is the one that still gets me)

    If you do get canned food try rinsing it in cool water for a minute before using. Studies I have found show that it can reduce sodium between 30-70% depending on the food item (70% for canned tuna).
  • gp79
    gp79 Posts: 1,799 Member
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    Read labels.
    Don't salt your food.
  • shellicious777
    shellicious777 Posts: 48 Member
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    No, water does not counter act sodium. Your body can only excrete so much at a time so eventually you will just retain the extra water you are drinking.

    As PuliGT says, processed foods have a lot of sodium -- make your own. I make my own pasta, pizza sauces, salsa, soups, etc. I buy only no sodium canned foods and if they don't have that as an option I make my own from fresh. Yes, it takes more effort but it is so worth it to your health. You only need about 500mg sodium to keep your body functioning properly (look it up, Mayo Clinic a good site) so everything else your body doesn't need to keep going.

    Worst sodium offenders (not necessarily in this order) --
    1 - Condiments (especially salad dressings)
    2 - Fast food/frozen meals
    3 - Lunch meats, bacon, ham, hot dogs
    4 - Canned foods (unless the no/low sodium options)
    5 - Breads (yup, they hide it in there too)
    6 - Cheese (I forgot this one earlier, this one is the one that still gets me)

    If you do get canned food try rinsing it in cool water for a minute before using. Studies I have found show that it can reduce sodium between 30-70% depending on the food item (70% for canned tuna).

    Awesome idea, rinsing the foods. I am upset with the sodium in everything also. I do NOT season my food but I'm finding it in everything. I'm going to talk to my doctor about taking a water pill everyday to counter act all the sodium i'm taking in. Jeez it's like one obstacle after another with trying to get healthy.
  • UpEarly
    UpEarly Posts: 2,555 Member
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    I actually put a post together a couple weeks ago with a bunch of tips for how to avoid sodium.

    Here you go: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/485931-tips-for-keeping-sodium-low

    I know it seems impossible, but with a little research and planning, it's actually really easy!
  • muwchck
    muwchck Posts: 261 Member
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    I've been working on cutting back on my sodium. I've stopped buying canned veggies and either make from scratch or buy frozen. Eating more whole foods and less processed stuff has helped me a lot too. Looking for low or no sodium options helps too. I spend a lot of time in the store reading labels for better options.
  • Noadi
    Noadi Posts: 27
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    How much sodium you need depends a lot on how much water you are drinking and how much exercise you get since sweating excretes salt (also why you should have more salt in hot weather than in cool). If you are drinking a lot of water and working up a sweat regularly your body will need more salt than otherwise.

    Excess salt in the diet is mostly a problem if you have high blood pressure or other conditions that are sodium sensitive, so obviously if you have one of those conditions or a family history of it you should be more careful with your salt intake.
  • NatalieWinning
    NatalieWinning Posts: 999 Member
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    Start spendng a lot of time readng at the grocery store. Make your own foods. Cut down on condiments. Buy no sodium tomato sauce and paste. Cut back on breads, cheese, processed, and boxed foods. Dont get canned food. If you get canned beans rinse them. Don't eat out much. Get fresh uninjected poultry. The more fresh vegetables and fruit you eat, the more you will eat less sodium.
  • cloud2011
    cloud2011 Posts: 898 Member
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    For me, I noticed that when I eat less bread and cheese, I'm better able to manage sodium.

    Also, both processed foods and eating out can help. I have also had very low sodium days where I had only 500 mg. But today I had Panera Bread and my sodium was much higher.

    Something else that can help is eating very low sodium for maybe two meals a day, and then the third meal, if you want something that has a little more, it seems to balance out.

    Good luck!
  • wftiger
    wftiger Posts: 1,283 Member
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    shellicious77 - A water pill might help you might not. I am on one but if I go above 1800-2000 a day I still can't get my shoes on and that is with at least 80 ounces of water a day to try to flush it (and so many trips to the bathroom I have to take my shoes off to help count).

    UpEarly - I didn't see that post earlier. Thanks for that.
  • jadedone
    jadedone Posts: 2,449 Member
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    Read labels.
    Don't salt your food.

    Typically salting food isn't the problem. Packaged food accounts for about 70% of the sodium in a typical American diet.

    OP: get no salt for everything you buy prepared. And make your own sauces.
  • bbysars
    bbysars Posts: 36 Member
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    Make whatever you can yourself and avoid anything processed as others said. It's the only way you can really control how much sodium or salt to use. It might take a little more effort but I find it to be healthier over all and better tasting. You don't have to starve yourself to lower the sodium, just be conscious about what you do eat.
  • kylesmommy89
    kylesmommy89 Posts: 356 Member
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    I go over on sodium so much! Everything I love has lots of sodium...I just try to watch it, but I'm not going to stress about my sodium intake. It's hard enough watching everything else! I say this as I'm eating a turkey sandwich lol.
  • Alexstrasza
    Alexstrasza Posts: 619 Member
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    I have been trying my best to look at sodium content on everything I buy as well as making as much as I can fresh. Today was a very bad day, sodium wise.

    I buy ONLY fresh or frozen fruits and veggies. The only canned things I use are mexican type beans (pinto, black, kidney) and tomato sauce/paste.
  • dport7
    dport7 Posts: 123 Member
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    Read labels.
    Don't salt your food.

    Thats been my biggest help in cutting sodium, having been diagnosed with high blood pressure, Doc said I had to go on med's, I asked for a month to get it back under control, after agreeing he said balanced diet and CUT the SODIUM. It's been a month and a half and I didi it mostly by reading labels and also making my own recipes

    If it matters, my bp was 169/105 when i started, now averaging 125/68

    You can do it!

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