Am I still eating that much salt?
Majority of us are now aware of the correlation between a high sodium diet and high blood pressure which raises the risk of coronary heart disease and stroke. Majority of us are not ignorant of these risks and have taken deliberate steps to cut down our salt intake especially in the quantity of salt we add to our home-prepared meals. Majority of us on the meal table have also firmly resisted the urge to pick up the salt shaker and apply more table salt to our meals. We know cutting down table salt is wise and we are pleased with ourselves on this decision. We believe we have got it all covered BUT WE ARE WRONG. Little do we know that only a minute amount of the sodium total we consume comes from these means. Many of us still suffer from the associated problems of a high sodium diet and we wonder why.
One hidden area in which many of us are still largely ignorant of is the high amounts of sodium present in the processed foods we consume. That is where most of our salt consumption and health problems comes from and we are not even aware of this. Sodium is present in high amounts in our canned, preserved and processed foods and we don't even know we are consuming it. Our salad dressings, noodles, pasta, bread, cereals, soft drinks, cheese, salty snacks like plantain chips, crackers, sausages and canned foods such as sardines, beans, soups, vegetables and beef; are all high sodium foods. Food manufacturers use salt to preserve foods, modify tastes and flavors, and change the color and texture of foods. Sodium is an essential mineral that the body only needs in small amounts. It is estimated that the body only needs less than 500 milligrams of sodium a day to perform its functions, an amount much lower than the majority of us consume. If the sodium per day consumed exceeds a maximum limit of 1500 milligrams, then the strain is harder on our kidneys to filter it out.
What can I do to keep in check my sodium intake?
When shopping for groceries, your best alley is the Nutrition Facts Label on food packages. This list also provides information on how much sodium content is in each serving. As a guideline, go for packaged foods whose sodium per serving do not exceed five(5) milligrams. A claim of no sodium content does not guarantee the food is without salt. Compare different brand's food labels and choose the products with the lowest amount of salt.
If you feel being a food 'police' or 'researcher' is too much effort and you just don't want to be bothered, then go for a much better alternative. Which is - buy only organic, natural and fresh foods! Purchase or handpick fresh foods and cook them at home, that way you don't have to wonder if the foods you eat outside your home exceeds the sodium limit or not.
Limit your use of table salt and condiments that typically contain high amounts of sodium such as baking soda and powder, for example. Explore more natural flavors to replace salt.
When shopping for groceries, your best alley is the Nutrition Facts Label on food packages. This list also provides information on how much sodium content is in each serving. As a guideline, go for packaged foods whose sodium per serving do not exceed five(5) milligrams. A claim of no sodium content does not guarantee the food is without salt. Compare different brand's food labels and choose the products with the lowest amount of salt.
If you feel being a food 'police' or 'researcher' is too much effort and you just don't want to be bothered, then go for a much better alternative. Which is - buy only organic, natural and fresh foods! Purchase or handpick fresh foods and cook them at home, that way you don't have to wonder if the foods you eat outside your home exceeds the sodium limit or not.
Limit your use of table salt and condiments that typically contain high amounts of sodium such as baking soda and powder, for example. Explore more natural flavors to replace salt.
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