It is commonly known that too much salt increases the pressure of the blood vessel walls. An excess of salt causes the salt in the blood to elevate and attracts water to the cells in order to flush the salt from the body. The kidneys need to regulate salt and water levels in the body. The heart needs to pump in order to push the blood through the system, and all the extra fluid caused by water retention from excess salt consumption. These small salt crystals create havoc in the well ordered scheme of things, when the body consumes more than necessary.
How Much Salt Does the Body Require?
It is difficult to suffer from sodium deficiency, unless partaking in very strenuous activities and/or depleting the body of fluids, so many nutritional charts do not list minimum daily requirements of sodium. Individuals' needs vary because of salt sensitivity, climate exposure, fluid losses, and activity levels. Nutrition Concepts & Controversies loosely recommends 500 mg. daily for adults and teens, 120 to 200 for infants, and 225 - 400 for children. The problem with sodium is not usually too little consumption, but too much, and sometimes we are not aware of the all the hidden places we are getting salt from.
How to Cut Down on Salt/Tips from Preventive Health Magazine
- Remove the salt shaker from your table, or exchange it with sea salt.
- Be creative in your cooking, substituting Mrs. Dash and Papa Dash in your cooking.
- Leave salt out of recipes, or reduce it to half.
- Sprinkle lemon juice on your food instead of salt.
- Avoid season salt (they are loaded with salt).
- Use real onion or garlic, not onion or garlic salt.
- Try extracts in baking cakes, cookies, pies, and puddings and then reduce or omit salt and sugar.
- Avoid store bought baking mixtures. Baking from scratch enables you to control how much salt and sugar you use. Note: Jiffy uses less salt in their mixes than Bisquick if you need to use a mix in a time crunch.
- Read labels carefully. Salt is hiding in every ingredient using the word sodium, e.g. Sodium saccharin, sodium sulfite, (MSG) monosodium glutamate, and so forth.
- Other ingredients that contain salt are baking soda, baking powder and brine, so take that into account when tallying your daily sodium consumption.
- Experiment with green pepper, parsley, paprika or red pepper to add flavor to your food.
- Improve the nutrition of meals with colorful foods. Eye appeal will lessen the desire for salt.
- Use fresh vegetables whenever possible. If canned vegetables must be used, rinse them in a colander prior to cooking.
- Adding pineapple or mandarin oranges when preparing chicken will add nutrients without adding sodium.
- Marinate meats in orange juice or lemon juice. Add homemade mustard or honey sauce.
- Wines or beer can also serve as a meat marinates.
- Be alert to the sodium in your vitamin C supplement. Replace sodium ascorbic acid with ascorbic acid or calcium ascorbate forms of vitamin C.
- Soft drinks are loaded with salt, sugar or sodium saccharin. A 20 oz. bottle of Pepsi states it is very low in sodium. The label shows 20 mg. per 8 oz. serving. Consider that one bottle contains 2 ½ servings or approximately 70 mg. of sodium.
Good News for Salt Lovers
According to the producers of Mrs. Dash products it takes approximately three months to lose the craving for salt. At this point individuals find that food takes on new and more appealing flavors, and. one should notice a difference in blood pressure levels. And just think of the benefits of overall better health as a result of eating more varied and nutritious foods.
