Cut back on salt
Diets high in sodium are associated with high blood pressure. One way to reduce your salt intake is to substitute fresh foods for processed ones. Today, challenge yourself to eat less salt. Here are some ideas:
• Swap store-bought sauces and dressings for homemade versions (e.g., fresh tomatoes instead of jarred sauce, or oil and vinegar instead of bottled dressing)
• Avoid processed lunchmeat in your sandwiches or buy low sodium
• Watch your condiments (ketchup and mustard contain sodium)
• Drink water instead of beverages like tomato juice, or look for the low sodium versions
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I always avoid foods with high sodium levels, if I feel I need to add salt to a dish, I use Sea Salt.
Normally i dont drink anything except for water. i always stay away from sodas.
I didn’t realize lunch meat had so much sodium. i dont eat a lot of it but I will certainly watch that. Water rocks, who would want to drink anything else…well starbucks is nice every now and again.
I JUST STARTED A DIET AND I’M WATCHING MY SALT INTAKE.
I need to cut back on the sodium because I retain to much water. This is a great way to get started.
Yeah I didn’t realize lunch meat had a lot of sodium either, I wonder if deli meat is any better?
I just recently started watching my sodium intake. I am making my own salsa and chips now. I also bake or boil chicken for sandwiches rather than using lunch meat or canned meats.
i just started this. because me and my boyfriend for a year and a half broke up.
so im trying to be heallthier and look better for the summer…
ilovesteph
why do people use sea salt instead of regular salt?
To Anthony46582, Sea salt has less sodium. I actually heard it on a Campbell Soup commercial! Don’t know why, but it does. I LOVE salt. This one’s gonna be hard! I’ll have to get some of that sea salt, too.
just trying to get healthy an live longer.
I always watch my sodium intake and I only drink bottled water. I find that sodas and juices just tend to sit heavy so I avoid them.
salt is my weakness in any form, this will be hard for me but a good thing to start!!
I want to learn to use fresh, natural foods instead of “processed” foods so I can get my blood pressure under control.
And watch soy sauce, that one’s a killer… same with fast food. I’ve been eating more fruit, vegetables, and lowfat dairy to counter some of sodium’s effects.
I like to use salt alot. This is going to be difficult for me but I think I can do it if I put my mind to it.
I recently started eating that Healthy Request soup and its soo yummy! It’s got a lot less salt in it than regualar canned soups and only has about 5 grams of fat and 30 carbs per can. delicious!
i think that limiting sodium intake is wonderful
We don’t use any salt at all in our home. My husband has high blood pressure. I have to check all labels for sodium. I am so glad that alot of things are coming out with low sodium. We use Mrs Dash all the time to season our food. So I guess this challenge won’t be too hard for me. I don’t drink any soda. Only organic tea and coffee.
Read labels. You’ll be amazed at what has excessive amounts of sodium. I took the time to look up the Recommended Daily Allowance which is 2,400 mg per day. Too much salt leads to toxicity and symptoms include high blood pressure, fluid retention and swelling. Sodium deficiency symptoms include muscle cramps, fatigue, and hair loss. I’ve been reading labels often for sodium and practically eliminated most chip brands especially flavored chips which range 200 – 360 mg of sodium. So I’ve been buying low sodium (140 mg or less) and using my own herbs and peppers to add some zing if I want it.
Here’s a great low sodium breakfast from Turkey. Peel and cut up fresh cucumbers into 3 – 4 inch long wedges, slice tomatoes into wedges, low sodium or organic cheese cut into cubes (usually a fresh curd cheese from goat milk or cow milk), boiled eggs flavored with a mixture of cumin, black pepper, and salt (not too much because you’re only going to use a pinch for your hard boiled egg), low sugar whole fruit spread, non-transfat non-hydrogenated butter (I use Smart Balance), whole grain bread and black tea (with or without sugar – personally I use Sucanat or honey in my tea). Sometimes they eat a molasses type of dish called Pekmez which is made from grapes and mix it with Tahini. If you can find this, it is wonderful with bread and has a flavor similar to eating a chocolaty peanut butter. Sometimes they serve a very small amount of salami or dried sausage flavored with garlic spices called Sucuk “pronounced Soo-Jook” (can be found at international markets). Enjoy!
I have gave up salt along time ago. what ever is in the food is what i eat
In answer to Anthony’s question (Why do people use sea salt instead of regular salt), Sea salt contains more minerals than regular salt because it is less refined. Therefore, gram per gram, there is less sodium in sea salt than in regular salt. Also, when added to food just before serving, the texture of sea salt can add a lot to the texture of food— the particles are larger so they add a bit of crunch and more of a ‘salty’ impression because they don’t dissolve into the food before hitting your taste buds. That means that you can use less sea salt on a food product than regular salt and the food will taste just as salty!