Sodium is a component of salt or sodium chloride. Sodium has some positive sides: it regulates fluid balance in your body and helps proper functioning of your muscles and nerves. That’s why some sodium is necessary to good health. But as with other aspects of the American diet, we tend to overdo a good thing. Day norm of sodium for adults is 500 to 1000 mgs; 1,100 to 3,300 mgs is still considered safe. This is equal to the amount of sodium in approximately one-half to one and a half teaspoons of table salt. Nevertheless, the average American consumes 2,500 to 5,000 mgs of sodium per day – up to ten times the amount needed.
Remember: your health is in your hands. You may decrease the risk of high blood pressure, and consequently the likelihood of heart disease, kidney disease and stroke by reducing your sodium intake. The best way of reducing sodium in your diet is cooking from scratch, substituting spices for salt in recipes. Try to buy vegetables fresh, plain frozen, or canned “with no salt added”.
Eat more fresh poultry, fish, and lean meats rather than canned or processed ones. Try to exclude salt from your ration; cook rice, pasta, and hot cereals without salt. Cut back on foods which usually have added salt such as instant or flavored rice, pasta, and cereal mixes. Rinse canned foods, such as tuna, to remove some sodium.
Try to cut back on food with high sodium. They are frozen dinners, pizza, packaged mixes, canned soups or broths, and salad dressings. When cooking, taste your food before automatically adding salt.
Powered by Accutane.
Entries (RSS)
and Comments (RSS).