Low Sodium Suggestions

“I'm trying to reduce my high blood pressure by diet and excersise alone so I've been implementing a very low sodium (1500-2000 mg/day) diet into my life. It's harder than I thought. I currently take a prescribed half dose of BP medication per day but I'd like to wipe it out completely. Any tips, recipes, food recommendations, etc that can help? I believe others on this board have the same problem so maybe it'll help more than just precious little me.

Thanks!”

“Rumor has it that garlic is very effective at lowering BP but I don't know of any stats to back that up. I use occasionally but really have not kept any journal for any kind of proof.

Vinegar is supposed to cure what ails you as well, but I haven't tried that systematically.”

“go to Sarbar's site - she has a section on low sodium cooking”

“Me too noncon. Just doubled my meds yesterday.”

“Stick to the BP meds, too.”

“Good luck. :) I have very low BP but my cholesterol was bad high. I've worked very hard and now its in the normal range (had it checked last week) no pills or meds were used.

Take care of yourself :) I find the less processed your foods are the better for you. Cook everything from scratch and you wont be eatting loads of salt.”

“If you like to add spice to foods that you cook, try some of the Mrs. Dash products. They have several that are pretty flavorful and have no sodium in them.”

“There are many hidden "sodiums" beside salt. Some of them are almost impossible to avoid from processed foods. Salt is the most visible but may be on the least significant side of things when all sources of sodium are taken into consideration.”

“I found this info on the internet. One other thing I thought of because I sweat a lot when I exercise. I would think that sweating would have to carry away salt from your body so maybe when you work out wear an extra shirt so you sweat a little more. Drink more water to carry the salt away and stay hydrated.

"What Do You Look For When Reading Food Labels?

Sodium is found naturally in some foods, and added during processing and production in others. When reading the ingredient list on labels, it is important to look for “salt” as well as “sodium,” and “monosodium glutamate.” The following guidelines have been set by the FDA to help you better understand food labels:

"Sodium-Free:” less than 5 mg of sodium per serving
“Very Low Sodium:” 35 mg or less per serving
“Low Sodium:” 140 mg or less per serving
“Unsalted, No Salt Added, Without Added Salt:” May contain sodium as a natural part of the food, but no additional sodium or salt is added during processing.
How can you reduce the Sodium/Salt in your diet?

Choose more fresh foods.
Eat less processed foods.
Put the salt shaker away! Use herbs and spices to season foods during cooking and at the table.
Follow the suggestions below to choose foods lower in sodium and salt.
MEATS and MEAT SUBSTITUTES:

Choose: Fresh or frozen un-breaded meats, low sodium or natural peanut butter, unsalted nuts, dried beans, peas, or legumes

Limit: Processed Deli Meats (Pepperoni, Bologna, Salami, Pastrami, Ham, Turkey, Corned Beef), Sausage, Bacon, Hot dogs, Breaded Meats (Chicken Nuggets, Fish Sticks), Canned Meats (Spam), Smoked or Cured Meats

DAIRY

Choose: Milk, Yogurt, Ice Cream, Frozen Yogurt, Low Sodium Cheeses (Swiss, Mozzarella, Grated Parmesan)


Limit: Buttermilk, Processed Cheese Spreads (Cheez Wiz, Easy Cheese), Processed Cheese (Velveeta, American Cheese, Nacho Cheese), Pimento Cheese

VEGETABLES

Choose: Fresh or Frozen Vegetables, Canned Vegetables with no added salt, Low Sodium Vegetable Juices


Limit: Regular Canned Vegetables and Vegetable Juices, Pickles, Relish, Olives, Pepperonici

FRUITS

Choose: All fruits or fruit juices


Limit: No need to limit any fruits or fruit juices

STARCHES

Choose: English Muffins, Bagels, Plain Pasta, Noodles, Rice, Cooked Hot Cereals, Unsalted or Low Sodium Snack Foods (pretzels, crackers)


Limit: Biscuits, Prepared Mixes (pancake, muffins, cornbread), Seasoned rice, noodle, or potato mixes (such as Rice-a-Roni, Macaroni and Cheese), Coating Mixes (seasoned bread crumbs, Shake’n’Bake), Salted Snack Foods (potato chips, corn chips, pretzels, pork rinds, crackers)

FATS

Choose: Plant oils (olive, canola), Tub or Squeeze margarine, Low-Sodium salad dressings


Limit: Bacon, Salt Pork, Fat Back, Commercial salad dressings

SEASONINGS AND CONDIMENTS

Choose: Fresh or Dried Herbs and Spices, Vinegar, Lemon Juice, Onion, Garlic, Pepper, Low-sodium Bouillon, Spice and Herb Table Blends (Mrs. Dash), Low sodium Soy Sauce


Limit: Salt, Bouillon, Potassium-containing salt substitutes, Seasoning Salts, Spice and Herb Mixes with added salt, Commercial Sauces (Teriyaki, Soy), Large Amounts of Ketchup, BBQ Sauce, or Worcestershire

OTHER

Choose: Homemade soups made with low sodium bouillon, Reduced sodium canned soups and tomato sauces, Frozen dinners with less than 600 mg of sodium


Limit: Canned soups, dry soup mixes, Convenience foods (Pizza, pot pies, Hamburger Helper), frozen dinners with more than 600 mg of sodium"”

“Change your parents.”

“I'm not going to toss the meds just yet, SS.

Thanks kids. I've been working on this for about a week now and it's been a real eye opener. I learned a lot of what's been posted here. Funny thing: the first day I decided to keep track, I brought a healthy breakfast and lunch to work only to find out that before I even left work for the day I was at 2100 mg already!”

“Change them into what?”

“not all high blood pressure is caused by too much sodium.”

“Don't eat salt. Now take on the day!”

“IMO milk is high in sodium. I stay away from cereals, whole wheat muffins or toast, fruit juice and a coffee for breakfast. Sometimes just and apple or an orange and a morning snack of oatmeal biscuit (farl).

With the (very) occasional exception of bacon or sausage I avoid processed foods and do my own cooking.

My BP is low and I tolerate salt well, but a healthy diet is fun. Also, no trans fats or margarine get in my house.

Luckily, red wine and (dark) beer are good - with regular exercise (I don't do it for fun, folks).

Good luck and take care.

Doug”

“Well, after less than two weeks of closely watching my sodium intake, I'm happy to report that my BP is already back down to normal. It hasn't been too painful, but I do miss my salty snacks.”

“woo hoo!”

“great!”

“Crap! I have to change my breakfast as well???


http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/food_and_drink/article3758517.ece”

“Damned uppity colonials! LOL”

“I've heard the salt has sodium in it. You might not want to put any salt on your food.”

“wonderful article. Gave me a good laugh this morning. Thanks”

“Yikes!”

“That saltiest meal had over three days worth of salt in it.”