Jun 10
14
A dash of salt can really add up
It is so easy to get in the habit of adding a pinch or a dash of salt to make food taste better. Unfortunately, most of the sodium comes from the processed food that we buy because it is convenient and quick to fix.
Not only does sodium help balance out the fluids in your body, it helps muscles contract and relax and helps in the process of transmitting nerve impulses. Your kidneys also regulate the sodium in your body. As with anything, there is a limit when you are taking in too much sodium. This can lead to high blood pressure, chronic kidney disease, and diabetes. It is important to learn how to read the labels so that you can monitor how much sodium your body is digesting.
There are key sources of sodium that are consumed in your diet:
- A lot of the sodium that comes from food is acquired through process and prepared foods like frozen entrees, canned foods, and luncheon meats.
- Condiments such as soy sauce and steak sauces have all sodium contained in them
- There are many foods that have naturally occurring sodium such as vegetables, dairy products, meats and poultry products. Eggs, butter and milk also contain sodium
An average person needs around 2300mg of salt per day, putting this in perspective be aware of these common sodium traps:
- 1 cup boxed convenience rice mix – 1600mg
- 2 slices of Domino’s Deep-Dish pizza – 1085mg
- 1 tbsp soy sauce – -1024mg
- 3 ounces ham – 1030mg
- 1 cup chicken broth – 1005mg
- 1 medium dill pickle – 835mg
- 1 McDonald’s cheeseburger – 820mg
- Lean Cuisine frozen dinner (Chicken and Veggies) – 590
