Dr. Amir Sweha writes a column for the Elk Grove Citizen.
February is “American Heart Month” and part of a heart-healthy diet is a low-sodium diet. Although sodium is an element needed in our diets to maintain blood pressure, most Americans eat far more sodium than they need. The main source of sodium in our diets is salt. Salt is one of the oldest food preservation methods and as a result, it is added to processed foods such as frozen meals, canned goods, snack foods, sauces, fast food and baked goods. Because the American diet is too often comprised of processed foods, we consume too much salt.
Although people with high blood pressure, kidney disease and heart failure benefit most from a low-sodium diet, we all should monitor our salt intake. Cutting the sodium in your diet has health benefits such as reducing the risk of stroke or developing kidney stones. A lower sodium intake may also enhance the effectiveness of high blood pressure medications.
So what is considered a low-sodium diet? Your daily intake of salt should contain fewer than two grams or 2,000 milligrams of sodium. To put that into perspective, one teaspoon of salt contains about 2,300 milligrams of sodium.
Although it is difficult to abruptly cut back on sodium consumption, most people find that they do not miss the sodium if they reduce it gradually. Salt is an acquired taste and taste buds can be retrained in two to three weeks. To help retrain your taste buds, focus on fresh foods such as unprocessed meats, fish, vegetables and fruit. Read food labels when shopping and pay close attention to the amount of sodium in addition to the fat and calories. Taste food before adding salt; many times we add salt to our meals out of habit. Put away the salt shaker and reduce or eliminate salt in cooking. Instead, experiment with herbs, spices, garlic, onions or citrus to enhance the flavor of food. When dining out, request the food be prepared without salt and order dressings or sauces on the side.
Small steps to reduce your sodium intake can result in big health benefits.
