subject: Sodium: Why And How To Reduce Your Daily Intake [print this page] High sodium intake is one of the biggest problems in health today. It gets very little press attention, but is causing thousands of deaths, diseases and health problems every year.
Why should you reduce your sodium intake? And how do you do it? Let's take a look.
==> How Much Sodium Should You Take In?
Sodium is one of those substances that's good in moderation but harmful when too much is taken.
The American Heart Association recommends that adults should consume less than 2.4 grams of sodium per day. Today, many Americans routinely consume 5 to 9 grams of sodium per day.
In moderation, sodium is used to help balance your body's fluids, your blood's acidity level and your muscle's contractions. Though sodium has its place in our diet, the reality is, none of us have to worry about not getting enough sodium. High sodium is the real problem.
When too much sodium is in your blood stream, it causes all kinds of complications.
==> The Many Dangers of Sodium
The primary danger of sodium is that it has a big impact in how much water your body retains. The more sodium you consume, the more water your body will retain.
That means that more water will be in your blood vessels, leading to higher blood pressure.
In addition to high blood pressure, excessive sodium will also lead to your fat cells retaining more water. That means that you'll naturally look and weigh more, even without having more fat cells.
Finally, several research studies have linked sodium to lethargy and difficulty concentrating. In other words, eating too much sodium means you'll feel slower and less alive in general.
==> Why Reducing Sodium Can Be Tricky
Reducing sodium intake is trickier than it might seem at first. It's not just a matter of putting less salt in your food.
First of all, sodium appears in all kinds of foods that you wouldn't at first expect.
Sodium appears in condiments, sauces, cereal, canned foods, processed foods, frozen dinners, even packaged meat and veggies.
Restaurants almost always use far more salt and sugar than you would use if you were cooking at home; even if you weren't on the lookout for sodium.
Furthermore, sodium is often disguised on food labels. Chemicals like "Trisodium Phosphate" or "Monosodium Glutamate" are really just other words for sodium.
All that said, how does one actually reduce their sodium intake?
==> How to Reduce Sodium Intake
Start by cutting out all processed foods and fast foods from your life. Many frozen dinners or fast food meals can exceed your daily sodium recommendation in just one meal.
Make it a point to eat at home more often. Replace the use of salt with natural spices like pepper, ginger, garlic, basil and so on.
Read the labels carefully when you buy foods. Make sure that the word "sodium" doesn't appear anywhere in the food list, even if it's buried inside another chemical name.
Getting in the habit of eating low-sodium meals take a little getting used to. However, once the habits are built, your blood vessels, your body and your mind will thank you for it.
