A Pinch of Salt

Salt is crucial for survival. In fact, sodium is actually an electrolyte the body needs for muscles and nerves to function properly. It helps regulate how much fluid is in the body.

Unfortunately however, many people consume too much salt. This means your body is retaining too much water. Your blood pressure can increase, and your heart has to work harder. This can all cause cardiovascular diseases, stroke, hypertension, and kidney disease.

While we do need sodium for our bodies to function properly, it’s important not to overdo it.

So how much salt can we have?

The American Heart Association recommends less than 2,300 mg a day, ideally aiming for 1,500 mg.

However, if you are already at risk for the above mentioned conditions, those numbers may be even lower.

If those numbers sound like a lot to work with, you must first know that sodium is naturally found in much of what we already eat.

Let’s say you have a small, healthy dinner of boiled spinach (125 mg), one large carrot (70 mg), and half a cup of shrimp (400 mg). You’re looking at approximately 600 mg of sodium, and you haven’t even added salt, yet! With breakfast, lunch, and snacks involved in the day, how quickly do you think you might hit that 1,500 limit?

Meanwhile, take a look at the sodium content of canned chicken noodle soup. 890 mg! Yikes! And the serving size is less than half the can! You eat the whole can, and you’ve already hit your highest sodium cap for the day!

Which brings me to the next point…

Learn the label.

Honestly, it’s best to just read the amount of sodium in the product and go from there. But here’s a quick way to rule things out.

Sodium Free – under 5 mg per serving

Low Sodium – 150 mg or less

Reduced Sodium – 25% less than the original (… impressive… not…)

Try to keep the sodium amount as low as possible. For a beginner’s rule of thumb, don’t buy anything with more than 400 mg. It’s a pallet training thing. You will learn to decrease more and more as you go.

Just watch out for the label “fat free” where the sodium is usually increased to make up for that loss of flavor.

Hidden Salt

I must say, I’ve grown really proud of the food industry for reducing the sodium content in their products. Never before has it been so easy to find products without any added salt.

However, not everyone has gotten on board, yet. Here are a few sneaky ones to look out for.

Sandwiches

Between the deli meat, cheese, condiments, and pickles, there’s pretty much salt overload on every layer. Instead, try opting for a veggie sandwich. Swiss and mozzarella are also great low sodium cheese options.

Sweets

Salt is a mineral of many faces. One of it’s best uses is actually as a flavor enhancer. Want something to be sweeter? Add salt. Sounds strange, but it works.

One slice of Duncan Hines Devils Food Cake with chocolate frosting has about 500 mg of sodium. That’s more than twice as much as a bag of Lay’s Salt & Vinegar chips! A serving size of Cap’n Crunch (3/4 a cup) has 210 mg. A couple of plain Eggo waffles has 360 mg. Three Oreos have 135 mg, and please tell me you only plan on eating three. Do you usually eat both Poptarts in the pack? Then 340 mg. And these are sweets people!

Canned & Bottled Products

Pretty much anything processed contains salt as not only a flavor enhancer but a preservative. This includes items you think might be healthy, such as canned vegetables.

Imagine you think you are eating a healthy dinner of spaghetti with a side of green beans and a small salad. But watch how quickly the salt can add up to almost a whole day’s worth of sodium.

One can of drained Del Monte green beans has 700 mg of sodium. Prego’s Traditional Tomato Sauce has 480 mg of sodium per ½ cup. Kraft’s Italian dressing has 300 mg. And we’ve near surpassed our goal.

Now do you see why these numbers matter? Because everything adds up!

Think of your day’s sodium content as your bank account. You have $1,500 to spend. Spend wisely (and preferably not on a 1,000 mg of sodium Big Mac).

Types of Salt

Salt isn’t like sugar or sugar substitutes. There aren’t very many varieties to choose from, and honestly, it doesn’t make a huge difference as to what kind you use. If you’re curious though, here’s the breakdown of the main ones you will see:

Table Salt

• • • • harvested underground
      • more processed
      • Uses anti-caking agents
      • Iodine is usually added

Sea Salt

• • • • salt from the sea
      • often unrefined
      • contains minerals

Himalayan Pink Salt

• • • • harvested from the Himalayan Mountains
      • the purest form of salt
      • rich in minerals
      • more pricey

Kosher Salt

• • • • less processed
      • more coarse
      • usually does not contain iodine or anti-caking agents

Note: Iodine is added to table salt to help prevent iodine deficiency. An iodine deficiency can lead to intellectual and developmental problems as well as thyroid issues, affecting much more than just your metabolism. The human body cannot produce iodine on it’s own, so we must consume it through food. By adding iodine to salt, something humans are expected to eat every day, the problem is considered solved. Don’t worry, though. Seafood, dairy, and eggs contain iodine, too.

Cutting Back

My husband and I started reducing our sodium intake long before I even developed Intracranial Hypertension, where spinal fluid builds up in my body. Still, by doctor’s orders, we cut back even more to lessen that retention of excess fluid.

These changes were made gradually and incorporated over time, but we easily came to a point where adding salt was rarely necessary. We learned to love food for its purest taste.

We realized the impact of such a small dietary change when we would go to restaurants. One meal prepared by someone else would leave us completely bloated and thirsty for the rest of the night. One small pizza would send my head into another episode of pain.

But sodium is not just a concern for the hypertensive. After all, how do you think people develop these health problems to begin with?

So whether you are struggling with chronic illness or not, take the healthy measure of cutting back on your sodium intake. Your body will thank you.

*** Disclaimer: This post is not directed to people with POTS or similar conditions requiring more salt.