|
Low Sodium Diet Information
|
|
Low Sodium Diet
How many people count their intake of salt like they do calories?
Some people feel they must follow a low sodium diet for good
health.
If you are watching your sodium, be aware that there is sodium
in the baking powder that we cook with, also in MSG flavor
enhancer. Check out your preservatives such as sodium benzoate
and sodium propionate. Using over the counter medicines such
as
cough syrups and antacids, the intake of sodium can be staggering.
There is also the fact that many of us crave salt because we
are accustomed to it. Retraining our taste buds are not difficult.
In reality the average person should consume around one-
twentieth of a teaspoon. The national Academy of Sciences
recommends an intake of around 500 instead of 2,400 milli-
grams to maintain good health. If you are a person who sweats
profusely, your sodium intake may be higher.
If on a low sodium diet here are example high sodium foods to
avoid:
Food sodium (mg)
butter 1 teaspoon 115
cake 2 oz. 150-400
Bread two slices 200-600
cheese, cheddar 1 ½ oz. 300
pancakes 3 prepared 400-800
soy sauce 1 tsp. 420
Roll Crescent 2 0z. 500
Piza 1 slice 500-1,000
Hamburger
Big mac, whopper 1,000
Tv. dinner 11 0z. 1,000-2,000
The sodium intake may vary from day to day, but the amount
of sodium retained in the body should not fluctuate more than
2 percent . Sodium is conserved in the body when needed,
and excreted from your body when not needed.
If your body is not healthy, sodium can be stored in the body
in
the form of water retention in the body parts and the brain tissue.
Many times we see this with swollen feet and hands, swelling
of
the tongue, and pressure in the head.
If you are having any of these problems please check with you
health provider to help you adjust your sodium intake.In the
mean time continue reading the other articles on sodium.
Article By Jeannie Crabtree C.Ac. Learn what you can do to
increase your health and nutrition, while decreasing your stress
by visiting the Health
And Nutrition site.
Return to Mineral Articles |
