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Tiam
11-20-11, 8:18pm
I know we are supposed to watch our sodium. We are told constantly that our sodium levels are too high and dangerous. My question is this, I could research it, but I always like to ask people what they think or know....if you are eating most of your food non processed, in other words, more whole or closer to it's original state, how much should we worry about salt from the shaker? So, if I make my own refried beans, salsa, hummous, pasta (but I add salt to the water, but it's not a mix), if I don't eat lots of processed meats, packaged foods, prepared foods, how much do I need to worry about reducing sodium? I salt my foods, but mostly I make things from scratch. Not all. Not Mayo or mustard or ketchup for instance, but they are condiments and I don't use them daily. I buy cheese. Whole cheese not processed cheese, but it probably has salt. I usually buy bread and tortillas, so they probably have salt. I usually make salads fresh but use bottled dressings. So, I'm kind of middle of the road. I don't buy rice a roni, but I would salt my rice. I don't buy kraft mac and cheese but would salt my pasta for home made. One area I'm a bit lazy on is spaghetti sauce. I do buy that in cans or jars. I don't buy canned fruit or veggies except tomatoes and canned cream soups and green chiles but we don't eat these daily or even weekly. So tonight's meal is homemade bean dip with homemade beans prepared with some salt, store cheddar cheese we grate ourself, homemade pico de gallo with some salt added, sour cream and the tortilla chips are bought and salted. Now, is this meal too high in sodium?. I'm thinking the total amount of added salt to the foods comes to about a tablespoon, but that for 4 or so people....so, is that high in sodium?

Simplicity
11-20-11, 8:39pm
I would definitely not worry about too much sodium if you don't eat processed foods. Our bodies NEED sodium, so to cut it out altogether would be a very bad idea. Also, certain medications and health conditions can alter your optimum sodium levels. For example, if you take lithium you need to make sure you are getting enough salt and may need to add more to your diet. If you have hypertension, you may neeed to reduce your salt intake.

On another note, I only use sea salt here. My mother seems to think that that is bad for you and that you need iodized table salt. Anyone know about that?

Tiam
11-20-11, 8:40pm
I've heard sea salt is lower in sodium. I like kosher salt, but use sea salt too. I do have hypertension, but I haven't reduced how much salt I add to food, just buying less and less processed.

Mrs. Hermit
11-20-11, 8:57pm
Simplicity,
The iodine added to salt helps your thyroid gland function effectively. If you don't eat a lot of sea fish or shellfish, you may be lacking in iodine. That is probably what your mom is thinking about. Morton's now makes iodized sea salt.

Tiam
11-20-11, 8:58pm
Simplicity,
The iodine added to salt helps your thyroid gland function effectively. If you don't eat a lot of sea fish or shellfish, you may be lacking in iodine. That is probably what your mom is thinking about. Morton's now makes iodized sea salt.


I don't buy iodized salt. I already am on hypothyroid meds.

Jemima
11-20-11, 9:01pm
If you aren't having a problem with high blood pressure, don't worry about your sodium intake. Even many people who have a problem with their blood pressure aren't salt-sensitive. One of them is me. Reducing sodium in my diet didn't do a thing for me. Retiring did.

Tiam
11-20-11, 9:05pm
If you aren't having a problem with high blood pressure, don't worry about your sodium intake. Even many people who have a problem with their blood pressure aren't salt-sensitive. One of them is me. Reducing sodium in my diet didn't do a thing for me. Retiring did.

Well, the main reason people are urged to reduce sodium intake is to lower hypertension. Is there another reason?

Jemima
11-20-11, 10:48pm
Well, the main reason people are urged to reduce sodium intake is to lower hypertension. Is there another reason?

Not to my knowledge. As I said in my previous post, even lowering sodium intake doesn't work for a lot of people with hypertension. For me, the problem was having a long commute in heavy city traffic along with a terrible boss. My blood pressure dropped appreciably within a few weeks of retiring. Cutting back on salt didn't do a thing for me. If you don't have a problem with hypertension, increased sodium intake might or might not affect you. We are all so physiologically unique it's impossible to generalize any one cause or a cluster of causes that would affect everyone.

Tiam
11-20-11, 11:19pm
I find that exercise helps me most, though in the winter it's harder to get. Just wondering though, in general what people feel sodium levels are when less processed foods are consumed.

ApatheticNoMore
11-20-11, 11:48pm
No that doesn't sound like a lot of processed food. I'd recommend making your own salad dressing and pasta sauce (it's easy, really it is :)), but it doesn't seem like boatloads of processed foods or anything. The only salty sounding thing on that menu is the tortilla chips (check the package?).

I guess if you are worried about your blood pressure, this is assuming you know you have high blood pressure, you could try going on a very low salt diet and see if it makes a difference.

Personally I worry very little about salt. I don't see adding salt to food as being unhealthy at all really (of all the things I worry *might* be unhealthy - salt isn't one of them). I try to use more natural salts like sea salt. I don't have high blood pressure and yes it is TRUE that humans need some salt. I've even heard of people diagnosed with salt deficiency (of course you have to be on a very extreme diet for that, it's not common!) Restaurant and processed foods are insanely salted though and not very healthy in their own right for lots of other reasons. But I suppose if you know you have high blood pressure it might pay to track how it responds to salt, however other things like weight loss or even just eating more veggies might help even more.

Tiam
11-20-11, 11:54pm
I am good at making pasta sauces...just a bit lazy at times. Salad dressings...well I like nice caesar salad dressings but the cheater bottled stuff rather than a genuine caesar salad. I think there's just something so convenient after a day of work and a night of school about just getting the dressing. I could make pasta sauces easy enough. Love to make them with garden cherry tomatoes.

reader99
11-21-11, 8:50am
I'm recovering from adrenal exhaustion, and salt is my friend. I use Celtic Sea Salt in cooking, and Hain sea salt for sprinkling. Processed foods don't agree with me so I haven't looked in to them as to their quality as salt sources.

Selah
11-21-11, 9:07am
My blood pressure and weight are fine, but I have a tendency to retain water. My doctor told me to watch my salt intake to avoid problems with water retention. It works.

Anne Lee
11-21-11, 9:36am
Congestive heart problems and edema are also sensitive to salt.

I know of a woman with congestive heart problems whose cardiologist told her not to worry about eliminating salt, just eliminate processed foods. Since I have a family history of high blood pressure, I decided to do that as well so I cook at much as possible from scratch. When I do buy prepared, I look at the nutrition label.

Since my last BP was 110/78 (down from the 130's/90's) I think I'm doing something right.

I also exercise fairly heavily and have several glasses of red wine per week.

pinkytoe
11-21-11, 10:25am
On another note, I only use sea salt here. My mother seems to think that that is bad for you and that you need iodized table salt. Anyone know about that?
My mother grew up in the Colorado mountains and swears that the lack of iodine in her diet (no seafood, uniodized salt) caused her thyroid issues - she had it removed as a young woman.
I have been reading some things lately that blood pressure is not necessarily affected by sodium intake but by the imbalance of sodium to potassium in our diets.

reader99
11-21-11, 10:32am
My mother grew up in the Colorado mountains and swears that the lack of iodine in her diet (no seafood, uniodized salt) caused her thyroid issues - she had it removed as a young woman.
I have been reading some things lately that blood pressure is not necessarily affected by sodium intake but by the imbalance of sodium to potassium in our diets.

Yes, that's what my 2MIL was told about her high blood pressure. If she took potassium supplements she didn't have to be obsessive about dietary salt. Sea salt is good that way because it has a variety of nutrients, not just sodium. That MIL also kept her blood pressure down by eating a lot of garlic during the time the docots hadn't yet found the right meds for her. She'd roast a whole bulb and eat it with a meal.

jp1
11-27-11, 11:36am
If you aren't having a problem with high blood pressure, don't worry about your sodium intake. Even many people who have a problem with their blood pressure aren't salt-sensitive. One of them is me. Reducing sodium in my diet didn't do a thing for me. Retiring did.

I wonder if I could get a doctor's note stating that I need to retire to lower my blood pressure! :)

Simplicity
11-27-11, 7:42pm
I wonder if I could get a doctor's note stating that I need to retire to lower my blood pressure! :)

If that works, I'm in! Get me one while you're there! :)

Jemima
12-3-11, 10:02pm
I wonder if I could get a doctor's note stating that I need to retire to lower my blood pressure! :)

Believe me, retirement cures a lot of ills. My blood pressure dropped, I'm detoxing off an antidepressant I no longer need, and I threw the Lipitor away because of side effects and because I can now take the time to cook all my own meals and I'm definitely getting more exercise what with gardening, organizing storage areas, redecorating the house, et cetera. My job was very stressful and ditching the stress alone was a big :+1:

My doctor is very pro "retire for your health"! She's told me a number of stories about other people who were able to throw their meds away after retiring. If you love your work, that's a healthy thing, but I doubt that the majority of working folks have a satisfying job. :(