FEELING A LITTLE SALTY

Diets are everywhere.  Atkins, South Beach, HCG...too many too count.  And if you're concerned with losing weight I'm sure that any of these are a probably a good choice.  There's not just diets, but diet plans and companies like Jenny Craig and Weight Watchers are banking millions by capitalizing on people's obsession with their weight.  I guess if you're eating and losing weight it can be considered "healthy" eating.

But for those of us with high-blood pressure how good are these diets and diet companies?  Truth is, not very.  Well at least not the diet companies food.

Problem is that alot of pre-packaged and prepared foods are high in sodium. 

"Oh, they said that the link between salt and hypertension is a myth." 

Well is it?  Well, then why do doctors keep recommending that people with hypertension LOWER their sodium intake?  I'm pretty sure Mrs. Dash doesn't have them on the payroll, so let's assume there really is something to this. 

Not gonna lie, I understand how hard this is for people, especially busy people.  The bulk of the sodium that we get is in fast-food, which a value meal contains almost 2-3 days supply of the recommended sodium intake!!!! 

Well, what I've had to do is start cooking alot for myself.  Advanced meal prep.  Usually, I devote my sundays to preparing my week's worth of lunch (the hardest meal to account for) and watch the salt I put into my food.  In fact, most times, I rarely season with it.  Unfortunately, nutritionist recommend 2,300 mg of salt.  This is equivalent to ony 1 TEASPOON!!!  However, my suggestion is, USE THE OTHER SEASONINGS!!!  Garlic, sage, oregano, basil and even salt-substitutes are great in place of salt and give your food more flavor than you probably imagined.  Don't be afraid of them.  Also, try these suggestions to and remember this while you CHEF IT UP!!!

• Read nutrition labels on foods you purchase to see how much sodium they contain.
• Ask for salt-free or low-salt preparation at restaurants.
• Eat more fresh, unprocessed foods, like fruits and vegetables, which are naturally low in sodium.
• Reduce the amount of sodium in canned foods by thoroughly draining and rinsing them.
• Go easy on high-sodium condiments like soy sauce, mustard, and ketchup.
• Use herbs, citrus, and salt-free spices to season recipes.
• Learn the lingo: Sodium-free or salt-free = less than 5mg/serving

GM