Salt, sodium, and high blood pressure
Everyone enjoys delicious foods, and we choose
our favorites based on how good they taste. Sometimes we have to
make changes in the foods we eat because of medical problems like
high blood pressure (hypertension). Believe it or not, you can have
foods that taste good and are good for you. How? It's all about
eating a variety of foods, seasoned properly, in the right amounts
for you.
The sodium-hypertension connection
A diet high in sodium is often linked to
hypertension, but food choices alone are not the cause. Contributing
factors include family history, age, smoking, being overweight, and
leading a sedentary lifestyle. Also, some ethnic groups, such as
African Americans have a higher incidence of hypertension.
So what's the sodium-hypertension connection? Studies show that
although going easy on salt and sodium will not prevent
hypertension, it can lower blood pressure. In fact, even healthy
people should watch their sodium intake. Here's the bottom line:
good preventative measures against hypertension are a healthful
eating pattern moderate in sodium, a physically active lifestyle,
and maintaining a healthy weight.
What can I do about it?
Flavor with less salt and sodium. Before
you pick up the salt shaker, think about this--you weren't born with
a love for salt. A new baby has four primary tastes--sweet, bitter,
sour, and salty. A newborn will embrace sweet foods, reject sour or
bitter, and can take or leave salty foods. To put it simply, if you
are raised on salted foods, you will grow up thinking foods need to
be salty to be tasty. Also, most of the sodium you consume comes
from processed foods and foods eaten at restaurants.
The good news is that you can "retrain" your taste buds. If you
gradually decrease the sodium and salt in your diet, you'll find
that your taste for salt declines too. The less salt you consume,
the less you'll want. By selecting lower-sodium brands of
ingredients and adding fruits and vegetables, without adding salt,
you can lower the sodium in your diet considerably. For added
flavor, try using herbs, spices, and salt-free seasoning blends.
They're an easy, convenient way to add satisfying flavor to just
about any recipe.
Flavorful salt-free solutions to reduce sodium intake
- Pour one heaping teaspoon of salt-free
Italian seasoning blend into boiling pasta water for a light Italian
accent.
- Squeeze fresh lemon juice on steamed vegetables, broiled
fish, rice, or pasta for a refreshing taste.
- Add a few shakes of salt-free garlic and herb seasoning to
your homemade soup to liven up the flavor.
- Mix 1/4 cup of salt-free onion and herb seasoning with
vinegar, sugar, and olive oil for zesty vinaigrette.
- Add garlic-flavored vinegar to homemade potato salad
recipes instead of salt.
- Slice potatoes and spray with non-stick spray. Sprinkle
with your favorite salt-free herb-seasoning blend and bake at 375
degrees for 30-40 minutes.
Label lingo
Today's health-conscious consumers have created a
demand for reduced-sodium foods, so eating less sodium is easier
than you think. Browse the supermarket shelves and you'll find
hundreds of your favorite foods in reduced-sodium varieties. You
can't always tell if a food is high in sodium by its flavor. Many
foods containing sodium don't taste salty--so read the label.
If a product's sodium content has been reduced, one of the following
terms will appear on the package:
Sodium-Free: Contains 5 milligrams or less of sodium per serving
Very-Low Sodium: 35 milligrams or less of sodium per serving
Low-Sodium: 140 milligrams or less of sodium per serving
Reduced-Sodium: At least 25 percent less sodium than the original
version of the product. Some reduced-sodium foods like chicken
broth, canned soups, and soy sauce may still contain a significant
amount of sodium. Use them sparingly.
No added salt or Unsalted: No salt is added during processing, but
this does not guarantee the product is sodium-free.
Making a great tasting, low-sodium homemade
marinara sauce is easier than you think. See below for a quick and
delicious recipe to try.
Garlicky Savory Marinara
Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Sauté 1 small chopped onion in 1-1/2 tsp. of olive oil. Add 1-15 oz.
can of chopped tomatoes and 1 teaspoon salt-free garlic-Italian
seasoning blend. Simmer 5-10 minutes. Serve over your favorite pasta
and enjoy. Makes two cups (4 servings).
Per serving of sauce: 50 calories, 2 grams fat, 0 milligrams
cholesterol, 270 milligrams sodium, 9 grams carbohydrate, 1 gram
protein, 2 grams fiber.
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