Most people on the Standard American Diet take in too much salt on a daily basis. This eventually leads to health problems such as high blood pressure, weight gain, arthritis, fluid retention and kidney and bladder problems.
Therefore it is important that you reduce your salt intake. But in order to do so you need to know where your salt is coming from. It not only comes from your salt shaker, but most foods that you can buy at your grocery store contain at least some amount of salt as well.
Fast and Processed Foods
A lot of the excess salt that you consume comes from fast and processed foods, and thus they should be avoided if you are trying to reduce your intake. It is used in those foods for flavoring as well as to help preserve the foods, and thus they are often loaded with extremely high amounts of salt.
Fast foods, cold cut meats, dry soups and soup packets, canned foods, sauces and salad dressings are some of the worst foods for salt. And even foods that are promoted as being healthy often contain high amounts of salt as well. These foods include breads and cereals, canned fruits and vegetables and dried fruits, as well as many fruit and vegetable juices.
Read Labels
When buying anything processed, make sure to read the labels so that you can avoid at least the worst offenders for salt. Look for low or reduced sodium, or sodium free labels and compare brands if more than one brand is available, so that you can choose the one lowest in salt.
Use Sea Salt
Instead of using regular old table salt, switch to sea salt, which has lower amounts of sodium. The taste however, may not be as salty, but when you add it consciously it will help you to lower your intake.
Remove the Shaker From the Table
If you are used to having a salt shaker at the table, then you should remove it, as you are less likely to make a trip to the cupboards to get the shaker, than you are to reach over.
Avoid Salted Nuts and Seeds
Nuts and seeds are very good for you, especially sunflower seeds. But because they are so good with salt, they often come coated with it. Avoid those whenever possible or at least wipe some of the salt off of them with a paper towel, and mix them in with other raw nuts and seeds.
Never eliminate all salt from your diet, as salt is an essential mineral for good health.
Therefore it is important that you reduce your salt intake. But in order to do so you need to know where your salt is coming from. It not only comes from your salt shaker, but most foods that you can buy at your grocery store contain at least some amount of salt as well.
Fast and Processed Foods
A lot of the excess salt that you consume comes from fast and processed foods, and thus they should be avoided if you are trying to reduce your intake. It is used in those foods for flavoring as well as to help preserve the foods, and thus they are often loaded with extremely high amounts of salt.
Fast foods, cold cut meats, dry soups and soup packets, canned foods, sauces and salad dressings are some of the worst foods for salt. And even foods that are promoted as being healthy often contain high amounts of salt as well. These foods include breads and cereals, canned fruits and vegetables and dried fruits, as well as many fruit and vegetable juices.
Read Labels
When buying anything processed, make sure to read the labels so that you can avoid at least the worst offenders for salt. Look for low or reduced sodium, or sodium free labels and compare brands if more than one brand is available, so that you can choose the one lowest in salt.
Use Sea Salt
Instead of using regular old table salt, switch to sea salt, which has lower amounts of sodium. The taste however, may not be as salty, but when you add it consciously it will help you to lower your intake.
Remove the Shaker From the Table
If you are used to having a salt shaker at the table, then you should remove it, as you are less likely to make a trip to the cupboards to get the shaker, than you are to reach over.
Avoid Salted Nuts and Seeds
Nuts and seeds are very good for you, especially sunflower seeds. But because they are so good with salt, they often come coated with it. Avoid those whenever possible or at least wipe some of the salt off of them with a paper towel, and mix them in with other raw nuts and seeds.
Never eliminate all salt from your diet, as salt is an essential mineral for good health.
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