HealthyPlusno3Jan5 - Flipbook - Page 14
Shake the Salt Habit
Tips for heart-healthy eating
A
ccording to the American Heart
Association, about one in three
Americans has high blood pressure,
and a high-sodium diet may be to blame.
Given that most people consume about 3,400
milligrams of sodium a day—more than twice
the recommended sodium intake—it’s really
no wonder.
The hidden dangers and sources of salt
SVMC registered dietitian Kristin Irace notes that,
“Consuming too much salt, or sodium, causes
the body to retain water which increases blood
Surprising sources of sodium
Breads and rolls
Pizza
Sandwiches
Deli meat
Canned vegetables
Canned soup
Vegetable juice
Instant pudding
Chicken
Processed cheese
Pickles
Eggs and omelets
Salad dressing
Ketchup
Baked and black beans
Breakfast cereals
Hot dogs
Tomato sauce
Macaroni and cheese
Frozen meals
Packaged meal helpers
Shrimp
pressure and puts an added strain on blood vessels
and the heart. In addition to increasing your risk of
heart disease, excessive sodium can contribute to
stroke, heart failure, osteoporosis, stomach cancer,
and kidney disease.”
Irace adds that while cutting salt sounds simple
on the surface, it’s a lot trickier than you might
think. “There’s a lot of hidden salt in food. Some
of the surprising sources are bread, chicken breast,
salad dressing, and even hot chocolate,” she says.
“The key for anyone trying to limit their salt
intake is to read labels—specifically the ‘% Daily
Value’ information for sodium. You want to aim for
products with no more than 15-20% per serving.”
Tips for holding the salt in your diet
There’s no question that salt is tasty which is why
Irace advises against going “cold turkey.”
“Our tastebuds get used to a certain level of salt,”
she says, “If you try to cut salt out completely, it’s
likely you won’t enjoy the experience much. It’s
better to go at it gradually. I suggest you start with
a one-food-item-per-week approach. When you go
to the store, make a choice to, say, choose a lowersodium salad dressing this week. Then next week,
look for a lower-sodium chicken breast. And so on.
and so on. This gradual approach essentially helps
retrain your tastebuds and increases your odds of
sticking to a reduced-sodium diet.”
Other tips for lowering your salt intake include:
Aim for products with
no more than 15-20%
of sodium daily value
per serving.
12 | HEALTHY+ | WINTER –SPRING 2023
• Eat fresh, not processed food. About 75% of the
salt in most people’s diet comes from processed
food. When possible, look for fresh options.
Frozen vegetables (without added sauces) are also
a budget-friendly choice.