So the Doc Says My Sodium Intake Is Too High
by
Kevan Worley
From time to time, I get to blog at WE Fit Wellness™. Blogging or bantering with Jessica on our Find Your Fit™ podcasts, I just put it out there. I just let all my physical tales of woe and neurosis out there for the world to hear and read. Fortunately, I don’t have many physical tales of woe. Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, as I’m pretty happy being me, I do have a lot of neurosis. I’ll hold that for another blog.
So the Doc said my blood pressure’s a little elevated, not to worry, but reduce my intake of salt. That’s hard to do. All of us know we get too much sugar, too much fat, and too much sodium. From About.com, “Sodium deficiency is rare because most diets contain about double the recommended levels. The Institute of Medicine suggests getting no more than 2,400 milligrams per day. Unfortunately, the typical daily Western diet contains around 3,000 to 5,000 milligrams… While not all people appear to be sensitive to sodium, certain people may need to lower their sodium intake to reduce their risk of cardiovascular disease”. Like most of us who care about reducing risk factors for cardiovascular disease and other health complications, I try to snack the right way. Carry an apple, some almonds (unsalted), a couple of tangerines, some carrots or celery sticks. Yes, I actually enjoy munching on celery. But as I look for other crunchy snack alternatives, there aren’t many good ones. I look at things like sweet potato chips, but the added salt is off the charts. Love peanuts. But I think I love the salt. It takes a little work to reduce that sodium, especially when my brother Eric’s cooking. His idea of flavorful cuisine is having a salt shaker always at the ready. If you have ideas for me, send them along. Doc says I need to reduce my salt.
