How To Reduce Your Daily Sodium Intake…Try This !!

daily sodium intake

It is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver. ~ Mahatma Gandhi (Tweet this)

Rightly said, “Health is Wealth”. If one is fit and fine, wealth can also be earned and maintained. Our body is a machine and we need to take good care of it so that it functions well and we are able to give our best in day-to-day activities. Reducing your daily sodium intake is a great place to start.

Jamie is a Software engineer and his job requires him to sit and develop code for hours. Jamie was experiencing frequent headaches and shortness of breath, so he consulted a doctor.

He discovered that he was suffering from high blood pressure. He was eating a lot of packaged and junk food lately which contains lot of salt and calories. He was immediately asked to cut down on his daily sodium intake as well as his fat; and start an exercise regimen to control his blood pressure.

Common salt is the major source of sodium in our diet and is an important source of food preservation. Saltiness is one of the basic human tastes and is an essential part of our daily diet. But take too much, and it can kill you. How do you reduce your daily sodium intake? Our sodium intake should be somewhere between 1500 to 2300 milligrams per day. A healthy and balanced diet goes a long way in maintaining a healthy body. Sodium is an essential part of our diet but, as they say, “everything in excess is bad.” Excessive intake of sodium leads to high blood pressure and damages the kidneys in the long run. So, yes… we should try to cut down on our sodium (or salt) intake. Here are some of the easiest and the simplest ways to do so.

How to reduce your daily sodium intake….

While Shopping

  • When grocery shopping, always check for labels to see the sodium content in food. Go for fresh fruits, vegetables and opt for fresh meat rather than packaged ones as they usually contain sodium.
  • Even when buying frozen food, opt for the ones labelled “fresh frozen” and which do not contain ‘added seasoning’ and preservatives.
  • Compare different brands while buying packaged or ready-made products to see which one contains the lowest amount of sodium.
  • Choose sauces, spices and seasonings that contain very low (or no) sodium in their list of ingredients.

While Cooking

  • Try to substitute salt with black pepper as it makes for a good seasoning option. You may use it on salads, eggs, fruits, pizzas, soups and pastas.
  • While cooking, try to use fresh herbs in place of salt to flavor your dishes. Add garlic, ginger, coriander powder and chillies to substitute for salt.
  • Baking and roasting are alternative options for your vegetables to enhance their flavor.
  • Use freshly made vegetable/meat stock and sauces instead of packaged stock or sauces as packaged ones mostly contain high quantities of sodium.

While Eating

  • When hungry between meals, eat fresh fruits rather than any fried or dried snack as they contain salt to soothe your taste buds.
  • While eating out, when you place your order ask for less salt and seasoning of your dish.
  • Always take the dressing on the side rather than getting it mixed into your dish as they are rich in sodium. You can always choose to add the dressing depending on your tastes.
  • While opting for pizzas, pastas and sandwiches use fillings and topping that have less of sodium in them. Example: chicken, egg, and mozzarella cheese instead of bacon, cottage cheese, barbecue sauce, pickles and mustard.

Some dissolvable medicines like vitamin supplements and painkillers contain significant amount of salt. If you consume such medicines on a regular basis, you may ask your doctor for a substitute that contains salt in a lesser quantity.

Conclusion

There is no doubt that salt enhances the flavor of food and is a very useful food preservative. But, it is also a fact that it is harmful for our body if consumed in large quantities on a daily basis. So try to reduce your daily sodium intake. Our tastes are acquired so we can alter them if we want to. Practice consuming less salt and sodium in your daily diet and you will see that this new habit of yours will go a long way in keeping your body fit and healthy, and you will feel more energetic and positive.

There is nothing more important than good health, that’s our principal capital asset.  ~ Arlen Specter (Tweet this)

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About the Author

Varsha Tyagi is a Master's in Psychology with 5 years of Experience as a Life Skills Coach and a Counseling Psychologist. She has worked with many schools, colleges and corporates as a Counselor and a Life Skills Trainer and dealt with both children and adults. She is currently working as a Life Skills Facilitator with an organization.

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