How To Follow A Low Sodium Diet?

The importance of salt in our lives cannot be overstated. Salt is required to perform some of the vital body functions. It is essential for regulating blood, body fluids and helps maintain nerve signals. Though salt deficiency leads to muscular weakness, cramps and exhaustion, extra sodium intake disrupts the body’s fluid balance leading to hypertension and heart strokes.

Where do you find Sodium?
Sodium features in almost anything one eats. From canned vegetables, processed meats, sauce, marinade and dressings to our normal sweet breakfast cereals, all have sodium.

What is a low sodium diet?
A low sodium diet is the one that includes no more than 2000 to 3000 milligrams of sodium per day, i.e. approximately 1 teaspoon of salt per day.

How to follow a low sodium diet?
Switching from processed foods to fresh foods is the key to lowering the sodium in your diet. Follow the basic steps to reduce the amount of sodium in your diet;

• Try not adding salt while cooking. Also, remove the salt shaker off the table. Instead, use freshly grounded herbs, seasonings or spices to do away with the ‘bland’ taste.
• Of late many salt free and low-sodium products have taken the markets by a storm. Try replacing sodium products with the low or no-sodium ones.
• Packed and processed foods are always high on sodium. Choose fresh fruits and vegetables as they have very little sodium. The same is true for fresh meat, poultry and fish.
• Read ingredient labels carefully to identify foods high in sodium.
• "Softened" water is generally high on sodium. Avoid drinking and cooking with such water.
• Know your medications. Avoid medicines like alka seltzer and bromo seltzer that high sodium content,

Sodium Reference Guide:
• Sodium Free - Less than 5mg per serving
• Very Low Sodium - 35mg or less per serving
• Low Sodium - 140mg or less per serving
• Reduced or Less Sodium - At least 25 percent less per serving than reference food
• Light in Sodium - If food is "Low Calorie" and "Low Fat" and sodium is reduced by at least 50 percent.