Update And More Info About Salt

I went to the clinic this afternoon and got a script for my blood draw. Many things are to be checked, including the full panel, lipids, etc. Instead of my session with Millie, I drove to a nearby lab to have the draw. (My insurance will pay if I go directly to the lab, versus having the blood draw at the clinic. Yes, this is screwed up!) The results will be faxed to my clinic tomorrow morning, so we should have a better idea of what I need to do to address my problems of lethargy, disorientation, trembling, and sometimes a loss of appetite. I'm having the clinic also forward the results to my thyroid doctor, so everyone is in the "loop."

I had my weigh-in (161 lbs., which I anticipated because I weighed in at 159 lbs. in the morning) and I stayed for class, which was focused on reducing your sodium intake every day. I was very attentive, as I am wondering if my sodium intake is too low, versus too high, and I wanted to know what the daily recommended amount is. Many, many people are taking in way too much sodium every day, and that can be quite detrimental to your health. This is a serious problem that we need to address. Here's some of the more important things I learned:

• The recommended sodium intake for healthy individuals is less than 2,300 mg/day. Those diagnosed with high blood pressure, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, or are over age 51 or are African American should not exceed 1,500 mg/day.
  
• Most Americans consume an average sodium intake of 4,000 - 7,000 mg/day.
  
• Nearly 75% of the sodium in our diets comes from processed foods. Successfully reducing our sodium intake requires, for some, a radical reduction in eating out and in processed food consumption. 

General guidelines to follow include: Removing salt shakers from your table; preparing food yourself; reading labels carefully; reducing the number of times you eat out; ordering carefully when dining out; and beware of "hidden" sources of sodium i.e. some salad dressings, marinades, cereals and breads.

Warning! Check sodium!

TOP SODIUM OFFENDERS
1. Canned soup
2. Frozen entrees
3. Lunch meat (low-sodium varieties are acceptable)
4. Soy sauce
5. Canned/jar tomato products
6. Rice and pasta mixes (i.e. Rice-a-Roni; Kraft macaroni and cheese)
7. Fast food (Told you so!)

So when it comes to our cooking, and utilizing lots of salt is no longer an option, where do we go from here? Millie has a few wonderful recommendations (that I personally follow): Increase flavor with dry or fresh herbs, spices, vegetables, garlic, onion, hot sauce, and extracts. Also try sodium-free seasoning mixes. Like Mrs. Dash. Be creative and have fun! Our food doesn't have to be tasteless. We have options.

Sodium has indeed been the "topic du jour" for me lately. It's important. We need to always remember this.