Fred Cicetti
Cape Gazette of Lewes, Delaware
This is the second part of a two-part series on sodium. The first column discussed sodium in diet. This column is devoted to tips about how to reduce sodium intake.
High-sodium diets are linked to increased blood pressure and a greater risk for heart disease and stroke. Reducing the amount of sodium you consume can help lower blood pressure or prevent problems from developing.
Diet experts recommend a daily consumption of less than 2,400 milligrams (mg), which is the amount of sodium in a teaspoon of table salt. If you have high blood pressure, your doctor may advise limiting yourself to 1,500 mg of sodium a day.
Table salt - sodium chloride - is not the only problem. The main sources of sodium in the average U.S. diet are 5 percent added while cooking, 6 percent added while eating, 12 percent from natural sources and 77 percent from processed foods.
About nine out of 10 Americans consume too much sodium, Americans on average consume 3,436 mg sodium daily. How can you cut down?
When you buy prepared and packaged foods, read the nutritional fact panel for the amount of sodium.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says a food that claims to be healthy must not exceed 480 mg sodium. Meal-type products must not exceed 600 mg sodium.
The following tips can help with sodium reduction:
Decrease your use of salt gradually; as you use less salt, your preference for it diminishes
Keep the saltshaker off the table
Buy fresh, plain frozen or canned with no salt added vegetables
Use fresh poultry, fish and lean meat, rather than canned or processed types
Use herbs, spices and salt-free seasoning blends
Cook rice, pasta and hot cereals without salt
Cut back on flavored rice, frozen dinners, pizza, packaged mixes, canned soups and packaged salad dressings
Rinse canned foods, such as tuna, to remove some sodium
Select unsalted nuts or seeds, dried beans, peas and lentils
Limit salty snacks like chips and pretzels
Add fresh lemon juice instead of salt to fish and vegetables
When eating out, ask your server about reducing sodium in your meal
Remove salt from recipes whenever possible
Cut down on sodium-rich condiments such as soy sauce, ketchup, mustard and relish.
LEARN THE TERMS
Sodium-free - less than 5 mg per serving
Very low sodium - 35 mg or less per serving
Low sodium - 140 mg or less per serving
Reduced sodium - 25 percent less sodium than usual
Lite or light in sodium - 50 percent less sodium than the regular version
Unsalted, no salt added or without added salt - contains only the sodium that's a natural part of the food
Fred Cicetti is a first-class geezer over 60 who writes a health column for senior citizens. Email questions tofred@healthygeezer.com or visit healthygeezer.com.
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