The Pearls of Life:
101 Simple Ways to Health and Happiness
Be Gentle with Salt
Table salt is made
of sodium chloride. And the sodium is what we are concerned about here.
Although sodium is necessary for life, we tend to have too much of it.
In general, our
bodies need less than one gram of sodium a day to help keep our systems
going. Adequate sodium level maintains good blood pH and water balance
in the body. It also maintains proper functioning of the nerves,
stomach, and muscles.
For good health,
we should limit sodium to less than two grams per day. Americans tend to
consume about two to five grams of sodium in each meal. That is up to
fifteen grams of sodium a day.
The main reason we
tend to pack too much sodium into our daily intake is that there are
many hidden sources of sodium. Sodium is found in all foods, but extra
salt is usually added to packaged foods. One can of regular chicken
noodle soup may have more than two grams of sodium, one cup of canned
chili with beans may have 1.3 grams, and one cup of pasta sauce likely
has at least 1 gram. Even a single cup of raisin bran cereal may pack
0.35 gram, while one blueberry muffin may have 0.25 gram of sodium.
Our bodies are
able to excrete excess sodium. But as the body rids itself of sodium,
other important minerals such as calcium are flushed out as well. Before
it exits the body, the excess sodium may also cause harm.
Some of us are
sensitive to sodium. Too much of it may raise blood pressure. As the
incidence of high blood pressure increases as we age, this is something
we do not need. Aggressively cutting down on sodium has been shown to
help control high blood pressure.
- Eat more fruits,
vegetables, and whole grains. They are naturally low in sodium. They
also have potassium, which may help decrease blood pressure.
- Avoid processed
and prepackaged foods. Buy low-sodium versions of packaged foods if you
must use them.
- Read food labels
for sodium content of packaged foods.
- Avoid cured
meats and cold cuts.
- Season with
other flavors, using little or no salt. In this country, we are blessed
with spices from all over the world. If you do not have it at your local
market, you may easily get it on the Internet.
- Drink enough
water.