Sodium

Sodium is something I have only ever associated with High Blood Pressure, but, it goes much farther than just high blood pressure.  Sodium is actually a Huge Enemy!!  It bloats us causing us to retain water and the water in our bodies needs to flow in and out very easily, not getting stuck inside of our bodies slowing our metabolism and causing high blood pressure.  While sodium cannot be avoided, because it is in EVERYTHING, we can minimize it.  Now don’t freak out and go off the deep end trying to stay away from sodium completely, just think Moderation!!  Look at food labels and be sure you know how much sodium you are in-taking on a daily basis.   Jillian Michaels has a podcast on iTunes regarding the subject of sodium and I highly recommend looking it up and taking a listen.   She recommends 1500 mg of sodium per day and also does my trainer.  I have been on a sodium limitation of 1500 mg per day since I first started my weight loss journey.

Having high quantities of salt in your daily diet can be quite dangerous, so it is very important to limit our sodium intake.  Now of course we must have Sodium in our body for proper muscle function and in our blood, but it’s just one of those things that is only good in Moderation.  When you are eating out it is nearly impossible to control how much Sodium you intake.   That is why I emphasize TONS of water when you are eating out.

So when you eat out while trying to lose weight your NO. 1 Enemy is Sodium!!  That is true even if you are choosing the lightest most healthy options on the menu.

Is Sodium going to pack on the pounds permanently?  No it’s not.  But it WILL affect your scale.  The sodium you eat will bloat you up and cause you to retain water and therefore will play tricks on your scale.  It will also slow your metabolism according to Jillian Michaels and many other fitness experts.  So… try to minimize eating out because there is simply NO WAY around the sodium.  And drinks TONS of water with your meal and after when eating out.  If you are not trying to lose weight then it’s not as much of a concern in the bloating department, however, it should concern you for your overall health.  Too much sodium is a KILLER in more ways that one.

Here is the link to Jillian Michaels podcast on iTunes:  http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-jillian-michaels-show/id418368811  Then go to #12

Do you want to see what our daily allowance of salt looks like?

this is 1500 mg sodium

Here is our everyday salt label:

Have you ever added 1/2 tsp. salt to any recipe?

That is 1180 mg of Sodium with just that single ingredient.

Alternatives to salt that will add flavor without the sodium:

Garlic Powder

Onion Powder

Pepper

Lemon Pepper

Lemon Juice

Red Wine Vinegar or Balsamic Vinegar

Mrs. Dash

Fresh Crushed Garlic

Diced Onion

Lemon Zest

Moderation is the key to success when it comes to Salt / Sodium in-take!!!

WOW what timing… I got this newsletter in my inbox 2 days after I posted this blog:  http://info.kp.org/html/partnersinhealth_scal/august2011/reduce_sodium_nutrition.html?