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We may
have been told by our doctors and nurses to reduce our intake of salt in
our diet but we never knew why. Unbeknown to us, there are many benefits
of a low salt or salt free diet plan. The scientific name for table salt
is sodium chloride, anyone who’s studied 6th grade science would know
that! We need an equilibrium of sodium and water in our body to keep it
healthy. Too much of either will tilt the balance and cause undesired
effects.
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An excess of sodium in our system causes the water retention. This
leaves you feeling swollen and bloated. By using low sodium recipes we
can shed water weight and get more toned muscles. The water retention
also puts an extra strain on the heart and blood vessels which may lead
raised blood pressure.
A diet with less sodium intake could lower or avoid high blood pressure.
High blood pressure has many adverse effects such as heart disease,
strokes, and premature death. High salt intake has also been related to
stomach, kidney disease, and other intestinal disorders. Diets high in
salt have also been linked to diabetes and cataracts. To reduce these
risks we should lower the amount of salt we consume on a daily basis.
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Slashing our salt intake will also revitalize our taste buds as salt
blunts them. We’ll be able to experience a wider range of flavours, and
foods such as fresh fruits and vegetables will taste even more
delicious. Less sodium intake may also result in less facial bloating,
such as chubby cheeks and double chins.
The average American consumes 3,400 mg of sodium on a daily basis while
the ideal amount is 1,500 mg. Cutting down our salt intake by such an
extent seems like a huge undertaking but in reality it’s not that hard.
We can begin at home by not adding that much table salt and
incorporating salt free diet into our routine. We can use alternatives
such as herbs and spices to add flavour to our dish.
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When buying processed or pre-packaged foods, we should also pay
attention to their labels as they tell us how much sodium is in food
products. For instance, foods with less than 140 gm per serving are
thought of as low in sodium. In fact, we should try to cut out processed
and prepackaged foods almost entirely as this alone will greatly reduce
our salt intake and boost our overall health. We should look for low
sodium alternatives instead. The easiest way to a salt free diet is to
abstain from chips, crackers, cookies, and other snack foods that often
contain large amounts of sodium and are usually eaten in large amounts.
In its place, we should try buying healthy options such as fresh fruits
and vegetables, and unsalted nuts.
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Lastly, we should read food labels and buy the lowest level of salt you
can find for these items: Breads and rolls, cold cuts and cured meats,
pizza, poultry, soup, and sandwiches .There are also some other foods
that can be sources of “hidden” sodium, such as: cheeses and buttermilk,
salted snacks, nuts and seeds, frozen dinners and snack foods,
condiments (ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise), pickles and olives, seasoned
salts, such as onion, garlic and celery salts, and lastly, sauces, such
as barbeque, soy, steak, and Worcestershire.
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