# Anyone have to eat low sodium?



## DeniseW (Mar 31, 2010)

I had a health issue a week and a half ago and now my Dr wants me to eat low sodium for a while. Does anyone have any good tips? I've eaten all different kinds of ways but this seems to be the hardest for me, I love stuff like green olives, etc... and almost everything I have(including my damn grapenuts) have a lot of sodium in them. This is a struggle for me...


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## HappyFatChick (Apr 11, 2010)

I chose to go low sodium and it's not that hard. You can rinse processed stuff in cold water and remove some sodium. You can use Mrs. Dash, garlic, onion and hundreds of other spices. If you eat out make sure to request no salt. You should feel better fairly soon and if you had ankle-swelling it may disappear. Good luck.


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## Laura2008 (Apr 11, 2010)

I try to eat low sodium also since I can swell like a balloon. I'm hooked on Mrs Dash marinades for meat & veggies. They are completely salt free but taste amazing. It's crazy how much sodium is in everyday foods you wouldn't expect. Yogurt, cereal, it's like why? I wish they could cut out 25% of the sodium in processed foods. I bet it wouldn't even be that noticeable.


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## HappyFatChick (Apr 11, 2010)

Laura2008 said:


> I try to eat low sodium also since I can swell like a balloon. I'm hooked on Mrs Dash marinades for meat & veggies. They are completely salt free but taste amazing. It's crazy how much sodium is in everyday foods you wouldn't expect. Yogurt, cereal, it's like why? I wish they could cut out 25% of the sodium in processed foods. I bet it wouldn't even be that noticeable.



I agree, Laura. The sodium is awful even in pizza. It's just not necessary. I think they should cut it by half. It would still be too salty. I noticed puffy ankles once and cut my sodium in half. They were gone and never returned. You have to ask for no salt at fast food places, too, but I doubt they really comply.


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## mel (Apr 13, 2010)

perhaps you can also use sea salt instead of regular salt..


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## DeniseW (Apr 13, 2010)

thanks for all your tips, I've been using Mrs Dash seasonings but forgot all about the marinades, I'll buy some this week. I'm doing so much better, all the puffiness and swelling is gone and I've lost quite a bit of weight, it's getting easier every day...I don't think I'll ever go back to all that salt..


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## Miss Vickie (Apr 14, 2010)

Glad you're doing better, Denise. You've gotten great tips. I don't have a problem with salt but Burtimus has blood pressure issues so I try to get low salt versions of things. Low sodium soy sauce. Stuff like that. Plus I make my own sauces and marinades when I can, so I can control the amount of salt in them. And finally? Garlic! Garlic, garlic, garlic! Fresh garlic (and ginger) give you lots of zing without sodium.

Hope you keep feeling better.


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## Nutty (Apr 14, 2010)

Agh I wouldn't last half a day without something salty or diet coke .


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## spiritangel (Apr 14, 2010)

It starts with cutting down on the salty snacks and not adding lots of salt to food, however sea salt has lots of health benefits so mayby start looking for things with sea salt in them as a way of cutting back a bit, I dont tend to add salt to my cooking, unless I am making rissotto or something where I like a small amount of sea salt sprinkled over the top, mayby also look for alternatives to the things you love, hmm not sure about how to make things like olives less salty mayby they mmake low salt versions or get the ones preserved in oil instead not an easy thing if you eat a lot of pre packaged food best thing to do is cook things from scratch thats the only way to really controll the sodium levels

hugs


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## knottyknicky (May 1, 2010)

This might come across as kinda radical, but its not sodium thats bad for you, its _refined_ sodium thats bad for you. The stuff in junk food, the stuff thats lingering in anything thats been touched by anything other than two hands and the earth, the stuff that comes in a navy blue can with a cute girl in a raincoat...that stuff is worthless and causes major havoc on peoples bodies. Unrefined sea salt though, the stuff thats kinda grey, still damp, and hasn't been processed at all, is actually WONDERFUL for you. My doctor actually has me dissolve a little in water and drink it every day! It sounds so counterintuitive but its actually brought my bloating down, and has not affected my BP at all. 

Don't just take my advice and start eating salt like crazy. I think its something to look into though, at least to educate yourselves about salts actual role in our diets and our lives. I replaced my regular salt with unrefined sea salt and try to make my own spices (Garlic Salt, etc) and keep those refined salts to a minimum. I've got thyroid issues with corresponding adrenal fatigue and so the sea salt (MUST be unrefined) is crucial to me. Salt is not the enemy, folks!


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## BrunetteBeauty80 (May 3, 2010)

I was diagnosed with Congestive Heart Failure last year. I have been eating low sodium (up to 1000mg a day) and I find it pretty easy to deal with. I've never been a big salt user though, so it wasn't that bad for me. Just remember there is sodium in almost everything (even fresh fruits and veggies) so if you are counting, remember to count those. It may not be much, but it still counts. Sodas also have sodium in it. Canned foods are a no-no for me. Even if you rinse it off, it was still processed with salt, so it will still contain quite a bit of sodium. 

Since I've been living with this for over a year, and cook all of my own meals, if you want you can PM me for some ideas. All of what I have learned is self taught. Or, you could just start reading labels, keep a limit in mind, stick to serving sizes and you should do great.


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