Feeling A Bit Salty

Feeling a Bit Salty

My husband and I have been gluten-free for several years now. It has really changed our eating habits and nutritional awareness. With a focus still on achieving a healthier diet, we have decided to pay attention to our sodium intake. Shouldn’t be too much of a difficulty, as we don’t eat out often, hardly ever eat anything deep fried, don’t use processed foods very much, or add much salt in food preparation. When we do purchase products for cooking, we try to get the low-sodium option.

Last night, we had black bean nachos for dinner and then today, the leftovers for lunch. We then got curious and started checking the sodium content of each thing we were consuming. That experience was mind blowing, making me want to throw up everything I had just eaten!

I had added no salt to the meal during prep or serving, yet we were well over the daily recommended limit for sodium intake, which is noted by the FDA and AHA to be less than 2,300 mg/day, - that equals about one teaspoon. It’s recommended to consume under 1,500 mg/day, and the body can get by easily on 500 mg/day, which is less than 1/4 teaspoon, by natural means, provided through the healthy functioning of kidneys. Healthy people don’t need to consume processed salt at all - ever - if we eat a well-balanced diet. On average, Americans consume over 3,400 mg/day of sodium.

Are salt and sodium the same thing? Here’s what the FDA has to say:

The words “table salt” and “sodium” are often used interchangeably, but they do not mean the same thing. Table salt (also known by its chemical name, sodium chloride) is a crystal-like compound that is abundant in nature. Sodium is a mineral, and one of the chemical elements found in salt.

My husband has repeated high blood pressure issues. Not chronic, but enough that the doctor wants to prescribe blood pressure medication. He always asks if my husband consumes a lot of salt, to which the answer has always been no. Upon further investigation, although we rarely add salt to anything we eat, it seems we ingest way too much sodium, only acquired from the prepared products we buy! It’s already in there beyond our control A dietary intervention is required.

We have already discovered more options to replace even low-sodium versions of products, and items we can make ourselves. If we do wish to add salt, I like the option of controlling the amount ourselves.

The immediate effects of high sodium intake may include excessive thirst, swelling of hands or feet, and sometimes, headache. Long-term effects of high sodium intake often include high blood pressure, stroke, heart disease, kidney disease and kidney stones.

I, personally, have noticed some edema around my ankles. I wonder if decreasing my salt intake will impact the swelling?

My goal is to learn how to prepare foods using fresh herbs and spices for flavoring as way to replace salt for flavor. Salt is an incredibly overpowering flavor that we, as a nation, have gotten so used to, that often we are put-off by the taste of unadulterated food, labelling it as bland. Often times, it’s not bland, just unappreciated. We need to take back our palates and start enjoying naturally flavored foods again!

Thank you for reading! I encourage you to check the sodium content of your regularly consumed food products - it could impact the way you eat, and make you question your need for prescribed medications in place of dietary changes!

What can you add in place of salt?