Curb your high blood pressure sodium intake – put down that salt shaker!
That’s the advice given by every health professional there is.
It’s good advice too, but only as good as the person who follows it.
Sodium is a funny thing. It’s an essential mineral, meaning you can’t live without it, but too much of it can do more harm than good.
We only need a little bit everyday to survive. Yet most Americans get far more than they should. So let’s see if we can sort out the high blood pressure sodium intake problem.
Your body uses sodium for several important functions. One is to help regulate water balance in your body. Too much sodium causes your body to retain water, which leads to edema and an increase in blood volume.
The increased blood volume puts stress on the circulatory system, which leads to high blood pressure. Of course, this isn’t the only reason for high blood pressure, but by itself or combined with other factors it’s still a cause.
So how much sodium is enough? And how much is too much?
You only need between 500 and 1,000 mg of sodium daily to function optimally. However, as much as 1,100 to 3,300 mg daily is assumed to be safe for most adults. The American Heart Association recommends no more than 2,300 mg – about 1 teaspoon of salt a day.
And how much are we getting now? It’s estimated that the average American eats between 6,000 and 15,000 mg of sodium a day. Some get as much as 28,000 mg. So you can see why it’s such a problem.
How is it possible to get so much sodium in our diets?
For one thing, sodium is found in virtually every food you eat. Secondly, all packaged food, restaurant food and practically every food processed by man (as opposed to food in its natural state) has added sodium.
The numbers can add up quickly and this is why you have to learn to read food labels to keep track of your total sodium intake.
Look at all the different possibilities you have when eating breakfast, lunch, dinner and all the extra mini-meals in between. The farther it is from natural, meaning fresh fruit, vegetables, whole grains, meats and everything else without added salt, the more sodium you get.
But it’s easier than you think to reduce your salt and high blood pressure sodium intake. And like anything that seems like a big deal, it’s best to start with baby steps.
For example, buy fresh produce instead of canned. Stop using prepared foods – make it yourself. Drink more water instead of soda. And, if you do eat any packaged foods, buy only those labeled low sodium.
Follow these suggestions, along with other blood pressure lowering tips like eliminating stress, exercising regularly and getting more omega 3 fish oil in your diet, and you’ll begin to see your blood pressure come down naturally.
Over the past 18 years, Michael Byrd has helped thousands of people all around the world to look younger, feel better and have more natural energy. Trained as a Physical Therapist, he discovered how to use special omega 3 formulas and other nutrients to easily create optimum nutrition and health for his clients. To get your free educational CD, visit his site at http://www.omega-3.us.
