Lewis Meltz, DC, FACO, Board Certified Chiropractor in El Dorado Hills, CA (916) 933-2707

Wednesday, June 7, 2017

Here's #3 of 100- Ways To Better Health

O.K. Here's #3 of 100- Ways To Better Health:

Be conscious of how much salt you take in with snacks and meals. Common table salt is sodium chloride which is widely used as a flavor enhancer. Don't be fooled by the terms Sea Salt, Pink Himalayan or Kosher Salt because it's still sodium chloride. Try limiting your sodium intake first by avoiding the salt shaker at your table. By simply reducing your consumption of added salt, and then other salty foods... you'll be well on your way to being "salt-free." If you can, avoid the option of a salt substitute like potassium chloride. Sodium is a necessary nutrient, but we only need about 500 milligrams of it a day. And an optimal intake is no more than 1,500 milligrams, Yet, many nutritionists believe that 1/4 of a teaspoon is ideal for most folks. That works out to be 3 or 4 shakes of the salt shaker, give or take. So, how much is 1,500 mg of Salt? It's 3/4 Tsp. According to health experts sodium or salt free means less than 5mg per serving. Very low sodium or salt means 35mg of salt per serving. Low sodium means 140 mg per serving, and light in sodium means 50% less sodium than the reference amount. Unfortunately, the average person now consumes more than 4,000 milligrams of sodium per day!

Why Keep Salt Intake Low?

A high–sodium diet is linked to high blood pressure, which can lead to heart disease, stroke, and kidney failure. Also, sodium can damage bone health, since people on a high–sodium diet lose more calcium in their urine leading to osteopenia.

Will Food Still Taste Good?

Many people love salty food and fear that low–salt meals will not be as enjoyable. But if you give your taste buds time to adjust to less salt and learn new ways to flavor food, you will find that low–salt meals can be as delicious as they are healthy.

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