"A spoon of salt in a glass of water makes the water undrinkable. A spoon of salt in a lake is almost unnoticed." Buddha
How many times have you heard that salt is bad for you? Well, it is as much as anything else used excessively. Too much salt is bad for kidneys, it will make you feel bloated, tired and worn out. But right amount of salt in your diet regulates fluid in the body, levels pHp and it improves skin, blood pressure, immune system and even mental state.
Adequate levels of salt are beneficial for our organism and it is possible to learn how to take the best out of salt.
Food high in salt.
First of all, you need to be aware that salt is not only in your saltshaker. 75 % of salt is in food. Foods that are always high in salt are anchovies, bacon, cheese, ham, olives, pickles, prawns, salami, salted and dry roasted nuts, salt fish, smoked meat and fish, soy sauce, stock cubes and yeast extract. To cut down on salt when eating these foods, you need to eat them less often or in smaller amounts.
Food that can be high in salt.
Some foods, such as crumpets, bagels and ciabatta, pasta sauces, crisps, pizza, ready meals, soup, sandwiches, sausages, tomato ketchup, mayonnaise and other sauces and breakfast cereals can have high sodium levels but this greatly depends on the brand and the producers. Here it is easier to cut down on salt intake since you can consult the labels and go for the product with less salt.
Food low in salt.
Breakfast cereals, couscous, eggs, emmental, fresh fish, fresh meat and poultry, homemade bread, homemade sauces, homemade soup, mozzarella, rice, plain cheese spreads, plain cottage cheese, plain popcorn, porridge oats, ricotta, seeds, unsalted nuts and yogurt are low in salt and their use is recommended to those with hypertension as well as bad kidneys.
Smart salt intake.
If you were told to boost your salt intake because of your low blood pressure, be cautious with that advice. You should opt for foods high in salt but not add it additionally to your meals. The recommended daily intake of salt for adults is one teaspoon. But, it is very difficult to measure that amount in prepared food, since it has already been added at manufacturing state.
Salt can often be found in bottled water. The levels of sodium in bottled water can be seen as insignificant, but added up to the total amount of salt we consume during the day through food, it makes you think. If you prefer bottled water, read the content on the bottle. Minerals and sodium levels are always given. You should at least change the producer from time to time, since levels tend to vary from one to another, and in that way not accumulate the same amounts of minerals and sodium all the time.
When using soluble vitamins and painkillers, keep in mind that they contain up to 1g of salt per tablet. This can pose a problem if you were advised to cut down on salt.
Ways to cut down on salt.
#1. Shop for low salt foods. When you buy processed food, always check the labels and choose food that is lower in salt. Cured meat will always be high in salt, so you should avoid it. Salt in canned vegetables, table sauces, mustard, mayonnaise and pickles varies from brand to brand.
#2. Cook with less salt. People add salt to food when cooking and sometimes even without tasting it first. Instead of using salt to add the flavour, you should try with black pepper, fresh herbs and spices. Also, make your own gravy instead of buying the ones in cubes and granules.
#3. Choose smartly when eating out. When eating in a restaurant or takeaway, you cannot know how much salt is in the food. Much of the ingredients in this case are processed food but you can always opt for toppings and filling low in salt.
So, if you are eating pizza, sandwiches, burgers or pasta dishes always avoid cheese, bacon, barbecue sauce, pepperoni and sausages. If two kinds of meat are offered, take only one. As for the Chinese or Indian food, the best thing to do is to eat it with plain rice instead of pilau or egg fried rice.
#4. Change bottled water from time to time and also consult the label for the Na levels.
#5. Use non-effervescent vitamins and painkillers as they are low in salt.
Stay healthy following these tips and feel free to share your own.
About Linda Ward
Linda Ward is active natural health researcher and writer from Los Angeles. She is content editor and writer for [url=http://www.ecellulitis.com]eCellulitis.com[/url]. Besides creating and editing content, Linda is also very active on [url=http://twitter.com/lindaeward]main social networks[/url].She also loves to travel and spend time in local gym.
