While taking blood pressures on people after church services this morning, I encountered a few conversations concerning questions about the negative effects eating too much salt. Actually, one of the effects of salt is to regulate blood pressure. The debates are out there in the medical literature concerning lowering salt intake to accommodate lowering blood pressure. Nothing is certain about this, however, one thing is for sure and that is the American Diet far exceeds the intake of 6 grams a day. This is about 1 teaspoonful.
You read labels for sodium content, don’t add table salt to your food, special order sodium-free meals on restaurant menus and you still aren’t sure that is enough. It is frustrating to bank on diet restrictions only.
Another thing you can add to your life-style is “exercise” 5 days a week for at least 60 minutes in the form of hot vinyasa yoga, running, power walking, biking, anything that produces sweat and increases your respirations. This is a way to eliminate sodium through the skin (the largest organ of the body) and through breath. Hydrating with water after a good workout helps to flush out more sodium and toxins via the kidneys which is part of their job.
Adding fruits to your diet that are high in magnesium like water melon or pineapple are also needed to keep the body in balance. Potassium from oranges – not juice – bananas, strawberries and kiwi replenish the body with this important electrolyte. Why am I telling you to add these to your diet when discussing sodium? Because in order to help keep sodium in balance within your body these are necessary to ingest every day of your life.
Lastly, eliminate ALL soda from your daily beverage list. It is loaded with sodium – yes, even the diet sodas have a huge amount of it. Explore the world of teas and coffee without adding the sugar and dairy. After about a month or so you will wonder why you were drinking soda in the first place.
I lift my mug of tea to you in Good Health! e-Nurse Femtique Judith
