HELP ...I need low salt

[lylejb]

I recently joined the high blood pressure club, and was told to limit my salt. At first, I tried to eliminate all salt. I quickly found out that's near impossible.

Almost as quickly, I found out I could eat a bale of lettuce and not be satisfied......

I know I'm not the only one who has to watch their salt, so if anyone has any good recipes or finds PLEASE share..

Thanks.

[waksupi]

Do a bit of research. Not many doctors recommend a salt free diet anymore. My BP stays about the same with or without, as long as I stay on the meds. Salt makes you retain water, and the BP meds should take care of that.

[gbrown]

Search, using your favorite search engine, a Mrs. Dash substitute. I don't need it, but my wife did. Found several. Blend of spices. I cut back on mine many years ago and find that some foods now taste salty to me, with no salt. Tomatoes, celery, etc. Don't know why, but they do. Spices can be added to enhance flavor and not add salt to foods. I'd experiment with that.

[Artful]

OK, long story short - my friend is where you are at - after checking out all the pre-packaged goods - the majority have too much salt - he is limited to under 1000 mg per day. If you buy fresh produce it has minimal salt - if you buy unprepared meats it will have minimal salt - if you bake your own bread you can control your salt - also check with your doctor as John is allow a potassium chloride salt substitute in moderation. Make your own Marinara sauce and hold the salt - make enough that you can freeze in individual dinner servings for a month of pasta dinners and making Tomato Basil bread


INGREDIENTS
Tomato-basil flavored spaghetti sauce 2 cups
Grated Parmesan cheese 2 TBSP
Bread Flour *3-4 cups
Active Dry Yeast 2+1/4 tsp

DIRECTIONS
*Amount of bread flour will vary with each brand of spaghetti sauce; see directions below.

BREAD MACHINE METHOD:
Place spaghetti sauce, Parmesan cheese, 3 cups bread flour and yeast in bread pan. Select White or Basic cycle and start machine. Keeping the lid of the machine open, gradually add enough of the additional bread flour until mixture forms a smooth, soft ball. Close lid. When baking is complete, remove bread from machine as soon as possible. Cool on rack. -
* you can find low salt cheeses and all kinds of stuff but you need to read a boatload of labels and keep notes

You can use spices to make your food more palatable and you can usually find a lowish salt meal at most sit down restaurants that don't do pre frozen or commissary dishes. You can ask to have them hold the salt on the preparation of you fries etc. You can find lower salt items in the bulk food aisle and fresh ground peanuts - makes good substitute for peanut butter (yep skippy's salts their stuff right well).

How To Cut 1,000 mg of Sodium From Your Diet
(And Hardly Notice You've Done It)

Most of us should be eating no more than 1,500 mg of sodium a day. We average, however, 3,500 to 5,000 mg daily.

Below are some easy switches that can help shave 1,000+ mg of sodium off your daily diet in no time.
Instead of... Corn Flakes 290 mg of sodium (1 cup) Enjoy...Oatmeal 2 mg of sodium (1 cup cooked)
Instead of...Beef Jerky 886 mg of sodium (2 pieces) Enjoy...Grapes 2 mg of sodium (1 cup)
Instead of...Aunt Annie’s Soft Pretzel 1060 mg of sodium Enjoy...Baked Potato 17 mg of sodium
Instead of...McDonald’s Grilled Chicken Sandwich 1440 mg of sodium Enjoy... Corn on the Cob 6 mg of sodium (2 ears)
Instead of...Cottage Cheese 918 mg of sodium (1 cup) Enjoy...Nonfat Yogurt with Fresh Strawberries 120 mg of sodium (1 cup yogurt + ½ cup berries)
Instead of...Newman’s Own Low-Fat Balsamic Vinaigrette 950 mg of sodium (2 ounces) Enjoy...Balsamic Vinegar 2 mg of sodium (2 ounces)
Instead of...Pepperidge Farm Whole-Wheat Bread 230 mg of sodium (2 slices) Enjoy...Ezekiel Low-Sodium Whole-Wheat Bread 0 mg of sodium (2 slices)
Instead of...Louis Rich Smoked Turkey Breast 721 mg of sodium (1 serving) Enjoy...Fresh Turkey Breast, Roasted 63 mg of sodium (1 serving)
Instead of...Olive Garden’s Tour of Italy Entree 3830 mg of sodium Enjoy...Pasta With Fresh Pritikin Marinara Sauce 25 mg of sodium

there are links on the internet that will help you.
http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/salt-sodium
http://www.sodiumgirl.com/low-sodium-questions-and-answers/
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/sodium/NU00284

[lylejb]

Thank you,

While my DR. hasn't said a specific number I have to stay under, I'm trying to stay well under USRDA of 2500 mg.

Unfortunatly, I'm finding out that most of what I used to eat puts me way over that.

It's a learning process, and I'm just getting started.

By the way, all those bacon wrapped, slathered in sauce, BBQ recipes are killing me....

When I go to the grocery store, I now walk down the isles......can't have that......can't have that.......can't have that......

seriously frustrating.

[jim147]

I like the Mrs. Dash Table Blend for veggies and meat. The original for soups and general cooking.

I've never had a high salt diet but cutting back on it allows me to eat the pig parts that I enjoy so much.

jim

[gmsharps]

I have been on a low salt for a number of years mainly to delay the blood pressure meds as long as possible. I finally am on the meds but a fairly low dose and was able to delay it for 20 years compared to the rest of my family. One of the things we try to do is no salt shaker on the table. There is usually enough salt in the food the wife prepares and no additional is needed. Canned produsts have way to much salt already included but in recent years you can find low sodium products if you look for them. I have been watching the labels and choosing my poison. I eat what I want and pass on the things that I used to just grab and eat. I can eat my favorites and still watch my diet a bit. Of course at my present location in the desert that is very difficult to control but you do the best you can. I really do not miss the salt these days but you do have to have some and unless you prepared everything you eat you are still getting to much.

gmsharps

[Lloyd Smale]

I take my blood pressure med to be able to eat what I want.

[6bg6ga]

Its been 13 years since I had a heart attack. It destroyed 1/3 of my heart and I'm still here and functioning. I was told cut down on the salt but I do what I damn well please. If they had their way you wouldn't eat, drink coffee or pop. My first heart Dr said I wouldn't make it to retirement and well maybe I won't as I'm 60 now. My first heart Dr told me to enjoy life and don't worry but he left for Arizona 5 years ago and I have had several heart Dr's since then and none can agree on anything. I'm argueing with them now on cholesterol medicine now because everything I'm on causes muscle problems or torn muscles. I would say use the salt but don't go overboard and don't worry about it. Purchase a blood pressure machine and take it in the morning and evening and record the results in a small notebook. If you notice any pattern where it is high then contact your Dr and take the notebook with you to the Dr's office to show your results.

[Wayne Smith]

Art has a lot of it. You need essentially to switch from prepared foods to cooked from scratch fresh foods. That's generally more healthy anyway. You will shop more often because salt is a preservative and no salt foods spoil more quickly. It is really as much a change in attitude as much as anything.

[bikerbeans]

I had elevated BP for years and cutting back on salt didn't help. Had to take meds to control the BP and they didn't work that well. Then I got real sick with blood clots in my lungs, I had to quit working. I didn't reduce my eating when I had to quit working and my weight went to 265. In October 2011 I almost croaked trying to walk up a very small hill. I put myself on a starvation diet the next day and I lost 80 pounds in 6 months. In addition to being able to walk again without completely running out of breath, my BP went down so much that I no longer have to take BP meds! I went from a medicated 135/95 to an unmedicated 110/60. I really do love food, but I like being alive better.


BB

[pmeisel]

I have been fighting borderline high BP for years. My wife kept cutting back on salt and her normally good cooking tasted like hell. So I salted stuff, and my BP went to where I had to take pills -- but the food tastes good and the pill only takes 10 seconds in the morning.

Not giving you advice, but that's what I did. BTW, then I lost 35 pounds due to illness, and now I only need to take the BP pills if work riles me up. Well within normal the rest of the time.

[WILCO]

http://allrecipes.com/recipes/healthy-recipes/special-diets/low-sodium/#prev

[wallenba]

I have HBP and also was told years ago to avoid salt. I feel better physically on a low salt diet as well as being more stable with fluctuations in med doses. I avoid using table salt period. No salt (but fried) potato chips taste pretty good! I even make my own salt free spaghetti sauce. You will be surprised how used to it you can get, even to the point of complaining that food is over salted. Because, it usually is, we have gotten used to it. Processed foods, (especially meats), use it to help with preservation, and with food sold by the pound, to retain water and add weight. Salt is also an electrolyte in the blood, and can affect heart rhythm and kidney function. The FDA recommends an adult male to keep daily intake to 2200 mg. A single frozen dinner can have 1500. Now, on those rare occasions when I eat fast food, my heart rate actually increases from the excess sodium. Only drinking 24 or more ounces of water will make me feel better. Water will help carry it out of the blood.

On a sad note, my younger brother Tim, also had HBP. He would not take any meds or watch his diet and salt intake. He died unexpectedly in his sleep 2-8-08. The coroner said he had dilated cardiomyopathy (enlarged heart), caused by uncontrolled high blood pressure. He was only 52, and outwardly appeared much fitter than myself. Listen to your doctors guys, not your desires. Hunting and fishing alone became a real bummer, I don't go anymore. So, keep healthy for the ones you love if won't do it for yourself.

[375RUGER]

Many many years ago I was on pain meds that made my BP high. Dr put me on diuretics first and they sent me into a tail spin after being on them a while, so I quit taking them. Dr then gave me Rx for 1-2000mg of potassium chloride daily, I took that and ate what I wanted. potassium/sodium balance is probably what I needed anyway, well, in addition to get off the other meds, which I have been for about 9 years now.

[Cosmiceyes]

http://www.atkins.com/Home.aspx

Everything you need to"TRUTHFULLY"know is here.No wives-tales,and idle gossip.Part of the educational process is operating on success versus failure. All other diets have a 90% failure rate to make people lose weight. You lose weight,and the blood pressure goes down. Salt isn't the problem,and is necessary for good brain to body function operation. This diet is 100% successful.It cures stage II diabetics,and hypoglycemics.It help people that are Stage I,and insulin dependent.It has a Board of MD's to work with yours.You are a meat eater so why go hungry,and be unhealthy?

[MaryB]

Some good things to add to cut back on the salt are garlic, lemon juice (or powdered, works well on chicken and fish), celery seed ground up... if I go overboard on the salt my ankles swell, had a DVT in my left leg that came close to killing me. So I somewhat watch what I eat. But I have always been big on cooking from scratch, I have very little prepared foods other than condiments, canned soups, tuna.

[Dale in Louisiana]

Then there's this:

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=5&cad=rja&ved=0CEAQFjAE&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhotair.com%2Farchives%2F2013%2F07 %2F11%2Fcdc-oops-salt-is-not-actually-dangerous-and-cutting-it-may-be-harmful%2F&ei=hRbgUf39IKXaygGNz4AQ&usg=AFQjCNFozxFBgIEEuyVq731HxWeATGXDJw&bvm=bv.48705608,d.aWc

dale in Louisiana

[375RUGER]

I just remembered that Congress passed a bill (ramrodded by some guy who allegedely invented the internet) about 30 years ago mandating that no baby formula exist that doesn't have sodium in it. Just FYI trivia.

[Airman Basic]

http://preventdisease.com/news/13/062113_CDC-Admits-Long-Standing-Error-in-Medical-Science-There-Is-No-Benefit-In-Reducing-Salt-Intake-May-Even-Be-Dangerous.shtml?utm_source=062113&utm_campaign=062113&utm_medium=email

Hmmm.

[patsher]

I just yesterday smoked some pork ribs without putting ANYTHING on them -- just removed the membrane from the back side, and put them in the smoker. Low and slow. They were absolutely delicious! Not a hint of seasoning or spice anywhere.

My husband has cut down his use of salt also, and his taste buds have adapted. Now he fusses at me for "over-salting" foods, so I'm trying to learn, too.

The point is, attitude seems to be key in learning to live happily with less salt intake.

[DLCTEX]

Just last week The CDC said they have been in error when recommending low salt diets and that many need more salt in their diets. In the same vein, the latest study showed that men who took the Omega 3 oils and ate more fish were 71% more likely to have prostate cancer.

[Char-Gar]

I have always salted all of my food and did not see how folks could exist on a salt free diet. Until I ended up in the hospital having a heart cath four years ago. The result was my blood pressure inside my heart was twice the normal level. My Cardiologist put me on meds and told me to quit adding salt to my food.

I thought life was over and I might as well go out to the graveyard and surrender as life without salt seemed to be impossible.

I stopped adding salt to my food at the table and just went with whatever was in the food. There was a period of angst and adjustment, but when I got the other side of that, I found myself not really missing the extra salt. I take my BP twice a day and it remains in the normal range.

So my counsel is just "cowboy up" and learn to deal with it. Trying to find substitutes and all of the food games is just a temporary stay of execution. Gut it up, get on the other side, and go on living.

Life, particularly as you get older, is a head game. You can't have everything the way you want it. The object of the game is to learn, live and be happy with the hand life has dealt you.

[mold maker]

Since you can't avoid sodium when eating out, drink a full glass of water, both before and after eating. You'll get exercise to and from the john, and your kidneys will eliminate much of the extra salt. While not the whole answer, it will help you avoid extremes.

[GSM]

Eat slower. Try to get the real flavor of food not manipulated with salt. Sounds weird, but it is different. Has to be adjusted to over time. When you can pass up the salt shaker margarine/butter on a baked potato to get the flavor of a good potato you're there.

Works for a lot of other food - shows how good and not so good (mostly WM stuff) food tastes.

Does not seem to work in the summer. Salt cravings get bad in the 100F heat (potato chips, margarita glasses...)

[MaryB]

Why eat bland food when herbs and spices can help the lack of salt?

[Artful]

Bingo - remember up thru the middle ages, salt was precious and was even used as money. Most just used herbs and spices they could cultivate or hunt down in the woods.

Any one else remember "worth his salt" as a saying - this was from roman times when they paid you in salt.

[handyman25]

Switch to sea salt. Regulate your intake to 700 to 800 mil a day, its not that hard. Use spices like cinnamon, cayenne etc. No canned foods, No packaged foods, No fast foods ever. Work out every day. 30 to 60 seconds of hard work and 2 minutes of easy work out. Buy hard I mean HARD, if you can not make it to 30 seconds then it is too hard if you make it to 60 seconds then it is too easy. Then doing the same work out but easy for 2 minutes to let your body rest and build. Do this 6 to 7 times or reps. BUY the following books, The Paleo Solution by Robb Wolf, The virgin diet by jj virgin and read them you will learn a lot. Get your weight down where it should be and your body in shape and eat the right foods and you will not need the blood pressure medications. They have bad side effects.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I've had High BP since I was 20...I'm 48 now.
It's a long crazy story, that I ain't gonna go into tonight.
But I've learned that salt isn't always a problem with High BP.
some people are salt sensative...some aren't.
I don't seem to be, but as I get older, I notice if I have too much salt in a day, my lower legs/feet swell more. they tend to swell anyway, just worse if I have too much salt.

The several CDC reports about low salt diets may be bad for you is a good indicator for me that I am right about it doesn't always cause high BP. I do watch my salt intake, but I am not a NAZI about it. I rarely add salt to food, and when I eat processed food, like canned soup or corned beef, I tend to use it as an ingrediant to other food and count the sodium.
Some things i really like...like some aged cheeses that are high in salt, I just limit my intake of those. AND a Hamburger made from local Beef and ground up by the local butcher and fried in a smokin' hot cast iron pan to medium rare just has to have some course ground sea salt on it. I don't do that everyday...but I did do that today :)
Good luck,
Jon

[MaryB]

I made up a seasoning mix for beef/bison/chicken/pork... base is equal parts salt/garlic powder/onion powder then about 1/4 of that total amount black pepper, some ground rosemary, ground celery seed, and a tiny bit of ground dill seed. Overall salt level is low even when used heavy and it sears to a nice crust

[gbrown]

I made up a seasoning mix for beef/bison/chicken/pork... base is equal parts salt/garlic powder/onion powder then about 1/4 of that total amount black pepper, some ground rosemary, ground celery seed, and a tiny bit of ground dill seed. Overall salt level is low even when used heavy and it sears to a nice crust

I make basically the same thing less the salt to season ground meat for burgers and meat loaf. In 2 # of ground meat I put a tablespoon of seasoning salt (brand doesn't really matter). I'm not on any dietary restrictions, just decided not to use so much salt about 30 years ago. No salt on the table, use fresh or frozen vegetables, add a little salt to some recipes that don't have another source (like JonB says, if your adding canned soup to a recipe, you don't need to add any additional). Same with making a tomato sauce using canned tomatoes--they already have plenty of salt in them. I'm always amazed about the people I see who add salt BEFORE tasting their food.