Salt

I am losing but I am such a salt hound..love pickles..salami..salty cheese..olives. All diets have these on the TO AVOID. If I try to cut back..I go into a crave mode and go out of control....HELP!

Fri. Mar 30, 8:29am

If it ain't broke don't fix it. Those aren't really unhealthy foods like chips that I would say to try to eliminate. Do you have cholesterol problems? If your losing I say don't worry about it.

Friday, March 30, 2007, 8:56 AM

Totally agree with 8:56 -- as long as it's not affecting your health or your ability to lose, leave it alone. Just drink more water than the usual allotment of 64oz a day to keep things balanced and flushed. Like whenever I have a slice of pizza or a bag of fries, I pound an extra 16-20 oz. of water afterwards to counteract the effects of the salt. It works pretty well.

Friday, March 30, 2007, 11:43 AM

i would agree that unless you have some health issues specifically related to sodium, enjoy the pickles and olives, etc.! maybe go for the un-salted pretzel, but use mustard. low-sodium v-8 and some soups are great, too. as long as you WATCH your salt intake, i don't think you would need to eliminate otherwise healthy foods without a doctor's recommendation.

Friday, March 30, 2007, 11:48 AM

How is the rest of your diet? Do you eat a lot of processed foods? lots of breads? (all have tons of sodium in them). If most of your diet is whole/healthy foods I say go for it, have your pickles and salami in moderation. While sodium isn't as bad for you as things like trans fats and processed sugars, it isn't just as simple as a bloating issue.

A little fyi:

Too much sodium longterm (even if you don't have any conditions right now that require lowering/limiting sodium) can lead to bone loss in postmenopausal women, may raise your risk of gastric cancer, and can lower lung function in people with respiratory problems (such as those with asthma).

Dietary guidelines (in America) right now recommend staying under 2300 mgs of sodium a day but we should really try to stay far under that range for our best health. The recommendation for those with (salt sensitive) high blood pressure, african americans, or those over 50 years old is 1500 mgs or less.

Not trying to scare you out of your treats, I just believe it's really important to be aware of what we are putting into our bodies! I would recommend "tracking" your sodium for a day or two just like many of us on PT do with calories, fat etc. and see where you stand. Then you can know how often you can indulge in those treats and where you need to adjust. Hope this helps!

Friday, March 30, 2007, 12:41 PM

Thank you so much for the info..the first step is being concerned about it. I just had a pickle...No i am not pregnant.

Friday, March 30, 2007, 1:22 PM

I would say cut back gradually - or you will crave. What does your doctor say? How much sodium are you really consuming? I agree with another poster - really track it closely and honestly for a little while. Most sodum is not added at the table - it's already in the food, and lots is in food we don't even realize.

I know other people who have learned to cut back gradually and eventually they were able to tolerate less, even liked less. You get used to less. No almost everything packaged tastes too salty to me, which it good because I do my own cooking.

Friday, March 30, 2007, 6:37 PM

Thanks so much for all the help.

Friday, March 30, 2007, 9:59 PM

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