how to lower sodium in your diet

[andrei140989]

Anyone knows how or what can i do to get rid of sodium in foods
i know i should buy raw foods and cook but sometimes its waaayy too much cooking
mainly asking for cottage cheese and prepared meats from the butcher
im opened to all sorts of ideas

[pshickey]

Do you have high blood pressure issues or a medical reason you need low sodium? If not eat as much as you want, as long as you drink plenty of water you're fine.

[cadiz]

Use a large crock pot and freeze leftovers. All raw ingredients go into the crock pot so you can decide how much sodium to use. I soaked red kidney beans overnight and they are currently boiling for 1.5 hrs. I'll make a gigantic pot of low sodium chili using fresh tomatos, red and green bell peppers, hot peppers, ground turkey, ect... and have food all week. (I made a 15 bean chicken stew yesterday as well). I have GERD due to a hiatal hernia so I prefer a low sodium diet.

[BookMonkey]

Do you have high blood pressure issues or a medical reason you need low sodium? If not eat as much as you want, as long as you drink plenty of water you're fine.

I do have high blood pressure and a heart problem. Do you have any real advice? Or are you just one of those people that say "just drink it off" as if its no big deal?

I'm fairly curious about what others do as well.

[foodandfitness]

Anyone knows how or what can i do to get rid of sodium in foods
i know i should buy raw foods and cook but sometimes its waaayy too much cooking
mainly asking for cottage cheese and prepared meats from the butcher
im opened to all sorts of ideas

If you don't like cooking, there are many "ready to eat" products with no added salt. If you have a "my fit foods" in your town, they make "heat and eat" meals that are convenient.

You could also batch-cook and freeze or do all the prepping before hand to save time.

How much salt are you currently averaging per day and what are your concerns, OP?

[pshickey]

I do have high blood pressure and a heart problem. Do you have any real advice? Or are you just one of those people that say "just drink it off" as if its no big deal?

I'm fairly curious about what others do as well.

No, I'm one of those people that get sick of idiots that think sodium, sugar, carbs, fats, etc... are bad and the devil. That's why I ASKED first if you have high blood pressure or any medical issues. Too many people come into the nutrition section after reading out dated articles or even current articles filled with nonsense posting stupid questions that a simple search will get them an answer.

[The Running Man]

I've always found that eating a diet composed of mostly whole and minimally processed foods left me sodium deficient, especially as an athlete. I'm always actively adding sodium to my diet.

You need sodium. Unless you have a health issue that requires you to limit your sodium intake, then don't worry about it.

[dobsqc]

If you need low sodium you have 2 options :

1. Cook your own foods from whole foods, Not adding sodium

2. Go in local supermarkets (preferably healthy ones.. (that's where you'll find the low sodium meal anyway) and look for homemade ready to cook pre-made meals. They should have low sodium

[Simmo0508]

I do have high blood pressure and a heart problem. Do you have any real advice? Or are you just one of those people that say "just drink it off" as if its no big deal?

I'm fairly curious about what others do as well.

lol This. Can't stand those guys that don't stay on-topic.

OP, just get more familiar with labels and researching the typical foods you eat. If you're looking to cut sodium down, you probably wouldn't go the cottage cheese regardless. Lean meats are usually pretty cool for low sodium, vegetables have nothin, fruit likewise, most natural and unprocessed foods we do eat are pretty low in sodium. It's when people start adding the salt and the sauces is when the sodium gets knocked up a bit.

Try to avoid packaged foods in this case, and buy in it's rawest state. For example, normal sweet potatoes and not the new frozen McCain Sweet Potato Fries.

But if you're purpose is to drop a bit of water from your physique, it's not just sodium that plays a role. Read into how carbs also contribute to storing water too. During a bulk it's not really a concern of course, but during a cut and getting extremely dry does require the proper knowledge of sodium and carbs.

[iNjoYM0NSTER]

Fruits have low sodium. There are food with reduced sodium or no salt added. Or you can simply cook your own meals and not add salt.

[cb00]

Anyone knows how or what can i do to get rid of sodium in foods
i know i should buy raw foods and cook but sometimes its waaayy too much cooking
mainly asking for cottage cheese and prepared meats from the butcher
im opened to all sorts of ideas

Know what's going into your mouth, and start reading labels. You don't need to be able to cook to reduce your sodium intake. There are some great choices in the supermarket frozen section, and a lot of ready-to-cook meals have taken a turn for the healthier.

Personally, a bag of ready-to-steam vegetables tossed into the microwave + Mrs. Dash seasoning is as easy as can be. Veggies, fruits, and whole unprocessed foods overall is what you're looking for.

[WonderPug]

FYI: http://newsatjama.jama.com/2011/05/0...t-restriction/

[BookMonkey]

FYI: http://newsatjama.jama.com/2011/05/0...t-restriction/

Perhaps, but I've noticed on days where I have higher salt intake, I have heart problems. Most notably palpitations during sleep (it wakes me up sometimes).

It could be coincidental, but still...

[WonderPug]

Perhaps, but I've noticed on days where I have higher salt intake, I have heart problems. Most notably palpitations during sleep (it wakes me up sometimes).

You're likely a hyperresponder, but that doesn't mean that the average person should modify his/her diet to accomodate your specific issue.

[snorkelman]

people ITT should look into the sodium / potassium balance / connection

[mattypoole]

people ITT should look into the sodium / potassium balance / connection

This is an important point.

I've never had any blood pressure issues but I do maintain a lower sodium intake nowadays because I find I retain a lot of water when it's high.

I find that processed foods are typically higher in sodium, which is why I stick to buying and cooking my chicken etc and combine it with other whole foods instead of buying it pre-prepared.