The Politics of SALT
03-28-2012, 02:55 AM
#21
Super Moderator
Join Date: Jan 2011
Posts: 1,085
The salt problem really is interesting. Also the unlisted potassium problem makes me really mad, too. I'm going to check about the KCl/NaCl salt mixture and see if I can find it around where I am, see how it tastes to me.
One thing I've loved about Fitday is that I've become far more aware of salt. I tend to hit 2500-3500 per day, which is too high, but before that I was regularly hitting 5,000-6,000, so it's a work in progress. I consciously buy low-salt foods now - my house has low sodium beans, low-or-no sodium seasoning mixtures, low-salt condensed soups (when I buy condensed soup...nowadays it's more like I only buy cream of chicken and such for recipes, and that also comes in a low-salt variety), no-salt chicken broth (when I don't make my own), and other such whenever I can find it.
I find that I've become very used to lower salt content in my food. As Kathy pointed out, the salt in salted butter is usually enough for me when I'm making food with butter, and I just salt everything "to taste" -- and since my taste is used to less salt now, I'm overall using less salt when I cook. I still have trouble logging it faithfully (how much salt is "four sprinkles?" lol) I've also fallen in love with McCormick's "Perfect Pinch" seasoning blends. 5 of them come in entirely salt-free varieties and I find when I use them, I don't miss salt at ALL. The Garlic Pepper is particularly flavorful, and the salt-free ones say it right on the label in big, bold letters.
Salt-free and low-salt is a trend. It's happening, but REALLY slowly.
One thing I've loved about Fitday is that I've become far more aware of salt. I tend to hit 2500-3500 per day, which is too high, but before that I was regularly hitting 5,000-6,000, so it's a work in progress. I consciously buy low-salt foods now - my house has low sodium beans, low-or-no sodium seasoning mixtures, low-salt condensed soups (when I buy condensed soup...nowadays it's more like I only buy cream of chicken and such for recipes, and that also comes in a low-salt variety), no-salt chicken broth (when I don't make my own), and other such whenever I can find it.
I find that I've become very used to lower salt content in my food. As Kathy pointed out, the salt in salted butter is usually enough for me when I'm making food with butter, and I just salt everything "to taste" -- and since my taste is used to less salt now, I'm overall using less salt when I cook. I still have trouble logging it faithfully (how much salt is "four sprinkles?" lol) I've also fallen in love with McCormick's "Perfect Pinch" seasoning blends. 5 of them come in entirely salt-free varieties and I find when I use them, I don't miss salt at ALL. The Garlic Pepper is particularly flavorful, and the salt-free ones say it right on the label in big, bold letters.
Salt-free and low-salt is a trend. It's happening, but REALLY slowly.
03-28-2012, 03:17 AM
#22
FitDay Member
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Ohio
Posts: 24
For nutritional information on many foods, I goto the Nutritional Data website. It's loaded with info on foods...
Nutrition facts, calories in food, labels, nutritional information and analysis – NutritionData.com
Nutrition facts, calories in food, labels, nutritional information and analysis – NutritionData.com
03-28-2012, 04:11 AM
#23
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: 86
Posts: 1,875
Check this out, this is what I now use. I've gotten away from the KCl/NaCl salt mixture as I found I was STILL getting too much sodium:
It took a few months to get used to it however. It's a little "sharper" tasting than sodium salt. But you use less, so the small container lasts a LONG time. And once you get used to the taste, you may actually PREFER it over NaCl. I do.
Then, in a pinch, if you want you could always get 1,470 mg. of Potassium packed into only 50 calories. How? By drinking 8 ounces of Low Sodium V8 juice (50 cals, 820 mg of K) spiked with 1/4 tsp "No Salt" (0 cals, 650 mg K).
Remember, it's not just the high sodium that is killing us. It's the RATIO of the sodium to potassium that is what we should be concerned with as well!
Researchers then looked at what is called the sodium-potassium ratio. A high sodium-potassium ratio means a person consumes more sodium relative to potassium. Sodium-potassium ratios could be improved by either lowering sodium intake or raising potassium intake, or both.
The study found that people with the highest ratios were more than twice as likely to die from a heart attack compared with those with the lowest ratios. They also were 46% more likely to die from a heart-related death compared with those with the lowest ratios. (Looking at all causes of death, people with high ratios saw a 46% higher risk.)
The study found that people with the highest ratios were more than twice as likely to die from a heart attack compared with those with the lowest ratios. They also were 46% more likely to die from a heart-related death compared with those with the lowest ratios. (Looking at all causes of death, people with high ratios saw a 46% higher risk.)
03-28-2012, 05:12 AM
#24
FitDay Member
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Ohio
Posts: 24
I've already tried the No Salt but I didn't like it at all.
Regarding potassium, I am now taking potassium supplements recommended by a pharmacist to alieviate leg cramps...I haven't had a leg cramp since I started with the potassium. I was getting them a lot but now nothing.
Regarding potassium, I am now taking potassium supplements recommended by a pharmacist to alieviate leg cramps...I haven't had a leg cramp since I started with the potassium. I was getting them a lot but now nothing.
03-28-2012, 09:02 AM
#25
FitDay Member
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 365
Vito-
I do the low-salt routine. I have been able to keep my sodium to 1500 per day, but it is a LOT of "from scratch" cooking, a lot of searching to find a rancher, chicken guy, pig guy, butcher... good thing there is a resurgence of the small farm/small ranch to customer business, or I would be lost. I make my own sausages, make my own "Canned soup base" for casserole cooking. I use a lot of acidic food to compensate for the "no salt blandness", lemon juices, lime, grapefruit... etc.
I do the low-salt routine. I have been able to keep my sodium to 1500 per day, but it is a LOT of "from scratch" cooking, a lot of searching to find a rancher, chicken guy, pig guy, butcher... good thing there is a resurgence of the small farm/small ranch to customer business, or I would be lost. I make my own sausages, make my own "Canned soup base" for casserole cooking. I use a lot of acidic food to compensate for the "no salt blandness", lemon juices, lime, grapefruit... etc.
03-28-2012, 10:05 AM
#26
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: 86
Posts: 1,875
Vito-
I do the low-salt routine. I have been able to keep my sodium to 1500 per day, but it is a LOT of "from scratch" cooking, a lot of searching to find a rancher, chicken guy, pig guy, butcher... good thing there is a resurgence of the small farm/small ranch to customer business, or I would be lost. I make my own sausages, make my own "Canned soup base" for casserole cooking. I use a lot of acidic food to compensate for the "no salt blandness", lemon juices, lime, grapefruit... etc.
I do the low-salt routine. I have been able to keep my sodium to 1500 per day, but it is a LOT of "from scratch" cooking, a lot of searching to find a rancher, chicken guy, pig guy, butcher... good thing there is a resurgence of the small farm/small ranch to customer business, or I would be lost. I make my own sausages, make my own "Canned soup base" for casserole cooking. I use a lot of acidic food to compensate for the "no salt blandness", lemon juices, lime, grapefruit... etc.
I for one am convinced that 1500 is unrealistic for most people, unless of course one has doctor's orders for a low sodium diet. 2300 mg/day is a much more realistic goal. It's not that difficult to keep it at 2100-2600.
So long as the potassium level is consistently at 4700 or above, this amount of sodium should be OK. For the last two months my average potassium has been 5,870 mg/day while my sodium has been 2360 mg/day. It took a while, but a ratio like this is pretty good.
My secret for potassium sources? Sweet potatoes (almost every day), broccoli, carrots, V8 (low sodium), and "No Salt"
03-28-2012, 10:45 AM
#27
FitDay Member
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 365
Excellent work, frenchhen. But you know what I get from all this? A person has to bust their butt and pull out all the stops just to meet the recommended amount of daily sodium.
I for one am convinced that 1500 is unrealistic for most people, unless of course one has doctor's orders for a low sodium diet. 2300 mg/day is a much more realistic goal. It's not that difficult to keep it at 2100-2600.
So long as the potassium level is consistently at 4700 or above, this amount of sodium should be OK. For the last two months my average potassium has been 5,870 mg/day while my sodium has been 2360 mg/day. It took a while, but a ratio like this is pretty good.
My secret for potassium sources? Sweet potatoes (almost every day), broccoli, carrots, V8 (low sodium), and "No Salt"
I for one am convinced that 1500 is unrealistic for most people, unless of course one has doctor's orders for a low sodium diet. 2300 mg/day is a much more realistic goal. It's not that difficult to keep it at 2100-2600.
So long as the potassium level is consistently at 4700 or above, this amount of sodium should be OK. For the last two months my average potassium has been 5,870 mg/day while my sodium has been 2360 mg/day. It took a while, but a ratio like this is pretty good.
My secret for potassium sources? Sweet potatoes (almost every day), broccoli, carrots, V8 (low sodium), and "No Salt"
one of the few "processed foods" I buy is Thomas' Triple Health english muffins.
When I do need a salty crunchy snack I will eat Beanitos black bean chips.
Everything else I eat except for milk & meat products is pretty much raw or dried. But yes, I am in the kitchen probably two hours a day to make the meals I eat as nutritious as I can. It is a lot of work and lucky for me I enjoy it.
06-21-2012, 03:01 AM
#28
FitDay Member
Join Date: Jun 2012
Posts: 1
A recent challenge to the conventional wisdom about salt intake can be read if you will search on : Gary Taubes salt new york times. While cutting back on heavy comsumption of salt seems to lower high blood pressure, there are no clinical studies showing healthy people need to do this.
06-21-2012, 04:36 AM
#29
FitDay Member
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: San Francisco, CA
Posts: 576
I just don't add salt to anything any more. Even then, I still manage to get in a ton of sodium from the food I eat. It was a little hard a first, but I've gotten to the point where I can appreciate the true taste of a food without adding "flavor crystals."
Vito- go easy on the No Salt. It's easy to OD on potassium using that; too much potassium can stop your heart.
Vito- go easy on the No Salt. It's easy to OD on potassium using that; too much potassium can stop your heart.
06-21-2012, 06:39 AM
#30
FitDay Member
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 22
But I sincerely doubt VitoVino is injecting his daily potassium.
Orally, the LD50 of potassium is 2.5g/kg. A 180lb man/woman would have to consume 200 grams, or over 40 times the RDA of potassium to get to that level. Yummy!
So Vito, relax and enjoy your salt substitute(s).
You're gonna die, we all die -- eventually, but it won't be from 'No Salt' potassium poisoning.
