Lowering Salt Intake

In today's society salt intake is of major concern. With so many people having high blood pressure, or other major medical conditions, lowering your salt intake is of most importance.

I was diagnosed with high blood pressure about 5 years ago. My doctor advised me to cut salt from my diet. Well in my opinion, this was a big problem. I loved salt! Food just did not taste the same without adding salt to enhance the flavor. I thought that lowering my salt intake would be the end of my love for food.

Here it is almost 5 years later and I have almost cut salt entirely from my diet! It did not happen overnight, but it did happen. I am going to share with you the steps that I have taken to lower my salt intake, until it is almost non existent. And by the way, I still love food and do not feel as if I am compromising the taste, by leaving out the salt.

You have to crawl before you can walk. With that thought in mind I made my first major change to lower my salt intake. I had a deep seated addiction of dill pickles. This addiction started at a very young age. Given the choice between a pickle or candy, I would choose the pickle every single time. Thus my love of salt was born. My first major change to lower my salt intake was to give up my dill pickles.

My second step to lowering my salt intake was to slowly cut back on the amount of salt that I was adding to my food, during the cooking process. This was a little harder, as I had a heavy hand when salting my food. I started a little at a time, until I adjusted to the taste, that way I wasn't missing any flavor.

Next, I started experimenting with different spices and seasonings. These you have to be extremely careful with, and read the labels. Many seasonings have salt added, as well as MSG, which we all know is bad for your health as well. When you find the right seasonings, you can pile them on, to add flavor, and lower the amount of salt that you use even more.

I have learned that using fresh ingredients, such as onion, garlic, lemon zest, peppers and fresh herbs are the best choices for seasoning your food, without adding unwanted salt to your diet.

I then read an article about the benefits of sea salt, and how an individual with high blood pressure, could tolerate sea salt easier than processed table salt. I immediately went out and purchased this product. I have been using it ever since I first read that article. The sea salt did not cause water retention, as the table salt did, I quickly noticed a weight loss of four pounds. This had to be a better product!

As I became more aware of my salt intake, and searching for ways of lowering my salt intake, I started to read the ingredient labels on ALL of my food product purchases. This is an absolute must for lowering your salt intake! Almost everything, that you purchase has a high sodium (salt) content. If you do not believe me, go to your kitchen cabinet, right now, and check that can of peas! You will be surprised.

Everything that you purchase, that has been processed, has salt. Check the label on that last candy bar that you ate, or the sodium (salt) content on your soda bottle. Processed cheese, margarine, meats such as wieners and bologna are extremely high in salt. Some fresh meats, such as pork are high in salt content, even before salt is added during the cooking process.

Once that you educate yourself as to where you are getting excess salt from, then you know exactly what to do to lower your salt intake. Buy fresh vegetables whenever possible, do not salt during the cooking process, add a dash of sea salt just before eating. Avoid processed foods, such as TV dinners, canned meats, sandwich meats, processed cheeses, boxed dinners and anything else that is prepackaged and microwavable.

Most foods that you order at a restaurant, or fast food chain is loaded with excess salt and MSG. Only eat at these establishments when absolutely necessary. I know, that not too long ago, I would order a hamburger at a fast food restaurant and add not one but two packets of salt to the burger, before I could eat it. Now since I have modified my eating habits, I can taste the salt in the burger, without adding any extra salt.

I know that armed with these steps, that I have learned the hard way, by trial and error, as to ways of lowering my salt intake, you will be able to lower your salt intake in half the time that it took me. Salt is a very harmful substance, that should be eaten in moderation, in order to live a long and healthy life. Good luck on your journey of lowering your salt intake.