Tips for Living with a Low Sodium Diet

Has your doctor recently told you had to go on a low-sodium diet? If so you are probably finding this to be quite a challenge as you discover that sodium seems to everywhere? You are certainly not alone here as the typical American eats entirely too much fast food and when at home tends to choose high sodium comfort foods. Processed foods such as canned soups and vegetables, frozen dinners, boxed noodles, salsas and chips are all high in sodium.

Recommendations for those on a low-sodium diet are typically to stick somewhere between 2,000 to 3,000 milligrams (mg) of sodium per day. That equals about one teaspoon of salt which is about 2,300 mg of sodium.

So what should you do to cut back on the sodium? Here are some great tips to get you started down the correct path. As with any major lifestyle change the key is to just get started. Confucius said A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. By following some of these tips you will be able to master your new low sodium lifestyle in no time. Here are some things to remember:

Number one ” dont beat yourself up. The goal is not to eliminate all the salt entering your system it is to reduce your sodium intake down to the level your doctor prescribed.

Immediately stop adding salt to your food ” dont add it to the meals that you are cooking and remove the salt shaker from the dining room table. If you are like most of us we grew up with a salt shaker on the table and it is second nature to salt your food before even taking the first bite. While old habits are hard to break you also dont want to feel like you are depriving yourself from wonderful taste. So instead start to experiment. Fill the shaker, formerly known as salt, with some salt-free herbs and spices ” basil, oregano, cayenne pepper, lemon pepper, garlic, onion and parsley are all good options. Start off with small amounts until you find a combination that you enjoy.

Buy a peppermill if you dont already have one. Try grinding fresh pepper from some of these amazing whole peppercorns ” a typical black pepper like Tellicherry or Lampong. Or for a really exotic taste sensation try Green, Sichuan or Pink peppercorns. These are also some of the very popular peppers appearing in some of the finest restaurants. For a taste of Europe go for a white peppercorn, these dont tend to have the bite of the black peppercorns. If you havent tried a freshly ground whole peppercorn before you are in for an amazing treat.

Learn how to analyze food labels ” when you are comparing products side-by-side you will soon see some amazing differences between products that may at first glance seem identical. A good rule of thumb is that all packaged food is going to have higher levels of sodium than fresh foods. But when you know what to look for you can still make healthier choices!

Embrace fresh fruits and vegetables as they are very low in sodium levels and as a bonus you can also eat about as much as youd like and not worry about packing on any extra pounds. Other good choices are fresh lean beef, chicken as these tend to be low in sodium as well.

Learn how to fully experience herbs ” before adding herbs to your dish crush them in your hand to bring out the full taste. Also most herbs provide the most flavor when added towards the end of the cooking process.

It will be difficult to change your eating habits, but go for small changes to start. Begin with targeting just one meal a day. Once you have that as a habit then add a second meal. This approach will get you on the right path before you know it. It may take weeks before you have a good understanding of low-sodium foods, but you will adjust. And eventually you might not even miss the salt as your taste buds will come alive as they are exposed to a world of amazing new tastes and flavors.

Greg Patterson has been studying healthy eating alternatives and how to fully utilize the finest herbs and spices in healthier meal preperation for more than 20 years. His extensive background in restaurants, physical fitness and customer service led him to launching SpicesInc.com in order to provide freshest seasoning blends, herbs, spices and salt-free seasonings from acrossthe world.

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