“Please pass me the salt” is a statement that you are likely to say or hear someone say at mealtime. Yes, why not? We all want to savor every taste of our meals. While we enjoy our meals, we should not lose sight of the fact that we should eat healthy.
Eating healthy entails a whole lot of things but in this article, we will be looking at the use of salt or sodium in our meals. Salt is a basic ingredient that should not be missing in our meals however you can get to a point when the use of salt can raise a red flag to you.
Everyone knows that the use of salt will bring out the taste of the food you cook but you should use and consume it sparingly.
Salt and Sodium: are they the same?
Salt and sodium are closely related but not entirely the same.
Sodium is a part of the salt constituent. It is a natural mineral present in many of the foods we eat. We can get sodium from packaged and processed foods. It helps to keep water in your body in the needed areas. So, you see that it is of great benefit to your body.
However, consuming more than the daily recommended intake, your body will release more fluid into the bloodstream, increasing the blood level. This is a red flag that can lead to a severe health condition like high blood pressure. You will agree that this has become a burden for so many people today.
Salt, on the other hand, is made up of sodium and chloride. It is the visible and vital cooking ingredient we are all used to. Remember that we mentioned earlier that it should be used sparingly. This is because if you consume it without caution, you run the risk of severe health conditions such as hypertension, heart-related problems, or even stroke.
From the above, you can deduce that while it is easy to control your salt intake because it is visible to you and you can thereby measure the amount you put into your meals. It is not that easy with sodium. Remember we explained it is a natural mineral present in foods and also in packaged foods. So how then can you stay healthy and at the same time feed well?
The answer is to have a diet change.
Yes, a diet change.
Make a decision today to do away with salt as much as you can. Your taste buds will scream at you when you start on this journey but they will eventually agree with you as you stay committed to your decision.
What are the foods you can consider?
As you greatly reduce the use of salt in your cooking, take more of your home fresh meals and lots of vegetables. Try to avoid processed foods. Make sure the packaged foods you buy have low sodium in them. Make it a habit to check the nutrition information on foods you are buying.
Make an effort to follow the above instructions and you would be saving yourself a whole lot of health issue.