Get That Salt off the Table and Start Feeling Better

You know that feeling you get right after eating a meal at a restaurant? Your ring might get a little tighter? Your feet swell a little? Or you just feel like going to sleep? Besides the obvious fat being in that delicious meal you just ate, there is A LOT of salt! Did you know that the body only needs 2,000mg of salt a day. Americans consume twice that much in a normal day. That doesn’t count if you eat out. Say you went to a certain popular chain Italian Restaurant and ate Chicken Alfredo. You would have consumed 1,060mg of sodium. That doesn’t include an appetizer, bread, soup, and salad. SCARY!

Here are some effects of having too much salt in your diet:
stroke
high blood pressure
left ventricular hypertrophy
edema
stomach cancer
cardiovascular disease

I have Meniere’s disease. No one knows exactly what it is. There is no cure. Symptoms are hard to treat. Basically, you lose your hearing slowly, there is always a feeling of pressure and a ringing in your ear, and you get dizzy out of nowhere. With the dizziness comes nausea. Don’t forget the complete embarrassment as you are out in public and have to lie down and ask for a bucket as you feel sick. 🙁

One of the ways to treat the symptoms is to lower your intake of sodium. I thought, “Oh hey! That’s easy enough!”. UGH I was wrong. Very wrong. Everything has salt in it. From ice cream, to pancakes, to bread. I made it my mission to find tasty food that is low in sodium. Mind you, I hate veggies and I’m very picky about my food.

Here is a list of lower sodium foods that I’ve tried so far and have been pleased with:
whipped butter 55mg
whipped cream cheese 55mg
Lay’s Lightly Salted Chips 80mg
Wheat Thins Hint of Salt
Panera Poppy-seed Salad dressing 55mg
Mixed potatoes, onions, and peppers 30mg

I’m just starting my journey and learning as I go. I’ve downloaded an app to keep track of my sodium intake. I’ve pinned some low sodium food lists from Pinterest.  Hopefully I’m on the road to living a healthier life! I wish all of you the best of luck on your journey.

So if you are suffering from Meniere’s disease, or for whatever reason you also need to watch your salt intake, here is a list of low sodium foods I discovered from Love To Know.

Protein

• Six ounces daily of any fresh or frozen beef, veal, lamb, pork, poultry and fish without salt or sodium in the preparation
• Low sodium water packed tuna or salmon
• Eggs and egg substitutes
• Unsalted nuts
• Low sodium nut butter
• Dry peas and beans

Dairy

• Low sodium cheese or cottage cheese
• Yogurt
• Skim milk
• Cream
• Non-dairy creamers
• Sour cream
• Ice cream

Grains

• Cereals cooked without added salt
• Brown or white rice, pasta, prepared without added salt
• Unsalted popcorn
• Bread, bagels, English muffins, crackers or bread sticks without salted tops
• Most cereal, read the labels
• Most grains, prepared without sodium or salt

Vegetables

• Fresh, or frozen (without salt or sodium added)
• Salt-free canned vegetables
• Vegetable juices without salt or sodium added
• Low sodium tomato sauces

Fruits

• Any kind of fruit
• Fruit juice, fresh or frozen

Fats

• Olive oil, other cooking oils
• Low sodium mayonnaise
• Unsalted butter, margarine
• Low sodium salad dressings

Condiments and Extras

• Spices and herbs without sodium or salt
• Vinegar
• Lemon
• Fresh horseradish or prepared without added salt
• Baking powder and baking soda (baked products only)
• Cream of tartar
• Mustard
• Tabasco sauce and low sodium chili sauces
• Mrs. Dash and other sodium free seasonings
• Yeast
• Jams and jellies
• Low sodium Ketchup