The Salty Truth
According to many doctors and recent studies, we’re still eating way too much salt.
Salt, in and of itself, is not such a bad thing. In fact, salt is an essential ingredient in the body. It helps regulate body fluids (including your blood) and maintains the balance of fluids and pressure inside and outside of your cells. Salt also plays an important role in nerve impulse transmission, heart action and the metabolism of carbohydrates and protein.
We know salt is a major flavouring additive, second only to sugar in total quantity added to food every year. Salt helps cure meat and fish and improves the taste
of many other foods. Salt also aids in the process of cheese-making and helps inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria in products such as bacon, sausage and bread. Salt is produced in different forms: unrefined salt such as sea salt, refined salt (table salt) and iodized salt.
But, excessive salt intake may lead to hypertension or high blood pressure, which may in turn lead to stroke, heart disease and kidney failure. Salt has been called the “silent killer” because warning signs are rare.
It’s time to reduce the amount of salt we eat. Here are tips to help cut down.
• Know how much sodium you’re eating – 2,100 milligrams a day is the upper limit for most people. Those with high blood pressure are urged to eat much less, and 1,500 mg is plenty for good health.
• Read food labels. Three-fourths of daily sodium intake comes from processed foods, and they are required to list the amount of sodium per serving on the label.
• Comparison shop. The amount of salt added to different foods can vary widely by brand.
• Check for low-or reduced-sodium brands of your favourite foods. Even chicken broth now comes in low-sodium versions.
• Cook from scratch whenever possible. Substitute garlic, sage and other herbs, for salt, or try salt-free seasonings.
• Limit convenience foods like pizza and frozen dinners. A single slice of some pizzas can account for nearly half your daily sodium allotment.
• Taste isn’t always an indicator of salt content. Some breakfast cereals can have more salt than potato chips.
• Eat more fresh fruits and vegetables. Frozen vegetables seldom contain much salt.
• Limit consumption of smoked or salt-cured meats, such as hot dogs, ham, bacon and lunch meats.
• Remove the salt shaker. Set the table without salt and pepper, just like the finest restaurants in the world.
2600 John Street, Unit 207, Markham, ON L3R 3W3 T: 905.475.5222 F: 905.475.6369
