Sodium

Paying attention to your sodium levels is important not only in dieting for weight loss, but in maintaining a healthy diet in general.

Sodium levels have a way of creeping up on you and achieving high and even dangerous levels due to the way that food is produced, and distributed in the world today. Sodium is used to preserve foods, or add flavor to foods boasting a sugar free status. So pre-packaged/canned foods, frozen meats, and fast food are all very high in sodium.

Sodium is important as is it used by your body to regulate blood pressure, and blood volume. It’s also critical for the functioning of muscles and nerves. These are all pretty important processes controlled by something that few people pay much attention to.

So how much sodium should you take in? Your average healthy adult on a 2,000 calorie a day diet should be keeping their sodium at 2,300mg or less. People who suffer high blood pressure, and or are dieting for weight loss should keep their sodium at 1500mg or less.

Sodium does not cause you to gain or lose fat. It has no calories. High levels of sodium however do cause you to retain water. The higher your sodium intake the more water your body retains, and vice versa. After we consume large amounts of salt, it is the water moving from our bloodstream into our skin that gives us that "puffy" look. When we consume lesser amounts of salt, the same process works in reverse to remove the excess water from our bodies.

It also is one of the leading causes of high blood pressure or hypertension which can lead to strokes, heart attacks as well as heart and kidney failure.

Though the terms are often used interchangeably, salt and sodium are not the same thing. Sodium, which is found naturally in most foods, accounts for approximately 40% of table salt. Therefore when salt is added to food, the sodium content increases by approximately 40% of the amount of salt added.

Our bodies rely on electrolytes, most significantly sodium and potassium, to carry the electrical impulses that control our bodily functions. In order for our bodies to function properly, it is important that the concentration of electrolytes in our bodies remain constant. Which means maintaining a consistent yet healthy level of sodium in your diet.

A high concentration of sodium in our blood triggers our thirst mechanism, causing us to consume adequate amounts of water to return to the proper concentration of electrolytes. This is one of the reasons why bars provide free salty snacks like pretzels and peanuts. The salt causes us to become thirsty and drink more.

Here are some examples of sodium levels in various forms of food from fast food, canned, to frozen:

Fast Foods

Burger King - Tendergrill Garden Salad: 920mg

McDonalds - Premium Southwest Salad With Grilled Chicken: 960mg

Subway - 6” Subway Club (from the 6g of fat or less menu): 880mg

KFC - Grilled Chicken Breast: 460mg

Taco Bell - Fresco Chicken Soft Taco from the drive thru “diet menu”: 480mg

Canned Foods/Condiments

Campbell’s – 1 Cup Chicken Noodle Soup: 870mg

Del Monte – ½ Cup of Cut Green Beans:  390mg

Progresso “Light” – 1 Cup Chicken Noodle Soup: 690mg

Diet Sodas/Crystal Light – Can have anywhere from 30 to 70mg per 8oz

Heinz Ketchup – 1 Tbsp: 160mg

French’s Yellow Mustard – 1 Tsp: 55mg

Hellman’s Low Fat Mayonnaise – 1 Tbsp: 130mg

Molly Mcbutter  Fat Free Natural Butter Flavor – 1 Tsp: 190 mg

A-1 Steak Sauce – 1 Tbsp: 280mg

Compared to frozen foods you might have at home…

Tyson – Grilled Skinless Chicken Breast: 220mg

Omaha Steaks – Grilled Skinless Chicken Breast: 130mg

Gorton’s – Signature Grilled Tilapia: 140mg

Jennie-O – All Natural ¼ lb Turkey Burgers: 160mg

Think about how quickly that can add up past your daily recommended sodium requirements!

Your best bet at keeping your sodium levels down is to buy fresh meats, fruits, and vegetables. This will limit added sodium to them. You do however have to eat the food before it goes bad, or freeze it on your own. Sodium is used as a preservative that allows you the convenience of storing foods for long periods of time without it going bad, or the ability to toss it in the microwave and heat it up.