FYI

How does Canada's salt intake stack up?

http://thefoodlabelmovement.org/how-does-canadas-salt-intake-stack-up/

KILLING THE CRAVING

Along with starting this diary, I'm going to start counting my sodium intake daily. I think it is the only way to keep me honest. Every once in a while, I catch myself nibbling on something not so low sodium, so I say to myself, "I'll make up for it tomorrow". But do I?
Didn't really do too bad at home this week but had 2 outings with friends and blew it at the restaurants. There is no way to control salt outside the home.

Moreover, I think sodium reduction is much like being an alcoholic-on-the-wagon. While I understand that the body needs some sodium in its system, the more you taste it, the more you want it. Salt is an addiction. I need to be determined not to fall into my old eating habits and not be lazy about doing it.

You know, most people think about improving their health by cutting fat, they think about cutting carbs, they think about cutting calories and they don't necessarily think about cutting salt, but they really should. Salt is much more precarious than watching for trans fats. It is a silent killer.

Brain scans show sodium triggers dopamine, the neurotransmitter associated with pleasure, which can mean the more salt I eat, the more I want. Sodium also boosts insulin production, which leads to weight gain.  I'm a big guy. The government recommends consuming only 1,500 milligrams of salt a day, or two-thirds of one teaspoon. Most Canadians consume more than twice that amount. My doctor has prescribed 1,300 mg of sodium per day for me.

So how do I go about killing the salt cravings? Some people are hesitant to even try, yet if you stop eating salty foods for just a little while, you actually stop wanting them. How does that happen?  We can literally train our taste buds.  Each one contains about 100 receptor cells.  Each cell only lives about 2 weeks and is then replaced.  So for the first two weeks of  my new eating plan, I must cut out all sodium. To get to that plateau, I cannot be cheating along the way.

Plus, during that time, I can load up on foods like spinach, bananas, almonds and milk because they contain key minerals that cleanse the body of excess salt. The minerals sodium, magnesium, potassium and calcium all work together and they work to get your body running the way it should.  I'm getting way too much of one, of salt, and not near enough of the other three. The result is I have high blood pressure.

In my diary I am documenting how I am making the change.  Living a low salt lifestyle means long term changes.  Fewer fast food stops, making the effort to cook from home with non-processed ingredients, and seasoning with spices other than salt. Keeping a sodium intake count.

As the recovering alcoholic vows, "One day at a time".

The Eating Plan

Well it's been a busy week of recommended reading. I have been looking over the  Canada Food Guide and the D.A.S.H. Eating plan, perused the MayoClinic site and the Rodale News. All seem to have different approaches to the same problem. So I have glean the best parts to create my own low-sodium menu plan.

Basically it breaks down to the following:

EAT DAILY	3X a WEEK	1X a WEEK	0X a WEEK
fruit whole grains leafy greens water	oily fish yogurt broccoli legumes betacarotene veg lycopene veg	red meat pasta / rice eggs dessert alcohol	fast food soda pop processed meals canned soup diet anything

I am pretty good at eating my veggies but have to admit a bit lacking in the fruit dept. I rarely buy any and only if on sale. I suppose being a lifelong “salty” I don't have much of a “sweet-tooth”. I am going to make an effort to have fruit available in-house for baking and snacks. The pro side of it is that many fruits have high levels of potassium which is essential for good health, and high amounts in a diet can counteract some of sodium's effect on my blood pressure levels. So I must make this an everyday habit.

Whole grains, on the other hand, I have no problem with. I love my carbs! The only thing to keep in mind is to eat unprocessed whole grains which are more complex, while most processed and refined ones are seasoned with salt to improve their taste. Starches, like pasta and rice, I will cut down to once a week to help with my glycemic load to prevent any onset of diabetes.

The biggest blow for me will be bread. I ♥ BREAD. Not the white pappy Wonder-stuff but the dense multigrained varieties... rye, pumpernickel, ancient grains, whole-wheat. Who would have thought a baked loaf is loaded with sodium?

Vegetables will have to be my daily powerhouse as I am used to having a full belly. Most veggies are not calorie-dense per volume and low in sodium. So that means I can eat as much as I choose and fill my belly. A variety of green, orange, and red vegetables should provide me with all the necessary vitamins and minerals. With the prospect of no canned soups available, I see lots of homemade veggie soups and chilis in my future.

In the protein dept., I need to up the ante and eat more selective portions. With no deli and cured meats available to make sandwiches for the lunchbag, I will need to roast my own lean meats and slice it to keep tabs on the salt, fat, and cholesterol. Fish and poultry protein will be more the standard, with at least some legumes for meatless meal options. Eggs, I will reserve for baking.

Not a milk drinker either, though I use skim milk dry milk powder in my baking. Most of my dairy has been in the form of cheese, which is now off the menu since it is very high in sodium. (Man, I could kill for a grilled cheese sandwich right now).

I will save my high-end sodium allotment and reserve any cheese-tasting for my once-a-month “treat” to make it count.

So that leaves plain low-fat yogurt as my calcium and dairy choice. Yogurt is ideal for making homemade salad dressings for my veggie plate, as commercial dressings are high in sodium and fats.

Speaking of fats, Becel® Saltfree is now my go-to margarine. It is good for eating and baking.

Last but not least, is to cut back to one alcohol drink a week. No one said it couldn't be a big one.

So that's the eating plan. Now to go grocery shopping... (p.s. my most-dreaded chore!)