How much sodium is too much?

The answer to this question in my practice is always: it depends. Yes, there are Dietary Guidelines for Americans which are based on studies and research that state 2000 milligrams is the appropriate amount. But that is a generalization that may not be correct for everyone. Most people know that too much sodium can lead to high blood pressure and a lot of people think that’s only something you can get when you’re older so there’s time to worry about that later. But excess sodium can damage the body in other ways and it’s important to keep an eye on your sodium intake no matter how young and healthy you are.

The other reason I’m such a stickler about watching sodium is that when you have a high sodium day you are going to weigh several pounds more the next morning. Its water weight but it makes the scale go up and that can be very demotivating. You work hard all week eating well and exercising, then Friday night happy hour comes along and after 1 wine spritzer and some appetizers you wake up 3 pounds more on Saturday morning. When you don’t understand the sodium impact, it’s tempting to ditch the healthy eating because “it isn’t working”. Please don’t give up. Drink lots of water and in a day or 2 you’ll drop the extra water weight.  I know it sounds crazy to drink more when you’re retaining water, more on that later. But for now, know that you need about ½ your body weight in ounces of water. (200 lbs. = 100 oz. of water)
Here’s some important info about sodium that you should know:

• One teaspoon of salt contains about 2300 milligrams of sodium. Measure out a teaspoon of salt and pour it on a plate. That’s 2300miligrams of sodium. (Remember the recommendation is 2,000mg.)
• Foods with less than 140 mg of sodium are considered “Low Sodium”.
• Your salt palate is an acquired taste and the more you eat the more you can tolerate.
• High sodium foods won’t always taste salty to you.
• Most of the sodium we eat comes from restaurant meals. Look up your favorite entrée on any chain restaurant’s website and you’ll be amazed to see items on the menu with 2000-4000 mg of sodium per serving!
• Particularly salty foods include: Soups, cheeses, sauces, bread.
• Keep in mind that there is very little difference in the sodium content of sea salt and table salt. It may have more trace minerals but it’s still 40 percent sodium.
• There’s a big sodium bomb is lurking at the deli counter. That ham & Swiss on whole wheat with mustard will break the sodium limit and most of us will add a salty bag of “baked” chips to go with it.

So how do we get this under control?

• Start by reading the nutrition label on the back of every package. Notice the amount of sodium in your favorite foods.
• Begin to slowly replace high sodium foods with lower sodium varieties. As you begin to cut back, do it slowly to allow your palate to adjust. If you try to go too fast your food will taste very bland and you won’t be happy.
• Try low sodium turkey on a whole wheat wrap with veggies and a bit of hummus.
• Skip the chips in favor of fresh pepper strips or baby carrots.
• Have a fresh green salad instead of soup, skip the cheese and ask for sauces & dressings on the side.
• Notice how salty things begin to taste as you adjust your palate.

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About Debbie:
Debbie Lazinsky is a weight loss & life coach, health coach & personal trainer. She lost 185 lbs. on her own program and has kept it off since 2010. She was featured in PEOPLE MAGAZINE January 2014 HALF THEIR SIZE issue.

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