7 ways to reduce your salt intake
Consuming an excessive amount of salt in your diet? It can place you at a higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease as well as stroke. Don’t know how to put limits on things? Take into account the advice offered here. Salt is not only a fantastic flavor enhancer, but it is also vital for maintaining the proper balance of water and minerals. Not only does it play a role in nerve and muscle function, but it also plays a role in nerve function.
But consuming an excessive amount of it can put one at risk for a wide range of health complications, including high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, and calcium loss. Because we do not limit the amount of hidden salt in our nankeens, cookies, sandwiches, soups, and all of the other packaged products that have a lot of sodium in them, many of us consume twice the amount of salt that is recommended for our diets.
The main reason for this is that we do not restrict our salt intake. This excessive use of salt can, over time, wreak havoc on your body and your health. It is critical to cut back on salt consumption in order to effectively manage ailments such as hypertension and even kidney conditions.
People who consume a lot of salt may have more difficulty with bloating because their kidneys begin to retain more water in an effort to maintain the proper water-to-sodium ratio. This may cause swelling in the hands and feet. You may also experience an increase in thirst. Other negative effects of consuming an excessive amount of salt include irritability, difficulties breathing, convulsions, and a decreased need to urinate.
HOW TO REDUCE SALT INTAKE
Your risk of developing various health problems is decreased when you consume less salt in your diet. The following are some helpful hints from salt reduction specialists.
Avoid packaged foods
“Reduce the amount of preserved and packaged foods, such as canned goods and stored foods that have high levels of sodium for presentation. Prefer no salt added labeling, “Dr. Jinal Patel, a dietitian at Apollo Spectra Hospital in Mumbai, was quoted as saying this.
Priya Palan, a dietitian at Zen Multispecialty Hospital, recommends selecting whole-processed meals rather than ready-to-eat packaged foods whenever possible.
Do not use table salt
Salt should not be added to food after it has been prepared, and the amount of salt used should be limited. According to Dr. Patel, you should also try to avoid using salt whenever it is possible to do so, such as when making chapattis and rice.
Seafood should be avoided
Dr. Patel recommends putting a limit on the consumption of saltwater fish and other foods from the sea in order to avoid getting too much sodium. In hypertension, potassium salts can be used if the dietitian gives their approval. Utilize the DASH diet, which stands for “Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension,” to keep your heart healthy and prevent high blood pressure.
Fruits and vegetables should be eaten fresh
According to Priya Palan, limiting one’s sodium consumption can be accomplished by eating fresh fruits and vegetables rather than canned and frozen meals purchased from the shelves of a store.
Instead of ordering food, cook
According to Palan, one should reduce the number of times they order takeout and instead focus on preparing similar meals at home.
Labels should be checked
According to Dr. Patel, you should make it a habit to examine the nutritional labels of the foods you purchase and make sure that they contain a reasonable amount of sodium. According to Palan, one should “read and compare the sodium content of packaged food,” as well as “consume salty meals in smaller portions.”
Spices and seasonings should be added
Over the salt, Palan recommends adding spices or seasonings such as garlic, onion powder, cumin, ginger, black pepper, coriander leaves, nutmeg, parsley, thyme, rosemary, dry mustard or dill, oregano, bay leaf, lime juice, and amchur.
- FPI selloff in Indian shares continues in first half of Oct: NSDL data
- Vijay Shekhar Sharma launches AIF with target corpus of Rs 30 crore
- Weekly Treasury bills’ yield rise as bank liquidity deficit nears Rs 1 trn
- Listed global funds pour $1.3 bn into India’s equity markets in September
- UP plans to attract pvt investment of more than Rs 1,000 crore in Toy Park
- Aequs raises Rs 448 cr in funding round led by Singapore’s Amansa Capital
