EMILY LISCIANDRO: If you've been diagnosed with congestive heart failure, your doctor
has asked you to follow a very low sodium diet of less than 2000 milligrams per day.
So what is sodium? Sodium is a mineral that is found in all foods, and is necessary for
good health. But most people get too much sodium from the foods they eat. Sodium is
a component of salt. So, to limit your sodium intake, you need to limit your salt intake.
You may ask, "Why do I need to watch my sodium intake?" Well, sodium in the body attracts
fluid. If you're eating too much sodium, you may have fluid buildup. If your body has extra
fluid, your heart and kidneys will need to work harder to rid the body of the fluid,
which may cause a rise in your blood pressure. High blood pressure can lead to serious problems,
such as stroke or heart attack. By following a low-sodium diet, you should have less fluid
retention and swelling and you can help control your blood pressure too. When on a low-sodium
diet, you should limit your sodium intake to about 2000 milligrams, or 2 grams, per
day. This may seem extremely low, but keep in mind that the American Heart Association
now recommends that adults 51 years and older, all African Americans and anyone with high
blood pressure limit their daily sodium intake to no more than 1500 milligrams. For a daily
goal of 2000 milligrams of sodium, you could divide your sodium intake throughout the day.
That gives you about 600 milligrams per meal with room for one 200 milligram sodium snack.
Now let's talk about sources of sodium. Table salt is the primary source of sodium in our
diets. Even a small amount has a lot. In fact, just one teaspoon of salt has 2300 milligrams
of sodium, which is more than should be your daily limit for sodium intake. Even if you
don't add salt to your food, you could still be eating foods with high sodium content.
For example, commercially prepared foods have large amounts of sodium. This includes easy
to prepare box mixes; frozen dinners; preserved meats, such as lunch meats, hotdogs or smoked
meats; canned foods, such as soups, vegetables, pork and beans or tomato products; condiments
and ready-to-eat foods, such as cereals, breads and baked goods. In general, the more processed
the food, the more sodium it will contain. This might seem a bit overwhelming, but the
first step is easy. It's learning how to read a food label. Food labels provide a lot of
helpful information about food and can help you make healthier choices and reduce your
sodium intake. To begin, look at the serving size listed at the top. All the nutrition
information listed on the food label is for one serving. Therefore, if you eat two servings
of a food, you need to double what you see on the label. Next, look for sodium content.
The amount of sodium in one serving of food is listed as milligrams, or mg. Remember,
reduced sodium products still contain sodium, so it is still important to read the food
label. Foods that contain 140 milligrams of sodium or less per serving are considered
to be low-sodium. And then, foods that contain 35 milligrams of sodium or less per serving
are considered to be very low-sodium. You should choose these foods most often. The
next step is shopping for a very low-sodium diet. In general, the outside perimeter of
the grocery store will have foods that are less processed. So start there! Here are some
tips on what to buy. When buying vegetables, choose fresh or frozen over canned. Always
choose plain varieties, or ones without the added sauces. If you do need the canned version,
though, be sure to choose the no added salt variety. Limit baked goods, which are processed.
Also, choose fresh chicken, fish or lean meats instead of processed types, such as lunch
meats, hotdogs or smoked meats. Buy limited, non- or low-fat dairy products; select unsalted
versions of your favorite snacks and unsalted or low-sodium soups. Cooking food often presents
an opportunity to add salt when following a recipe. However, an important way to reduce
sodium intake is to not add salt during the cooking process. It is also important to not
add salt at the table. Learning to cook with herbs and spices is a fun and tasty way to
practice a very low-sodium diet everyday. Season foods with salt-free seasonings such
as herbs, spices, garlic, onion, peppers or lemon juice to add flavor. Be sure to use
garlic or onion powder versus the salted versions. Be careful when using salt substitutes too,
as many are high in potassium content, which can cause medical problems in some people.
There are excellent choices for a salt-free seasoning blend that can be used for flavor
that have very low potassium content -- just be sure to check the label. So are you ready?
Here are some ideas to get you started. For beef, chicken, pork or fish, try adding flavor
with mushrooms, green pepper, onion, parsley, thyme, sage, dill, garlic or bay leaf. For
eggs, try seasoning with pepper, green pepper, onions or tomatoes. You can make your vegetables
pop with chives, lemon juice, garlic, onion powder, rosemary or parsley. Now that we have
discussed what sodium is, why it's important to limit its use and ways to change your eating
lifestyle to accomplish following a low-sodium diet, it's time for you to get practicing.
Thank you for watching -- we hope it's been helpful. Goodluck!