Hearty Habits #15: Watch the Salt

The ever caring Mary Emma Allen, writer of Alzheimer’s Notes, shares her Hearty Habits today and reminds us to go easy on the salt.

My husband and I’ve reached the stage in life where we must be very conscious of salt intake. It particularly affects our blood pressure. We both had normal blood pressure for years, mine often being very low. Suddenly, at check-ups, both were elevated…mine not enough to take medication, just to watch and be warned. But my husband had to go on medication.

The doctor went over a variety of measures…weight loss, more exercise, less stress, and less salt. My husband found, after eating something with quite a bit of salt that his blood pressure immediately rose.

Even though I’d begun to cut salt out of my cooking before this, I now became consciuos of the salt in prepared foods. I’ve begun rigorously to read labels when buying and eating foods. It’s amazing, as our doctor warned, the amount of salt in the so-called “healthy” prepared (canned, packaged, frozen) foods. Diet foods, low fat, low sugar, low whatever….and often salt apparently is added to make them taste better. Our doctor gave us a list of foods to be aware of.

Since Jim and I travel a great deal for business, it’s often difficult to stay on a low salt diet. I’ve tried to inquire more, in restaurants, how foods are prepared and leave off sauces, dressings, butter, etc…something we did to a degree before this, but try to be even more diligent now.

I’ve tried using salt substitute, but usually didn’t care for the taste. Also, we found that some of them were prohibited with Jim’s medication. As we’ve begun to use less and salt, it’s amazing how salty normally prepared foods taste.

Work with your doctor or a nutritionist to learn more about lower salt foods in your diet to maintain your health. This doesn’t necessarily mean entirely salt free, but lower salt to help you control blood pressure and other health issues.

Great practical advice, Mary Emma!

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